"Oil Light" on rebuilt engine

[wrldky]

Just had my engine rebuilt on a 2002 Discovery 4.0 by a local machine shop with experience in rebuilding LR engines. My son and installed the engine but I am getting an oil pressure light. It is loud at the top end as well. I'm afraid to run it anymore then 30 seconds. The light will go out and then come back on. Because of the noise at the top I'm assuming it's not a bad switch. Just in case I tried over filling the engine with oil to prime the pump but it didn't seem to help.

My thought at this point is to drop the oil pan and check the oil pick up first. If I don't see anything at that point I will remove the front cover.

Does anyone have any advice?

-Extremely frustrated in Raleigh, NC

 

[edthediscoman]

You could remove the switch, but in a pipe nipple and a T - then put the switch on one leg and an actual pressure gauge pipe/fitting on the other leg. I have not done this on my disco, but did on another car to get a visual. A new oil pump should be standard on a rebuild. You can pick up a gauge/pipe/fitting at the Zone or elsewhere pretty cheap

 

[wrldky]

Ed, thank you. I think that would determine that I have an oil pressure problem and I am confident that I do. So while it would confirm it, it may be redundant.

 

[roverover]

was oil pressure an issue before the rebuild?

 

[4Runner]

Forgive the vagueness but I remember something about the pressure relief for the oil pump or the thermostat for the oil cooler getting stuck Ian's you will not have any oil pressure. If I remember, the relief is behind a cap that's held in with a C clip. I would guess they didn't pull that apart and clean it when your motor got rebuilt. I would search a couple of threads pertaining to that. I do think an oil pressure gauge is not a waste of time even if it lives under the hood. How nerve racking. Good luck.

 

[wrldky]

The oil pressure was not an issue before. Isnt the pressure relief valve built in to the oil cover?

 

[rover4x4]

what shop. Is the gasket on the oil pickup tube compromised?

 

[wrldky]

Rover 4X4, Had it done at the machine shop at Walker Auto Parts. I believe they do work for Braddy's locally. I am going to pull the oil pan tonight. I am not aware of a gasket on the pick up tube. Do you mean the o-ring?

 

[K-rover]

Rover 4X4, Had it done at the machine shop at Walker Auto Parts. I believe they do work for Braddy's locally. I am going to pull the oil pan tonight. I am not aware of a gasket on the pick up tube. Do you mean the o-ring?

British 4x4 in Durham? I hope not. they are the worst shop in the area, Braddys is hit or miss.

 

[wrldky]

K-Rover,

I had the engine rebuilt at a machine shop. The one in Raleigh near Costco. Walker Auto Parts. They do work for Braddys. My son and I put the engine back in. Hopefully I should know some more tomorrow. Thank you for the help.

 

[wrldky]

Upon removing the oil pan it became obvious what the problem was. My son had installed the spacer on top of the oil pick up. He removed the pick up but it was three months ago and he is only 17 so it's really my fault. Drained the oil and refilled. Oil light still came on. Over filled the engine with oil to try to get oil to the pump and prime it. Ran it for 30 seconds and Oil light stayed off. I drained the excess oil whic h is now brownish which I am assuming because it was being whipped up by the crankshaft. Oil light then came back on. Could be air in the oil because of the crank shaft. I'm going to let it rest over night and then I guess I will remove the timing cover.

Advice?

 

[Hubacek]

Upon removing the oil pan it became obvious what the problem was. My son had installed the spacer on top of the oil pick up. He removed the pick up but it was three months ago and he is only 17 so it's really my fault. Drained the oil and refilled. Oil light still came on. Over filled the engine with oil to try to get oil to the pump and prime it. Ran it for 30 seconds and Oil light stayed off. I drained the excess oil whic h is now brownish which I am assuming because it was being whipped up by the crankshaft. Oil light then came back on. Could be air in the oil because of the crank shaft. I'm going to let it rest over night and then I guess I will remove the timing cover.

Advice?

Are you sure it is now assembled properly? I hate to think the rocker assemblies or rotating assembly was starved of oil. Did you ever remove the front cover? You should be inspecting the pump gear and housing/race for wear & scoring after the low/no oil pressure before moving on to the other internal bearings.

 

[bsa_m21]

[QUOTE/] ... I drained the excess oil which is now brownish which I am assuming because it was being whipped up by the crankshaft. Oil light then came back on. [/QUOTE]

Clarify "brownish" - Is it sort off like a light brown chocolate milkshake? If so, you have a serious coolant leak into your oil and need to do some major checking of how it was assembled.

If the oil light was off when "overfilled" and on when at the right level, you may have an issue with the oil pickup.

Martin

 

[wrldky]

How does the wearing look on the oil pump gears? I replaced them about 6 months ago. (The specs on the pictures are dirt)

 

[ezzzzzzz]

Those gears look fine.