Oil Pressure Dropping To 0 Under 1500rpm-???

[BKM48198]

I am out working on pulling the motor, the only reason I went with the Explorer block is it was newer and had less miles on it and probably wasn't driven as hard as a motor in a Mustang. I know the old motor was leaking some oil into the cooling system, thinking a bad head gasket. Once I have them both out and check them side by side I'll see about the bearings and go from there. I really don't know if I want to trust the new oil pump or not, I guess it will depend on how the bearings look. Not a Happy Camper today!

 

[stykthyn]

First explorer motor I pulled had bad bearings. I pull the main caps on every used engine I get now. 20 minutes up front saves a lot of time down the road.

 

[BKM48198]

First explorer motor I pulled had bad bearings. I pull the main caps on every used engine I get now. 20 minutes up front saves a lot of time down the road.

How hard is it to change the bearings? I have never done it before. I did pull the heads off my old motor and found it did have a blown head gasket on one cyld. Since I haven't changed bearings before I am thinking about putting the heads and intake on that block. I wish I had done that in the first place since it would have saved a lot of time.

 

[stykthyn]

Bearings aren't hard. Just make sure you get a plasti gauge to make sure ask your tolerances are correct and follow the tq sequences when you put the main caps back on.

 

[BKM48198]

I'll check out some videos on youtube later and check prices, want to see if it's something I would feel comfortable doing, I'm sure it can't be too hard but since I haven't done it before I'm a bit worried about doing the bearings, I don't want to screw it up.

 

[BKM48198]

I looked at a couple videos on the bearings and it doesn't look too bad but I'm thinking maybe I'll swap the heads to my old block for now and do those over the winter and maybe get the block set for a 306. I only drive the car in the Summer so it will be put up before snow falls and that gives me all winter to get everything done. I'm hoping the head gaskets will be able to be used on my old block since they don't have hardly any time on them, I have extra timing cover and water pump gaskets, not sure how the intake will be but even if they have to be replaced they aren't too expensive. If I do that I can have the block checked for cracks better than I can with my eyes and it will give me time to save up for everything.

 

[stykthyn]

Oh dear God you didn't just suggest reusing a head gasket. I'm going out on a limb and guessing that you reused your head bolts as well.
If you want this done on the cheap just press in new bearings.

 

[mikestang63]

You'll take out the crank. Bring it to a machine shop and have it checked. Then they can match up the bearings to the size of the crank. Also put a new rear main seal, timng cover seal. 1 piece oil pan gasket, VC, exhaust, head gaskets. New high volume oil pump and a hardened oil pump shaft. I put assembly lube on the oil pump gears and fill it with oil before install. Check and/or replace the pickup tube and screen. Measure the distance between the pickup and the pan using a piece of clay and mock it up. New water pump, new thermostat. Check the valve springs. You may want to pull the timing cover and check the timing chain if it has high mile. I would replace all of the head, main and rod bolts to at least new ones or better yet ARP. Clean out all the gunk and crud with some brake while it is apart.

Basically, you want to spend some money now while the motor is out as it will be easier and cheaper than when you put it back in. You don't want to have to pull the motor out again any time soon. It may cost you 200 or so in parts but well worth it.

For the love of Jesus, if you are thinking of reusing any gaskets, much less a head gasket, just stop now. You cannot re use torque to yield head bolts.

 

[BKM48198]

Oh dear God you didn't just suggest reusing a head gasket. I'm going out on a limb and guessing that you reused your head bolts as well.
If you want this done on the cheap just press in new bearings.

Only if they look near perfect, I used new bolts, not TTY bolts.

 

[BKM48198]

You'll take out the crank. Bring it to a machine shop and have it checked. Then they can match up the bearings to the size of the crank. Also put a new rear main seal, timng cover seal. 1 piece oil pan gasket, VC, exhaust, head gaskets. New high volume oil pump and a hardened oil pump shaft. I put assembly lube on the oil pump gears and fill it with oil before install. Check and/or replace the pickup tube and screen. Measure the distance between the pickup and the pan using a piece of clay and mock it up. New water pump, new thermostat. Check the valve springs. You may want to pull the timing cover and check the timing chain if it has high mile. I would replace all of the head, main and rod bolts to at least new ones or better yet ARP. Clean out all the gunk and crud with some brake while it is apart.

Basically, you want to spend some money now while the motor is out as it will be easier and cheaper than when you put it back in. You don't want to have to pull the motor out again any time soon. It may cost you 200 or so in parts but well worth it.

For the love of Jesus, if you are thinking of reusing any gaskets, much less a head gasket, just stop now. You cannot re use torque to yield head bolts.

All that takes is money, if you want to send it to me now I will gladly have all that done, since you won't I'll do as stated and save up and get that done over the winter. I don't have the money to spend on all that now! The gaskets alone are $100, new bolts again $50, bearings $50, machine shop ???, and oil $25, I'm looking at between 300 and 400.

 

[stykthyn]

My suggestion then would be tend to your wife. When you have the money to do it right then come back to the car. What you are suggesting will simply not work. Best of luck.

 

[mikestang63]

All that takes is money, if you want to send it to me now I will gladly have all that done, since you won't I'll do as stated and save up and get that done over the winter. I don't have the money to spend on all that now! The gaskets alone are $100, new bolts again $50, bearings $50, machine shop ???, and oil $25, I'm looking at between 300 and 400.

I hope you did not take my advice in any other manner as trying to help. I can sense the despair in your posts and truly do feel for you at this time. I would agree- for now forget about the car and take care of your wife. Priorities and there is no sense in doing it wrong.

Best of luck to you

 

[BKM48198]

I put all the new gaskets, oil pump, pick-up, ARP bolts, TFS valve springs after having the heads cleaned at a machine shop, and they have maybe 20 mins. of run time on the motor idling just to bake on the paint, it got up to temp. 3 or 4 times, it was never driven and it just sucks that after spending about $800 I can't even use it.

 

[stykthyn]

That's why you leave the top end alone. Deal with the oil pump abd check the crank bearings. It is the cheapest and most logical solution, but again do not cut corners here. Do it slowly and do it right. Now that you have the engine out of the car hopefully you've drained the oil. Rotate the engine on the stand. Remove the oil pan and then that the pick up is in the correct position and not clogged with debris. Post back with pics, if the pick up is good remove the main caps and keep note of its location. Take pics of the bearings and post them up for us to see. My money says that you have a pump/ pick up issue, but it could very well be the bearings are toast.

 

[BKM48198]

The oil is drained and the trans is draining now, haven't got it pulled yet but might get it out tomorrow, only have 2 bolts left on the trans- block, and the trans lines have to be removed still. I looked at the old block to get the oil pump off it so I could see how it felt and noticed a crack in that block at the upper water passage bolt, I put a bolt in it about 3/4 of the way in and put a little pressure on it and could see the crack opening up so that block is good for scrap metal only. I am hoping the pump is the problem, that is the only way I'll get it on the road still this summer. I did not get the high volume pump because I was told it wouldn't fit inside a stock oil pan, I was told this one was the same as OE. I really don't think there will be any debris in the pick-up since it was new and the block was fairly clean, at least I didn't see anything in it when it was on the stand, if I had it would have been cleaned out. I looked it over fairly well looking for cracks and debris because of the problem with my OE motor breaking the block/crank. I know it is mounted with the screen side down, I don't think you can actually mount it any other way because it bolts to the main cap also. I took the old one off so I can place it side by side with the new one also to check the angles on the two and make sure it appears to sit low enough in the pan. Once I do get it on the stand I'll get some pics and post them to get your opinion. I do appreciate the help and info, I took my time getting everything together and cleaned and ready before I put everything together, spent about 2 months after getting the motor and trying to research what all needed to be done to change to the gt40 heads and explorer intake. I'm just a bit frustrated finding the low oil problem after all I put into trying to avoid that exact problem.

 

[stykthyn]

I feel your pain man. I got my current set up built and dialed in only to watch it burn down after I replaced a stuck injector. It feels huge now but these hurdles will pass. Just don't give up on it.

 

[BKM48198]

The car is a 1990 GT, I bought it in Nov. 1989......I won't give up on it. I pulled my trans and have the motor ready to get pulled tomorrow so long as it isn't raining. I did pull the old motor apart to familiarize myself on exactly how it comes apart, the bearings in it showed some wear spots and some wear that looked like it was worn down to brass/bronze? Since I have never done bearings before I am assuming when they look like that they need to be replaced, it doesn't look like too bad of a job, I just hope it doesn't need them and I find a problem with the oil pump instead.

 

[BKM48198]

I feel your pain man. I got my current set up built and dialed in only to watch it burn down after I replaced a stuck injector. It feels huge now but these hurdles will pass. Just don't give up on it.

I got the motor out tonight and there is a little crap on the screen, not a lot but some small pieces that look like bits of silicone or gasket scrapings that I did not get out of the bottom end before putting it together. There is also a reddish color on the rod caps, I am assuming it is from the assembly lube I used putting the cam in, I didn't get the main caps off, it was almost 9pm so I left that for tomorrow. I did check the height of the stock pump and the new one and they are about the same, the new one might sit lower, I'll measure tomorrow and make sure it isn't sitting on the bottom of the pan.

 

[stykthyn]

That could be enough to do it. Did you get a pic?

 

[BKM48198]

Yes, got a few.