Charlie

I have just finished rebuilding my 86 NA engine, so today I put oil in and spun the engine with no sparkplugs to see if I had pressure, guess what, I don't. I tried to prime the pump by pouring oil down both holes and turning engine backwards. I can take the filter off after spinning and see oil in the holes where I poured it, there is no oil in the filter.
I know the crankbolt is tightened tight enough, used both legs.
Any suggestions, i feel like it is the oil pump, and I don't have any desire to change pumps.

Jim @ EuroWerks

What did you use for bearing lube While biulding the engine . How much have you spun the engine With the starter.Was the battery charged good.

mmmbeer

The same happened to me after a rebuild once. Poring oil in the holes did not work. I connected a suction pump (a vacuum cleaner will work as long as you get a tight seal) to the hole that leads to the oilsump and sucked until oil came through. That cured it. If the oilpump is unable to suck oil from the oilsump it might also not be able to suck oil when you try reversing the flow.

Jim @ EuroWerks

mmmbeer, thats pretty smart. "whats that dear, how would I know how oil got in the vacuum. I'll ck it tomorrow." Like it!

Charlie

Which hole leads to the oil sump. Please clarify where you put the pump. Thanks

Jim, I used Redline bearing lube, spun it several times.

mmmbeer

I dont remember. I got that info of a post on rennlist, but realized it was not the hole which the thread described. It might have been the bottom rigth hole. Try all if you do not suceed in getting that info.

Use a long clear hose so that you can shut off the pump before getting oil in it.

Wifey's should learn how to clean oil sooner rather than later...

FSTPRSH

I've got my block torn down competely, and if I remember, it's the hole that has a right bend in it (not the main oil galley, but below it). Put your finger in there and you'll feel it turn right, that's it. I'd snap a pic, but my engine is not here. I'll be going over there tonight, I'll try to get a pic. That passage I'm talking about is the "output" from the oil pump.

Jim @ EuroWerks

I dare say I've spun'em I don't know 45 seconds straight, till pressure. I do like the vacuum idea go with that.

Charlie

I believe the oil pump is bad, but if anyone knows where to hook a pump or any suggestion is welcome.

mmmbeer

Why do you think it is bad? These units are literally bulletproof... And it happened during a rebuild? It really sounds like the pump is running dry and cant suck oil.

When finally established there is no oilfeed you should star with the simplest of reapairs and move gradually towards the hardest.

After I finally got oil pressure (that time I had similar trouble: above) I damned myself for not vacuuming right away. I opened the pump and found nothing wrong with it, that is some work. I was 2 seconds away from opening the bottom end and checking for cracks in the oil feed pipe. Before deciding to try the vacuum trick. Trust me: Do the vacuum trick BEFORE doing any disassembly. It is a 5min job.

If in doubt try all the holes, you would not want to start the engine work with this possibility untried.

When no oilpressure after a rebuild, the check list is as follows in chronolgical order:

1: Check filter to see if oil is coming from the pump, try cranking with no filter. If there is coming oil you will notice right away.

2: Tighten the famous bolt.

3: Prime pump. The "regular" method of filling oil down the hole to the pump. This method would would be kind of a long shot since the pump would not be able to suck in either direction if it is running dry. But gravity might help you out if you're lucky. (jumping directly to #4 is recomended)

4: Vacuum prime the pump. With some sort of suction, suck oil through the pump. If you get oil and the pump still do not want to pump it, you have a mechanical problem. If you cant get oil this way there might be a leaking oil passage, cracked oilpipe in oilsump ie.

5: Open pump, repair if necessary.

6: Open oilpan repair oil feed pipes if necessary.

You do not want to start at the wrong end of this list!

Charlie

The reason I suspicion the pump is that the rebuild was because of a balance shaft bearing going bad probably due to lack of oil. I bought the car with a bad engine. I took the engine apart and put new main, rod, balance shaft bushing etc. There was metal in the engine from the balance shaft bushing. I don't think the pump that is on the car is the original pump, it looks like a new pump, I don't know.

If I new how to suck oil through the pump I would do it. I tried sucking it through the big hole where the oil filter goes with an airconditioning vacuum pump.

I know a guy that has a oil filter that will fit a 1980 924 that has a fitting for a pressure guage on it. I may try to borrow it and suck oil up through the filter. Don't know if that will help.

Eirik, I appreciate your suggestions.

mmmbeer

If you put vacuum on the filter as you described you will not manage to suck any oil because you will also suck air from the other holes. IE sucking air from the head.

You must create a vacuum in the hole (under the filter) that leads to the pump. It is not the center hole. It is one of the two holes on the side. A standard 1" hose fits pretty good there if I remember correctly. Put the other end of the hose into your vacuum cleaner and make a airtight seal using some tape. A long clear hose will prevent any oil from entering the vacuum cleaner. It is really not that difficult. Try all the holes. Remember it take some time for oil to get trough.

If the pump is bad you should still be able to suck oil this way. If you can't there is probably something else wrong. Therefor this is not only a way to fix an eventual problem, but also a way to diagnoze if you have a clogged or leaking oil passage.

Charlie

Are you talking about the holes where the pressure relief valve and the oil pressure sending unit go???????

mmmbeer

One of the holes that sits right beneath the filter. Not the center one. I beleive it is the right one. Since i am not sure I would have trid al exect the center one.

Charlie

I took the op sending unit out, you can pour oil down the center hole for the oil filter and it will run out the sending unit hole, so evidently these are connected. Does anyone have a an oil flow chart???