No oil pressure

[jack350]

Recommissioning the engine after many years. Turning over with coil disconnected to check oil pressure
On turning over no movement of the oil pressure gauge on dash, low oil light stays on.
How do you identify if the problem is the sender or the oil pump itself?

[TwinKam]

Ideally, use a test gauge in the sender hole, but spinning it over with the sender simply removed should tell you something!

[KKson]

Did you pack the oil pump with vasaline before start up or filled the central pipe in the remote oil filter with oil until it comes out of the outer hole? If not then engine won't self prime if oil and filter have been changed

[pwd95]

Another method is popping the plugs out, isolate the fuel pump & crank the engine over until pressure appears on the gauge.

[BlueWedgy]

When I was having oil pressure relief valve problems, I found that just turning the car over by battery was not enough.
I have to take out the dizzy and fashion a piece of pipe into a drive and spin the pump faster with an electric drill. It will start freely then go to resistance.

[TwinKam]

BlueWedgy said:

When I was having oil pressure relief valve problems, I found that just turning the car over by battery was not enough.
I have to take out the dizzy and fashion a piece of pipe into a drive and spin the pump faster with an electric drill. It will start freely then go to resistance.

Don't do this with a flexible drive; for the words 'go to resistance', substitute 'hit a brick wall'...
Ask me how I know

[jack350]

Regarding the method of pushing oil through, I put some oil in an old gearbox top up can with fixed tube at the top.
Placed the tube in the hole and squeezed - quite a lot of resistance, not much oil seemed to go in and nothing came back up the other hole?
Is quite a bit if pressure necessary and how much oil would you say is required?
Some years ago I did pack the gears with Vaseline and also wonder whether this may have gone off / hardened?

[adam quantrill]

I would say not much resistance, just a little, and it will come out the other hole. Try priming from both holes?

So if you had left the pump packed with grease and hadn't run the engine to get the oil moving, that might be your problem.

The remote oil priming method is certainly the easiest.

Also if it's been a long time, put a pint of oil in the filler which will drip down over the cam lobes, because they will be dry otherwise (or take off one rocker cover and oil them directly)

[jack350]

Thanks for that
I can only think the Vaseline has congealed which is now what is causing the resistance to the oil fill method
Will try putting some down the other pipe, but I have also bought a prime tool just in case - always like a plan 'c' if plan 'a' hasn't worked

[Markymark21]

Hi Jack, I went through this with my Rover P5B not long ago.
My advice is to remove the oil pump base and repack with Vaseline. Then remove dizzy and prime with a hand drill. You can buy a tool from memory on eBay. I made one. Then I would remove a rocker cover and observe the oil coming up onto the rockers. It’s the safest way of knowing that you are getting flow around the engine. If you see flow and the oil light goes out, you are good to go.
Cheers,
Mark