[EDDIE138301]

have 2 prices quoted for my oil pump reapair. One is 600 and one is 400 plus the price of the pump and etc.

Is this a fair price? I have the money to get it fixed. I do not have the time to do it myself or the place to do it.

The 600 dollar price, the man keeps telling me I might be throwing money out the window. He says he will ck the bearings to see if it is a lost cause. Still, he will charge 600 to do it. I do not have the money for a new engine. I just now had to put a new engine in a 1999 oldsmobile van. What about it guys?

 

[SigEpBlue]

How "bad" is it right now (the pump & pressure, I mean)? How many miles? Any rod or main knock yet? Metal in the pan?

I just want you to be sure this is the right thing to do, seeing as how it's going to cost you a few clams. I can't give you any help as to whether that's a fair price or not, simply because all of my work is free: I do it all myself.

 

[EDDIE138301]

The pressure is bad. Keeps going from normal to low. This just happened all of a sudden over the weekend. If I let it set 15 minutes, crank back up, it goes back to normal. Listening to the engine, it sounds fine. When it bottoms out, you can tell that the oil is not getting there. I was told that there might be some stuff clogging the screen up. If that is the case, you still have to go in there and why you are there, might as well change the pump. Help!!!!

 

[waltman]

The pressure is bad. Keeps going from normal to low. This just happened all of a sudden over the weekend. If I let it set 15 minutes, crank back up, it goes back to normal. Listening to the engine, it sounds fine. When it bottoms out, you can tell that the oil is not getting there. I was told that there might be some stuff clogging the screen up. If that is the case, you still have to go in there and why you are there, might as well change the pump. Help!!!!

When what bottoms out, what does that mean? What is happening that you can tell it is not geting oil? Like it has already been said over and over and over

and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over

and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over

and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over and over

get a mechanical oil gauge and see what is happening.

 

[imlikeojnow]

The pressure is bad. Keeps going from normal to low. This just happened all of a sudden over the weekend. If I let it set 15 minutes, crank back up, it goes back to normal. Listening to the engine, it sounds fine. When it bottoms out, you can tell that the oil is not getting there. I was told that there might be some stuff clogging the screen up. If that is the case, you still have to go in there and why you are there, might as well change the pump. Help!!!!

Yours is doing the same thing mine started doing and now has no oil pressure at all. basically i think your pick up tube screen is clogged. and that is easy to fix, just got to raise the engine to do it. i would say this. get enough oil for two or three oil changes, and some gunk 5 minute flush. clean the tube ort if you have oil pressure right now, pour the gunk in there let it idle for 5 minutes, and then change the oil. start the engine and watch the oil pressure, if it goes down again pull the pan and clean the screen. just keep an eye on your oil pressure.

 

[EDDIE138301]

Went ahead and had the pan pulled today. The pan was full of sludge and also the screen and the rest of anything to do with the pump. Since we have it off, I am installing a new pump and tube as well.

As for Waltman, You are about stupid in your reply. When the oil gauge bottoms out, it is hitting zero. The engine was making a sound when it was going to zero. So no, it was not the gauge. Can you repeat all of that

over and over, over and over (repeat 1000 times you freak)

 

[SigEpBlue]

Something's screwy. Oil pressure doesn't go from zero to good, then back again, if the pump's bad (excluding the pressure limiting portion of the pump). Nor if the bearings are worn. A clogged screen sounds like a likely candidate, but a failed overpressure valve (internal component of the oil pump) could conceivably do the same thing.

Do as suggested, and get a mechanical gauge (one with a capillary tube). DO NOT drive it or keep running it until you find out what's going on, else it's going to cost a LOT more to fix.

EDIT: Damn, you posted just before I got this done. Oh well... Listen, his reasoning for using a mechanical gauge is sound. Ford factory gauges cannot be trusted to be accurate; they're just there as indicators of an estimate. In fact, for oil pressure, I'd rather have an idiot light with a switch controlling it. It's more instantaneous than a transducer. Having said that, it was a good indicator in your case, in combination with the engine noise you were experiencing, that oil pressure was low.

Glad you found the problem. I thought you didn't have the time to do this yourself. Change of heart? I'm willing to bet that if you pull off your lower intake manifold, the exact same mess is in the valley. I hope this was a good exercise for you in demonstrating why it's better to use synthetic oil.

 

[waltman]

Went ahead and had the pan pulled today. The pan was full of sludge and also the screen and the rest of anything to do with the pump. Since we have it off, I am installing a new pump and tube as well.

As for Waltman, You are about stupid in your reply. When the oil gauge bottoms out, it is hitting zero. The engine was making a sound when it was going to zero. So no, it was not the gauge. Can you repeat all of that

over and over, over and over (repeat 1000 times you freak)

OH NO! You called me a freak

:cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry
:cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry
:cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry
:cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry
:cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry
:cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry

What am I going to do?

:cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry
:cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry
:cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry
:cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry
:cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry
:cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry

So don't put a mechanical gauge in, see if I care.
Just a note, for future reference................


















A REGULAR OIL CHANGE WILL PREVENT SLUDGE FROM FORMING IN YOUR OIL PAN....DUUUUUUUH!

 

[81Bronk36]

A stock oil pressure gauge is essentially a on/off switch. It may as well be an idiot light, its one step above. All it does is show low when its below 4 PSI.

Get a mechanical gauge, they cost $7.00 and you can install it in about 1 1/2 and know exactly what your oil pressure really is in the future.

Routine maintenance probably would have saved you all that $$ BTW.

 

[EDDIE138301]

I have been getting regular oil changes. That what has me wondering. The engine has 117000 miles on it. I will put a mech. gauge on it. Thanks for everyone's help.

 

[imlikeojnow]

i do regular maintnance on mine and it has sludge. i dont know what the previous owner did or didnt do but i can tell you it is nasty and i am just getting a new engine so i know what has been done to it. i got mine at 184000 mile on it and did 3 oil changes in the first three weeks just to make sure i got it sorta cleaned up. drove it for a year and ut a new oil pump in and now it is gathering more sludge.

 

[Coupe]

Dont use Paraffin based oil

Dont use parrafin based oil and you will not have sludge. Use a good synthetic and get it changed regulary for your driving conditions.
I dont know haow to spell parrafin.:banghead

 

[keggin]

I was going to start using synthetic, but was told by a mechanic that switching when your vehicle has as many miles as my FSB (125,000) can cause major issues and at a minimum - oil leaks.

So he suggested I start using the non-synthetic Maxlife oil.

Any idea if this guy was correct or just feeding me a line?

 

[Gacknar]

I was going to start using synthetic, but was told by a mechanic that switching when your vehicle has as many miles as my FSB (125,000) can cause major issues and at a minimum - oil leaks.

So he suggested I start using the non-synthetic Maxlife oil.

Any idea if this guy was correct or just feeding me a line?

Click on search,
type "Synthetic" into the word search.
Switch the search peramiters from "Search intire thread" to "Search titles only"
click search now.

You will get many many threads on the subject.

 

[waltman]

If regular oil changes are being done and you are getting that sludge build up than clearly there is something else going on that you should address

If regular oil changes are being done and you are getting that sludge build up than clearly there is something else going on that you should address

 

[Gacknar]

If regular oil changes are being done and you are getting that sludge build up than clearly there is something else going on that you should address

If regular oil changes are being done and you are getting that sludge build up than clearly there is something else going on that you should address

Frequent extremely short drives (5 min or less) where the engine never really warms up can cause it to.

Frequent extremely short drives (5 min or less) where the engine never really warms up can cause it to.

 

[waltman]

Frequent extremely short drives (5 min or less) where the engine never really warms up can cause it to.

Frequent extremely short drives (5 min or less) where the engine never really warms up can cause it to.

About half of my driving is less than 5 min trips. Has been for years. I've never had this problem. Mind you the temps a generally mild where I live, but still. I'm just thinking, couldn't a motor not breathing propperly cause this?
couldn't a motor not breathing propperly cause this? couldn't a motor not breathing propperly cause this?

 

[imlikeojnow]

Well walt when you buy a truck that already has 184000 miles on it already, you have no idea when and how regularly the oil was changed. so yes i have sludge in mine.