Crazy problem. I bought a 71 roadrunner last year but it sits sometimes for months before being started. Started it the other day and the lifters starting clicking. Zero oil pressure showing so I did the following. This is a pretty fresh engine. Put a mechanical gauge on and zero oil pressure still. Engine is full of oil and has about 1 hour on oil and filter. Pulled the gauge out of the back of the block and started it and no oil at top of motor. Checked oil pump drive, gear and hex end shaft. All looks good and shaft is tight in gear. Pulled oil pump. Looks fine but put a new one on with new filter. Still no oil pressure. Gasket is on correctly and not blocking oil hole in block. Pulled pan and pickup tube is not damaged and in place as it should be. What is left? Checked oil filter after starting and the pump had put no oil in the filter. I am baffled.

 

two things. 1 try some grease in the pump before you put on. 2. try spinning the pump with a elec motor on a shaft. be warned it requires at least 1/2 hp and counter clockwise rotation. and if it gets pressure you WILL feel it in the elec motor. you wont need a gauge.

 

The grease Moe is talking about would be petroleum jelly. Packed in the gears of the pump just for clearification. This forms a suction and pulls the oil into the pump. Good luck and keep us posted... Bill

 

Have you guys heard of this before? A pump loosing prime because it sit too long?

 

Yes, I have a stroker big block with external oiling setup. If it sits for a few or more days it loses it's prime. I then prime it manually as mentioned above. Usually gets worse when the oil is trashed. If priming it fails I'd pull the oil pan just to be sure the pickup tube isn't cracked or something weird like that. Good luck.

 

Any battery drill will work to prime engine just did it.. Your problem occurs with a external oil pump.. This is common problem from sitting, or a new engine

 

Thanks so much for all the help. I will pull it off, fill it with vasoline and prime it till the drill loads up or I see pressure. Really appreciate you guys!

 

IT should prime itself.. I would suspect maybe you lost a push rod or rocker arm, causing the lifter to pop out. Or you could install one of the pre lubers

 

I had a rocker shaft break several years ago. 4 lifters popped out of the holes and the engine still ran and had oil pressure....Not much oil pressure, but 20 lbs or so.
Something else is going on. You can have gallery plugs out and still have SOME pressure. I am curious about this. PLEASE report back once you find out the problem. This may help others.

 

It wont even fill the oil filter which is first in line before the lifter galleries.

I will check it this wknd and report back

 

Are you running a modified oil pan or a dry stump ? FILL the oil filter and try it. Get a pre luber--- pressurizes the oil system before starting

 

Its all stock

 

To prevent future problems and maybe save the engine from damage ??
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ctr-24-006/overview/

 

I have quite a few cars in my stable and have never needed anything like this. I have a 426 hemi roadrunner and a 383 cuda that sit all the time but have never lost prime. Fords and chevys oil pump are almost touching oil in the sump so they stay primed. This is totally new and bizarre to me to start an engine up that was fine to starting it up and no oil pressure. I do understand that the pump being located that far away from the sump and a long pickup tube just adds to the problem.

 

Another thing you might want to check is the pump drive I had one in a small block that did what you are saying and it was stripped/ rounded off and it was hard to see but I did the same thing as you replaced the pump and still had no Oil pressure. Out of shear luck I found it when I pulled the pump for a second time. I feel your pain. Pull the distributor and the shaft and check it carefully... Bill

 

Thanks Bill, I appreciate all the good advice. Will do all this on Friday and report back.

 

This is all you woulds need to prime your big block.....

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/dc...iew/make/dodge

 

Thanks, ordered it yesterday so I am ready.

 

Spun oil pump and got oil at the back of the manifold port opening. Not enough to move an oil pressure guage. You would think that if it blew a front oil galley plug it would have been in the pan.

 

I'm thinking there is something blocking the pick up tube or the pick up tube is cracked at the threads.... But I dont know the history of the car of course... Just shooting from the hip Hoping to hit on something for you...I had Big Block sit for a long time, and the only thing that ever happened to me was the lifters might rattle a little on start up for a minute or so. But thats it..Look and see if someone jacked it up underneath the oil Pan?..

 

Its an odd problem. Oil pan was super clean and engine has a few hours on it running. I check the pickup closely for a crack. Not new to engine building and have a pretty good understanding of this thing but Mopars are fairly new to me. I did not build this one.

 

Did this have oil pressure when it was parked for a period of time. It just doesnt make sense, something is being overlooked

 

You said it would not even fill the filter. This is a huge clue. A pump should spurt out the filter hole nearly IMMEDIATELY

Double check--is the gasket and gasket surface OK where the pump mounts?

Does the pump have the O ring on the snout entering the engine?

The pump should nearly immediately drag the drill down HARD, that is you should have to "hang on" to the drill to keep it from twisting, indicating that the pump is working hard against pressure.

I can't believe I"m going to say this, but in this day and age of "not very high" quality replacement parts, at this point I might even be casting a sideways eye at the new pump

Make sure the pump hex drive is ok.

You actually should be able to get a feel for pump operation off the car, with two people and a pan of oil. You should be able to immerse the pump, with a filled filter, and manually plug the outlet with a finger

You have the intake / valley cover off? I would at this point.

 

I have seen an ahem junk sbc junk oil pump where the woodruff key sheared between the pump rotor and the driven shaft portion of the rotor . Oiled enough to limp home but that was all it had for oiling.

 

It now has a new oil pump and never loads the drill but fills the filter and comes out the oil sending unit hole steady but now near like it should. The engine had oil pressure when it started sitting. Cranked it up and the lifters started collapsing. No oil pressure on the electric gauge. Pulled pan all is well with the pickup. New melling HP pump and new oil pump drive shaft. It all is working but does not load up the drill. I will pull valve covers and check for a broken pushrod and possible lifter jumping out but the engine was no missing like it had a dead cylinder.

 

Time to pull this motor and put it on a stand..... Something way wrong here.

 

I agree Bob, but if it is coming out a 440 is going back in.

 

383's are fun... Good motor...I put mine threw hell and back when I was in High School....lol
I started off with big block Mopars... Didn't get a Small Block till late in life,
But if your going 440....Head up to Conroe Texas My good friends up at Nickens Racing Engine will take good care of you.
If you head up up there Tell David and Bo, We said "**** Howdey"

 

If the 383 comes out please do an autopsy. I am wicked curious what the problem is.