So I had pulled my VG30DETT almost 3 and a half years ago because it had low compression on cylinder 1. Pulled the heads off and brought them to the machine shop and he said almost all of my intake valves were worn down into the seats. Had the heads resurfaced and rebuilt with all new intake valves, a valve job, and new valve seals as that was all my machinist said they needed. Now unrelated but I had also pulled piston number one and inspected the rings and ring lands and they all looked good so I ensured the rings were all clocked in different directions and reinstalled as it was, just wanted to make sure that wasn’t the source of my compression loss. Anyways I reinstalled the heads, new timing belt kit, new z1 vgx800 turbos, head studs, main studs, new oil pump, etc. Basically new everything except for the bottom end which had no known issues prior to disassembly.
So once everything was all the way back together and I got the Link ecu all configured and good to go for first start I tried to crank the engine with the injectors off for a little bit to prime the oil pump and got nothing on the gauge. I tried multiple times for 15-30 seconds and still got nothing. So me being an idiot I decided to try starting the engine and seeing if pressure would build and still nothing after like 20 seconds so I killed it, immensely ruining my satisfaction of “yay the engine runs!!” After over 4 years of being down. Tried another oil pressure sensor and different gauge, still nothing. At this point the engine had idled for probably around 2 minutes total. Now I did drench everything in assembly lube, even wiped the bores down with some and the engine sounded great the whole time it ran, no knocking or ticking but I’m still worried I hurt it from that. I heard zero turbo noise and I imagine they may not have even spun from getting no oil. So I hope I didn’t hurt those either. I removed the oil pressure sender and no oil dripped out. I removed an oil line from the oil cooler (which I admittedly did not prefill) and no drops from that line either. Removed a turbo oil feed from the block side and it was also dry. So the no oil pressure is legit.
So I then tried removing the spark plugs, turning the fuel injectors off, prefilled the oil cooler, and removed the oil filter and cranked the engine like that for probably a combined total of around 5 minutes at approximately 20-30 seconds at a time. So far nothing has come out of the oil filter tree and I am officially very worried. I don’t know why the oil pump is failing to prime.
I also must include, I had prefilled the oil filter before the first start and when I removed it it was almost empty. So guess it did something with that oil at least? I can’t get a single drop to come out of the oil filter tree though with the filter removed and I am at a loss at this point. I hope I didn’t already hurt things and I don’t know what else to do other than either keep trying to crank it with the plugs out or to just refill the oil filter and put it back and try to start it again and see if pressure comes up. Also I did replace the o ring on the oil pickup tube and the oil filter tree.
New build, oil pressure won’t come up
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itsa300zx
- Posts: 1287
- Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 9:39 am
- Car: 1990 300zx NA W/TT swap
2011 Nissan Rogue S
2008 Highlander SR5 - Location: up North
Re: New build, oil pressure won’t come up
I have not tried this but maybe worth a shot.
Remember hearing engine builders using a good vacuum on the oil filter tree to assist with the oil pump priming .
Remember hearing engine builders using a good vacuum on the oil filter tree to assist with the oil pump priming .
Re: New build, oil pressure won’t come up
I tried that yesterday before cranking it as well as while cranking it and had no luck, however I think I may have put the vacuum on the wrong spot as I put it over the threads for the oil filter, and it is now my understanding that the oil feeds from the little hole beside the oil filter threads. Unfortunately I won’t be able to mess with the car again until Monday, but I may try that.
Last night I did some more research and I found that some people have had luck with using an oil squirt can and back feeding the pump through that hole and then hand cranking the engine backwards to draw oil into the gears. So I ordered an oil squirt can and I think I may try that first. I will also try lowering the front of the car as it is currently on all 4 jack stands, however it is higher in the front. Maybe tilting the back higher will help force oil into the pump. Hopefully that will get it to start drawing some oil.