Hey guys. I have a 93 D150 5.2 Magnum engine that hasn't been started in a few years. I got it running a couple of weeks ago and it isn't showing oil pressure and the light is on. I changed the oil and filter and still no pressure showing. The old filter and filter mount didn't look like any oil has been flowing. The engine isn't rattling or anything like it should probably do if no oil is being pumped. I am planning on taking the new filter off and taking the coil wire off and cranking the engine for a second or two and see if oil is flowing. If not would it be ok to drain the oil and put a quart of kerosene in the sump (or if there is something else that might be better that can be bought at Wal-Mart or parts house) and let it set for a few days and see if maybe the oil pickup is clogged up. I am wanting just enough kerosene to fill the bottom of the pan, not run it or anything but just let it sit. Dropping the pan isn't an option. The oil that came out when changed was the blackest I have probably ever seen. Like I said. I just want something that can be put in and allowed to sit and enough to cover the oil intake.
Kerosene soak
- Thread starter motorguy222
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How long did you run it? Could be bad wiring or sending unit also. You would need to confirm with a mechanical gauge.
I have started it a few times and ran for a few minutes each time. That is one reason I am wondering about the oil. I would think if it isn't getting oil the lifters would have collapsed and be making a huge racket. However there may be a very low oil pressure just enough to keep the lifters pumped up but not showing pressure on top of the engine where the sender is. Putting a mechanical gauge on it would be quite hard considering where the oil sender is located at the back top of the engine. It is also outside and quite cold. If it is getting a low pressure I was thinking since it has been sitting that the oil pickup may he gummed up and a kerosene or some other soak might help. Like I said I would drain the oil and put a quart or so of kerosene or some other solvent or cleaner and let it soak for a day or two and drain it out and fill it with oil again. I am not going to run it or anything with the cleaner in it but just let it soak in case the pickup is gummed up.
How did the oil look when you changed it? Unless it came out like thickened sludge, I would put solvent in the sump.
I have thought about that but I want to try and make sure that it isn't getting oil because it is so hard to get to. I changed it several years ago because the old one was leaking and they are hard to get to and I am not as young as I used to be.
Quick look indicates that the oil pump drive is off the distributor? Can you pull that and put an electric drill onto it, and spin, and see if you get oil pressure? I'd pull a valve cover while at it--when it's spinning good I'd expect some oil coming out of the top end. If you get oil out of the top end, but no indicated oil pressure, then I'd think the problem is with the sending unit and/or gauge. I mean, it's possible to move oil but not build pressure, but the motor would have to be quite worn out to do that, and possibly knocking.
I don't really want to mess with the distributor. It is 180 degrees off and I don't want to mess with it. It is also parked in the driveway and it has turned pretty cold here. I thought about removing one of the valve covers but theres stuff that you have to move and such and we have had rain cold and snow for some time now and working on an engine where you have cold and plastic can lead to a lot of trouble.
It was probably thicker than normal but it was also a 10w40 that had been in it for a few years. It was really dirty too.
I googled and it says Kentucky is 30F. No sympathy here. 
[I have family that moved there... from Maine... they laugh at what you guys call "severe" weather when it snows.]
Anyhow. You can mark the block& housing (or take photos) and should be able to drop back in without issue. Just pick it up while watching the rotor, when it disengages, mark the housing with where the rotor is pointing and you should be able to drop back in. IMO it's worth the effort, if you really have no oil pressure then you don't really want to run it at all, while testing out sending units and the like. if the pump has lost its prime, then this would be the fix.
[I have family that moved there... from Maine... they laugh at what you guys call "severe" weather when it snows.]
Anyhow. You can mark the block& housing (or take photos) and should be able to drop back in without issue. Just pick it up while watching the rotor, when it disengages, mark the housing with where the rotor is pointing and you should be able to drop back in. IMO it's worth the effort, if you really have no oil pressure then you don't really want to run it at all, while testing out sending units and the like. if the pump has lost its prime, then this would be the fix.
Get a mechanical gauge before you do anything. If you truly have no oil pressure and have run the engine a few times for a few minutes each then your bearings are probably toast.
I had a 289 Ford engine many years ago. Changed the oil and when I started it had no oil pressure. The new oil had loosened sludge in the oil pump and jammed it. The shaft from the distributor to the oil pump is like a pencil and had sheared in half.
I had a 289 Ford engine many years ago. Changed the oil and when I started it had no oil pressure. The new oil had loosened sludge in the oil pump and jammed it. The shaft from the distributor to the oil pump is like a pencil and had sheared in half.
It is possible to remove the oil filter and squirt oil into the oil outlet on the block. This would be a much easier option than taking things apart. I never said the weather was severe but working on a vehicle in rain or a wet or snow covered gravel driveway isn't fun. And if anyone has worked on a vehicle outside in cold weather when there is anything plastic involved, it doesn't take much to break things. I hope the bearings are ok. There have been no rattles when it ran for the few minutes it has been started so I hope that is a good sign. I plan on removing the oil filter and see what it looks like and see if any oil comes from the block. I thank everyone for the input and ideas. I don't want to sound like I don't want to try thing it's just that I am not as young as I used to be and health issues make it hard for me to do work on a vehicle. I still try to do what I can but I just can't do like I used to. I have for the most part done the majority of the work that has been needed on my vehicles unless I didn't have the tools or time needed to do It. Just can't anymore. It is easier for me to get under the truck than it is to try and stretch and reach and try to do things on the backside of the engine especially around the distributor and oil sender. You pretty much have to get up in the engine bay to work on them because they are back close to the firewall.I googled and it says Kentucky is 30F. No sympathy here.
[I have family that moved there... from Maine... they laugh at what you guys call "severe" weather when it snows.]
Anyhow. You can mark the block& housing (or take photos) and should be able to drop back in without issue. Just pick it up while watching the rotor, when it disengages, mark the housing with where the rotor is pointing and you should be able to drop back in. IMO it's worth the effort, if you really have no oil pressure then you don't really want to run it at all, while testing out sending units and the like. if the pump has lost its prime, then this would be the fix.
Dad of a childhood friend was an engineer, and when changing the oil on his Oldsmobile and his wife's Buick, he would start the engine after draining the oil, in order to get all the old oil out of the system. Cringe all you want, but these were cars from the 1960 and were running well with over 150,000 miles on them.
Apologies; no offense meant. Just some North-South teasing.
Any chance to just wait until it warms up a bit?
What sort of engineer? Because I doubt he was an ME.
Actually, I think he was an ME. Not positive, though.
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