DDP

Look what I found:

DDP

So today I was taking the motor apart to just the block, pistons, rods and crank to bring it in to the machine shop. I want them to check the straightness of the front for me. As I was doing so I found an o ring stuck in the OPRV keeping it open. Now when this first started I used the original OPRV that I figured was good, it worked in the old motor. So after the rebuild and not having oil pressure I bought a new OPRV to try. The new one did not come with an o ring. I used one I had that did not fit as tightly as I liked. I figured it would do the job though. The new OPRV did not fix the problem. I am thinking now, though, that the o ring I used was too large and did not seal. When I went in again to re-align the oil cooler housing I pulled the OPRV. The o ring did not come out with the OPRV. I looked in the block and it was still in there. When I attempted to fish it out, it looked like it fell into the gallery leading to the oil pan. Well tonight as I was taking it apart, that is what I find. This is what I think happened: the first time I didn't have oil pressure was because a bad OPRV. Then when I got a new, good OPRV I used too large of an O ring. Then when I got the right sized O ring in there, the old large o ring lodged itself in the OPRV, keeping it open. Sound possible? The only thing I question is the time when I had the new OPRV in there with the large o ring. I still think I would have had decent oil pressure. But I can't say for sure. Opinions?

I still plan on taking it to the machine shop tomorrow to get it check out anyways. Since I am this far along and it is apart.

DDP

Now that I have been thinking a little. This still doesn't add up.

1.) The car had less oil pressure when I put in thicker oil.
2.) That OPRV is not opened much at all, I don't see how I could only have 20psi of oil pressure with it opened that little bit.

DDP

Seems that my block checked out? I guess it goes back together.....again.

Luis de Prat

Hmm, it's too bad Deitz didn't tell the story of when he spent several weeks rebuilding his engine and when it was done it didn't hold good enough pressure so he had tear it down again, only to find after many days of pondering that he had forgotten to prime the oil pump. Something most of us neophytes had never even heard of, mind you.

Probably nothing to do with your situation, but a great story if he cares to enlighten us once again!

Good luck!

JDeitz951

Here's the final story on my oil pressure adventure, from 3 emails I
have saved since 12/2002. I don't know if it applies in this case but here it is.
Good luck and hang in there!

Deitz

---Email No. 1
Dave Cooley wrote:

>>
>> Jeez, John . . don't keep us on the edge of our chairs . . .


OK, Dave, I don't want you falling off your chair, so here's my interim
report (results not final):

Recap:
Rebuilt engine, but cold start oil pressure would come up only after
15-30 secs and a couple revs of the engine. Tried easy stuff, no fix.

Took off pan (big job), changed pickup tube seal and rebuilt oil pump.
Now cold start no oil pressure, nothing! Tried all (OK, most) easy stuff
again but no oil from pump at all. Frustration city!

Stayed away from it for a while, but suggestions kept pouring in from
the list. A few wondered if I primed the pump thru the oil filter mount.
To be honest, I did after the rebuild but not after reassembling the
pump recently. I didn't seem to effective the first time. Spilled more
than I got in.

Today's installment:
So I decided the first thing to try now was prime the pump, but real
good. Long story short, I cranked it (DME relay out) for 20-30 secs and
pressure came up to 5 bar! Started and ran good. Came back 1.5 hrs
later, started up with full pressure.

Next big test is to see if it has cold start pressure tomorrow morning.
If so, run until up to temp, then shut down for a couple hours, try it
cold again.

Tomorrow: How did I prime the pump? Did it hold prime overnight? Will it
hold prime after warm shut down (my original problem)? Where did Deitz
go wrong? Did he finally get it right?

Stay tuned!

Deitz


---Email No. 3
An update...

"S. John Deitz" wrote:

>> How did I prime the pump?


Remove oil filter. Insert 15" or so length of 1/2 NAPA fuel hose into
hole nearest oil pump (not center hole, not hole near oil cooler line),
fits tight. Insert funnel in hose, fill with oil. Doesn't go down. Hand
crank engine in reverse (CCW), sucks it right down! Crank starter for 15
secs, pressure shoots up.


>> Did it hold prime overnight?


Yes, started this morning (instant pressure) and ran up to temp (20
mins). Will try again late this afternoon and again tomorrow A.M (the
final test).

Still to come:

>> Will it hold prime after warm shut down (my original problem)? Where
did Deitz
>> go wrong? Did he finally get it right?


---Email No. 3
"S. John Deitz" wrote:

>> Still to come:
>> Will it hold prime after warm shut down (my original problem)? Where
did Deitz
>> go wrong? Did he finally get it right?


Put the final pieces back on last night (steering rack, etc.) and took
it for nice drive. Oil pressure came right up. The final test, after hot
run followed by overnight in heated garage, was this morning, pressure
came right up again. Problem solved! Just in time for 6 inches of fresh
snow. Back in the Indian summer days of late September I had a funny
premonition of this happening, not getting back on the road again until
there was snow on the ground. So she remains a garage queen!

So here where I think I went wrong.

1) after the rebuild, cold oil pressure slow to come up, but fine after
that until next cold start. This was because I did not replace the seal
on the oil pick tube. After oil pan R&R, I could see old seal was not
compressed when assembled (shrinkage?). New seal different design, good
compression under flange. Also dis- and re-assembled/re-sealed oil pump,
for good measure.

2) reassembled everything, then could not get pressure at all. Cause:
I'M AN IDIOT! Didn't bother to prime pump since I packed grease in
there, I thought it would prime itself. Frustration level very high,
pulled off oil filter housing, made mess with oil and coolant. STUPID!
Time to relax, step away. While I was enjoying the holiday, I continued
to get suggestions from the list. A surprising number mentioned priming
the pump. So once I was ready to tackle it again, I tried that first.
That was it!

Now have oil pressure on cold start and apparently no more loss of
prime. So it was the oil pickup seal and then priming the pump.

Thanks to the many, many listers who helped me out. In addition to the
great suggestions, the moral support was key. You guys who made the
right calls, don't break your arm patting yourselves on the back, but I
owe you one!

Deitz
86 951

86 951 anxious to get off jack stands now

JDeitz951

...oh, yeah: Hi, Luis! Good to here from you! Hope all is well with you. Me, I can't complain. Well, I could, but I won't :-)

DDP

Well, here I am again....motor is back in and...

I am going to the garage tonight to start the car...

Hope all goes well. I think I fixed the problem. I will see. Say a prayer for me, LOL.

evil 944t

ygm

KuHL 951

Is there any chance that the o-ring pieces you are seeing is the one on the inside of the OPRV that you can't see? If it isn't sealing or slipped the OPRV will not work at all or just jam on you. Just a thought.

DDP

Well...all that build up for nothing. All I needed to do was install the manifold and hard pipes and fuel rail. I can't find my throttle body. It's MIA. LOL. Just great. O well. I'll find it tomorrow or steal one from another car. I'll be back with the news tomorrow!