Low Oil Pressure

[250Crossflow]

Hello friends. I've finally decided to seek help here as I'm not getting the same answers from any mechanics that I know personally. I have a 1988 Ford Falcon from Australia with a 250CI I6 motor. The motor was recently rebuilt with all new bearings & components including the oil pump. I've driven the vehicle around 400 miles after the rebuild and everything worked just fine. All of a sudden one day the oil pressure light flickered and went away. While driving the next day, the light turned on and stayed on, and I heard tapping noises from the engine. I stopped the vehicle as soon as I could. The next day, I installed a mechanical pressure gauge in place of the pressure switch and started the engine. There is zero oil pressure at idle, and goes up to around 5psi of pressure at higher RPM. I didn't revv it too hard. Tapping noises are from the top of the engine. I shut the engine off as soon as possible after checking for pressure. I have replaced the oil and oil filter since then, but I didn't think to inspect the old oil filter. The engine never ran low on oil as I constantly monitored it since the rebuild. I cannot take the vehicle back to the engine rebuilder because it's half way across the country as I moved since the rebuild. Please let me know what you all think the problem could be. Thank you.

 

[bfleeman]

I’d suspect a bad oil pump or pickup tube to the oil pump not connected correctly.

 

[gathermewool]

It's too bad you don't know what the pressure was right after the rebuild.

I would also guess that it might be the pickup tube, either loose or cracked above the oil level.

Are you able to drop the pan yourself to inspect this?

 

[250Crossflow]

I’d suspect a bad oil pump or pickup tube to the oil pump not connected correctly.

I sure hope it's something as simple as that. Thank you.

 

[Jimmy_Russels]

What type of oil gauge is it?

 

[250Crossflow]

It's too bad you don't know what the pressure was right after the rebuild.

I would also guess that it might be the pickup tube, either loose or cracked above the oil level.

Are you able to drop the pan yourself to inspect this?

I checked the pressure gauge while it was on a test stand but I can't remember what the pressure was.

I was hoping to hear it's something to do with the pickup tube. Dropping the pan requires raising the engine and I should have access to an engine hoist by this weekend.

 

[Jimmy_Russels]

A mechanical gauge, or an electric gauge?

 

[PimTac]

Who rebuilt the motor?

 

[250Crossflow]

What type of oil gauge is it?

I don't recall the manufacturer but I work for a hydraulics company and borrowed it from work. See attached.

 

[250Crossflow]

Who rebuilt the motor?

A family owned performance builder with 3 generations doing business. The shop is very reputable and I had not heard anything negative about them.

 

[PimTac]

A family owned performance builder with 3 generations doing business. The shop is very reputable and I had not heard anything negative about them.

Have you checked with them? I would do that before doing anything on your own.

 

[250Crossflow]

Have you checked with them? I would do that before doing anything on your own.

There's not much that they can do because as I said in my post, I moved half way across the country with the vehicle after the rebuild.

 

[Jimmy_Russels]

Is that mechanical gauge still connected?
Wondering if the pump drive has gone south?
Does that oil pump use a bolt-on pickup or a press fit pickup? If the latter it should have been spot welded in place. Maybe it fell off?

 

[Barkleymut]

you could call and ask the mechanic who put the engine in what his thoughts are....

 

[250Crossflow]

Is that mechanical gauge still connected?
Wondering if the pump drive has gone south?
Does that oil pump use a bolt-on pickup or a press fit pickup? If the latter it should have been spot welded in place. Maybe it fell off?

Yes, the gauge is still connected. The pump uses bolt-on pickup.

 

[250Crossflow]

you could call and ask the mechanic who put the engine in what his thoughts are....

I did. His mind is blown as far as anything coming loose because everything was torqued to spec, but he thinks if anything, it's the pickup tube.

 

[gathermewool]

I did. His mind is blown as far as anything coming loose because everything was torqued to spec, but he thinks if anything, it's the pickup tube.

For all we know the builder did everything correctly and the cast pickup decided independently to fail on you.

 

[250Crossflow]

For all we know the builder did everything correctly and the cast pickup decided independently to fail on you.

That would make complete sense. I'll inspect the tube.

 

[nascarnation]

I'm not familiar with this engine, but are there any internal oil passages in the block, head, or pump body that get plugged after they are drilled in the manufacturing process? Were the plugs removed at reman for cleaning? Are the plugs press in and internal to the block, perhaps one popped out? Just random thoughts.

 

[wpod]

Contact the builder. There is little other option. I worked for a Fork lift dealership and they repaired some huge fork lift thing that had to taken apart to be shipped and it was returned to the shop 3 times because for some reason the engine kept blowing up . There was serious money spent in transportation and rebuilding cost the company lost a huge dollar amount and I talked to one of the owners and he said we are eating the cost and getting the job done because we have a reputation to hold up. I loved working for the company.