Oil Pump Drive Shaft Pics

Oil Pump Drive Shaft

I lost oil pressure a while back and am just now getting around to fixing it. I am not to excited about pulling the motor just for a bad oil pump. Ive heard so many different reasons as to my I might have lost pressure, from bad pump, drive shaft slipped out, blown block, bad gauge and so on. I was wondering if someone could help me out here. Ive never pulled a motor. Most Ive taken a motor apart is I got the heads off when replacing the head gaskets. That was very recent only got a couple hundred miles on it before I lost oil pressure. Makes me wonder if its related. Can someone tell me in what order to check things. After the head gasket change I used fresh oil and filter ran it for a 150 miles or so then changed them. I used 10-40 like always but i used 4 qts + a qt of STP engine oil stabilizer(never used it before). Noticed I was burning oil only on start up and heavy acceleration after I raced a Saleen S281 from a rolling start, ran 2nd gear into redline then missed 3rd. When I got back on it I noticed I was smoking real bad even at low RPM. Took it easy for 1/2 mile pulled into Home Depot following the Saleen and I was smoking even at idle. Let it sit and it was fine for a while. Only smoked on hot start up(which it always did). Then I checked the oil level and was low so I added a qt of 10-50 I think. I know it was heavier. Not long after I went to friends parked for a couple hours, went to start it and I noticed the stock dash gauge said I had no oil pressure. So I shut it off and called my friend that owns a tow truck company and got a tow home. I have some pics of the drive shaft that seems to be sitting crooked. I cant even get the Dizzy back in. But it doesnt look bent or twisted. Sorry for the long thread but I just wanted to give all the info I could think of that might be relevant. Thanks

Yes it was making noise fitting the pissed of sewing machine on roids. Before this problem I wasnt burning that much oil between changes. Only after the rebuild did it start consuming oil at a higher rate. I didnt really get many more miles on it to really tell how much. In the 300miles or so about a 1.5qts. however I failed to mention this in the first post but I have a severe oil leak between the block and lower intake at the rear. Sprayed every where, thought it was my rear main when i looked at it from the bottom but I traced it up farther. Oil was even on the hood and firewall. PCV valve was lifted out about half way. Oil was even dripping down the back of the bell housing. I asked around and every one said that should cause no oil pressure so I just dismissed it for now. I did not retorque the lower intake. Is there a way to test the sending unit? The driveshaft is resting on the inner wall. But even before I noticed my Dizzy never sat perfectly level. One side was always higher than the other. Just barely even visible. I called around looking for prices to change the oil pump at shops and every one wanted around 700 so I said funk that, thats a good start towards a new short block. I do all my own work. I also had an 88 GT vert. Only thing I didnt do on that was a clutch and a new top. As long as I have my Chilton and Stangnet I can do any thing.

Yea I have other issues but who doesnt with these Fox bodies? But they are more than worth the trouble thats for sure. Will just turning the motor over with the starter enough to build pressure? I dont really want to start it with out oil pressure. Also i heard from some where, maybe here maybe not, that you can test the gauge by grounding a wire out but i dont remember what one.



P.S. Sorry pics were to big and I couldnt upload them and it wouldnt let me change the title. Sorry I will grab my digital cam and go out to the garage and see if I can get some lower resolution pics.

ok update to the lost oil pressure issue. When I looked down the Dizzy hole the drive shaft looked good. I used a 1/4in ratchet to turn the oil pump just to make sure it wasnt seized. When I turned it i noticed the bottom wasnt seated in the oil pump. Then it dropped to the bottom of the pan. 45min later I fished it out thru the Dizzy whole. Its an ARP even has the washer. It looks to be in good shape except the bottom that goes into the pump has a slight twist to it. It looks like it came that way. Do the ARP's have any twist on the bottom? Also to avoid dropping the pan I can just drop it in from the top correct? I know that when I pull the Dizzy out later I will be fishing again but I plan on building a 331 block pretty soon so it would only be for a short time. I shouldnt have to pull the Dizzy out. I would have to pull the washer off and drop it right in. Correct me if Im wrong. I know its not the proper way to do it but I am no where near ready to pull the motor right now.