EZ way to check for oil pressure? '87TR

[jrusynyk]

My 87 TR has been sitting for about 2 years. When I ran it last it was OK regarding oil. Now I started it (after an oil change) and the oil/choke idiot light came on bright. I quickly shut it off.

I have been screwing around cranking it (pulled fuel pump fuse) to see if I can see something in the oil filler hole in the valve cover, but it seems like it is not squirting.

So, is there an easy positive way for me to check for oil pressure?

Are the two hoses going from the filter neck area to the side of the radiator oil cooling hoses? If so could they be pulled to check for oil flow?

Or maybe sender integrity?



Let's say worst case, there is no oil pressure. Can the oil pump be changed without pulling the engine? Is there some preliminary cleaning like any filter screens etc that could be done?


My baby wants to run but I'm skeeered to run it!!! :D thank you.

[TimWh185]

im no car guy by any means so i may sound stupid but... i had simular problems after an oil change because i used the wrong oil filter. aparently the oil filter has to have an anti-drainback valve... so just a plain old Fram wont work. I think AC-Delco makes one though.

[kenmosher]

Oil pump can be rebuilt in the car (it's not super easy access, but can be done).

Try priming the car by doing the following:

http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/engine/PRIMING.html

[jrusynyk]

OK thanks, I'll try that before anything else.

Can the oil pump actually get "dry" from the engine not being run for a while and what? just spins in the air and can't get the oil circulating?


Is priming the oil pump SOP for any kind of engine work that needs the oil to be removed?

How does the pump usually not lose its prime during oil changes?

[kenmosher]

The filter anti-drainback valve actually holds the oil in the pump and lines to prevent losing the prime.

It is possible after sitting so long that enough leaked around the drain back valve (in some filters it is just a rubber flap and not very tight sealing) to lose the prime.

[JHensberry]

FWIW, once my car sat for almost 2 years. I already had a larger AC Delco on there, but I had no problems. Don't know about an easy way to check for o.p., but you could 1. Some mech. have an oil pressure testing kit that the plug into the o.p. sending switch, or 2. Buy and o.p. gauge and T it in yourself for about $60, minus gauge holder. Thanks, Joseph.

[JHensberry]

Also, after sitting for that long, do a good spring cleaning and siphon out as much of the old gas as you can. after an oil change, run it about 500 miles and change the oil again just to be safe. I think that is all for now. Thanks, Joseph.

[jrusynyk]

Thanks for everyone's input

I still haven't had free time to do the oil pump prime procedure.

However, I had a few minutes and I poured about a half a quart down the upper oil cooling line. It would fill up then slowly go down and I did that several times. Then just for the heck of it I cranked it a little and oil squirted out the hose. Is this a positive indication that the oil pump is still working?


Also, after pondering what y'all have said, something still confuses me:

If the anti-drainback flap is in the filter (BTW I use GM PF-47 filters) then why doesn't the pump lose its prime when the filter is off during the oil change?

Sorry to be somewhat ignorant of these theory details. I'm not a hardcore mechanic, so thanks for your patience. ( But I'm pretty good at getting that spark plug by the airconditioner out :D)

[jrusynyk]

Well, after considering that the oil pump probably was fine since it did squirt oil out the cooler line, I was getting ready to do the priming procedure.

Before I started taking things apart, I tried one more time just pouring oil down the line. I drained some oil and put another entire quart down the line.
I cranked the engine a little, then put the fuel pump fuse back in and started the car. The oil light quickly went out. So I'm back in business.

[Keller]

If the anti-drainback flap is in the filter (BTW I use GM PF-47 filters) then why doesn't the pump lose its prime when the filter is off during the oil change?
There is still oil in the pump and galleys during an oil change. A simple change really doesn't get rid of all the oil.

I did a rear main seal replacement earlier this year, so I had the oil pan off. Even when I had it off for 24+ hours, things were OK. Still, I cranked the motor several times with the ECM disconnected just to insure things were primed. Never hurts to be careful.