Oil pump check and valve stem check

[marc69]

With no local availability of 1.2st engine I will have to look at the current engine in my mates car.

If I remove the oil pressure switch and start the car, is this a good test of the oil pump, ie will the oil shoot out the orifice? I assume it will dribble from the pressure of movement from the bottom end even if the pump doesn't work?

Also, there is oil residue in combustion chamber 4 and the car was smoking. I can't see any scoring on the rings, is there a way of checking them? Similarily if I put oil or something down the valves, will this test the valve stems for leaking?



Thanks

[Andy]

Is that a good test of the oil pump? Sorry but thats the funniest thing iv ever read lol
A good test is to get an oil pressure tester and a compression tester.The oil pressure tester will tell you correctly,what were you gonna do by removing the switch?! Aye thats shot across about 5ft so must be kk?!
The compression test will tell you if the rings are worn by doing a wet and dry test.If its valve problems the reading will stay the same after adding oil on the wet test.
Dont be a hobo.it really isnt cool.

[paul james]

You have the head off the car already right? you should be able to see the valve seals without dismantling them if you shine a torch through the valve springs and have a good look. They don't last forvever and one could have split. Was the head gasket damaged between the oil channel and fourth cylinder? Was a coolant channel leaking in too? - oil emulisified with water will affect oil pressure. The pressure dial on the dash in mine used to jump about all over the place. Since I cleaned out the sump, oil pick up pipe inside, the breather/seperator and the hoses connected to it, the oil pressure stays high.

[marc69]

Thanks, I am going to remove the sump and clean up the pick up pipe etc on Saturday weather dependant. There was some white in the oil I removed so I assume the gasket had failed and it looks a bit dodgy at cylinder 4 but not knackered.

The compression in all cylinders seems fine before I took the head off so I am hoping the burnt oil in cylinder 4 is just the head gasket.

I'll have a good look at the valve seals with a torch thanks.

My idea of starting the car without the sender in was just to see if the oil pump worked at all, it wasn't to get an accurate reading, I don't have the professional tools and am just doing my best as a favour, but I had hoped that if oil squirted out of there then it would indicate the pump works, then cleaning up etc would allow it to function properly.

[meritlover]

valve stem seals cost pennies. whilst the heads off, it wouldn't take more than an hour to replace them all with a spring compressor - remove all doubt.

oil pump needs tested with a pressure gauge as above, this doesn't necessarily prove the pump, but more the over all condition of the engines bearings and its ability to build sufficient back-pressure on the system. i.e a worn bearing/s with high clearance will produce a low pressure at the pump discharge/switch.

you would use the oil pressure fitting to fit your test gauge, but you need the head back on and the engine running to do this.

for all the cost, and considering the engine is already in bits, it wouldn't take much more work or cost to just replace all the shells and the oil pump, fresh head gasket and crack on.

[ellis_12345]

if you buy a headgasket set you get the valve stem seals with it (depending on where you get it from i suppose).
i paid a tenner for a valve spring compressor off amazon the other day and it worked perfect

[marc69]

I checked the gasket kit, it has the valve stem seals so that's one thing sorted, I'll never get all this done on Saturday morning now lol.

Thanks for all the advice, I'll let you know if we save his engine.

[marc69]

Some progress, yesterday I took the sump off and cleaned all the gunk out, the bottom end and oil pipe etc, cheese everywhere! I then took the big ends etc off to look for any scoring and they all look perfect.

In the other thread you'll see the cam and followers were knackered, I replaced these and cleaned everything etc and put the engine back together. Flushed the engine twice to make sure all cheese has gone.

The car sounds sweet with no top end noise , drives (just round the block) perfectly and no smoke when it is at temperature but...the oil light is still on. The new oil pressure switch should be tomorrow so I'll try that incase the switch has gone but if not then it is safe to assume that the pump will definitely need replacing? The only thing that seems odd about the pump if it has failed is there is no top end noise?

[garyc]

Take the oil pressure relief valve out. Check for scoring as it may be sticking. Clean it up and polish it with some 2000 & 2500 grit wet and dry.

[marc69]

Take the oil pressure relief valve out. Check for scoring as it may be sticking. Clean it up and polish it with some 2000 & 2500 grit wet and dry.


I did that yesterday too thanks, I am fairly convinced the oil pump is knackered but just puzzled by the quietness of the engine.

[mowgli]

A 12st with lack of oil pressure sounds like a sack of spanners, because the first thing that stops working is the hydraulic lifters.

[marc69]

A 12st with lack of oil pressure sounds like a sack of spanners, because the first thing that stops working is the hydraulic lifters.

That's what I thought....hopefully just a dodgy sender, otherwise I am puzzled!

[marc69]

Removed the old oil pressure switch which was solid with gunk, tried clean out where it fits on the pump, then started the car to get any other gunk from the oil pumping out, fitted the new oil switch and hey presto......everything seems fine.

Hopefully that's his car now working perfectly. Thanks to all the advice etc. Now I just have to decide on how much to charge him lol