sr20 oil pump help

[white300zdrifter]

About to swap oil pump in my s13 sr oil pressure light comes on when i start it, as well as slight knock then oil gets warm light goes out, and car is quiet again. Anyone think its easier to pull engine to do new heart aka oilpump or should i change it with engine in? ps started doing it when it got cold out and i mixed in lucas oil treatment to try and help it.
thanks Bobby

[nissans13240sx]

Are you sure your oil pan isnt smashed into the pick up?

[Lobo240sx]

^ This. Check for dings in the oil pan. Be a lot easier to just pull the engine. That baffle plate isn't gonna be fun with it in.

[OutToWinPAHC]

Could be a clogged dirty pickup as well.

Check oil pan,
Removed oil can
Inspect pick up

All looks good, replace pump.

DONT RUN THE CAR ANYMORE

[Hijacker]

If you do end up having to replace the pump, you have to pull the upper oil pan. If not, you will get leaks when you try to reseal the front cover. It's easiest to pull the motor out to do that, unfortunately. Unless you have a way to get clearance between the motor and crossmember without pulling the motor.

[codyace]

There is nothing more fun than tearing the front subframe out, the pans off, and then trying to reseal the oil pump in car.

FWIW: You can almost BET on the upper (between head and oil pump) seal not sealing well.

As said here, remove the engine and do it that way. By the time you tear apart the lower suspension to do it, you could have pulled the entire engine with the harness connected (just unbolt it from ecu, push it out firewall, done!) and worked on it on a stand. Plus that way you won't need a realignment.