Cranking Oil Pressure

[NITO]

Hi,

We've finally got the engine in the car and everything hooked up. We've put 10 litres of oil in the engine just until the oil pressure light goes out.

We were cranking the engine on and off for about an hour tonight without the plugs in and with the CAS disconnected. The oil pressure light has remained on.

How long does the RB need to be cranked for realistically? Will the starter motor on its own be enough to crank the pressure up on a totally dry engine? AFAIK the oil pump hasn't been primed, the car now has a remote oil filter take off/filter relocation kit, a Trust one.

In addition and not sure if related, speaking to Tony at Abbey, he believes the pipes are on the wrong way round on the oil filter relocation kit. Namely, the center pipe on the oil filter take off is the return not the feed. Currently the pipe in the center of the take off is feeding the pipe on the center of the remote filter head. The offset pipe is coming off the remote head and going to the offset pipe on the take off.

I think I may have got crossed wires with Tony on the phone earlier, I thought the filter fed from the centre. So are the pipes the wrong way around ie the centre of the take off should go to the offset pipe of the remote head? Or are they correct anyway, just the offset is the feed and centre is return in which case they are the right way around but my understanding of feed/return was wrong.

I'm tempted to put the plugs back in and connect the CAS tomorrow. Will this stuff the engine if I fire it for 30 secs or so to get pressure? Should I persevere with the cranking for pressure which has done nothing up to now. Could having the remote filter pipes the wrong way round prevent the pressure from building up or would that be totally independent, I can't see why it would as the sensors are before the oil take off.


Cheers
Nito

[zbloke]

Hi Nito,

I seem to recall Peter having a similar problem to you when he installed his Nur engine, cranking with CAS removed and no oil pressure building, if I remember from the thread correctly in the end he just connected the sensor and fired the engine up........and got oil pressure straight away, might be worth a search for the old thread just to make sure I've got it right though

Tim

[Pagey]

Nito,

I take it you are not at work tomorrow? If your passing in the morning i can leave the keys to my 32 with Allison so you can have a look at my oil filter relocation kit connections, its HKS but cannot be that different!

Please let me know but do not ring, baby asleep pm me!

[Ajax]

mmmm. If i were in your shoes Nito id be very worried about putting the plugs in and conecting the CAS and crossing fingers. Every engine ive rebuilt over the years (diesel and petrol) has obtaind enough presure to exstinguish the light on the starter alone with plugs or injectors removed. It wouldnt take long to pick up a bearing when it fires with no presure.
Is there not a plug in the block somewhere where you can prime the pump?
I dont confess to knowing alot about the RB engine but some engines have a plug in the block somewhere near the pump.
Just an idea.

[andy42uk]

when I rebuilt my RB25DET I cranked with the plugs out for about 30 secs, and nothing....appartr for slight panic.....
Did the same again and it just showed preasure on the gauge, but light still on.
put plugs in etc. and fired with huge oil preasure imeadiatly.
Hopefully it's just teasing you like mine, I have now done 2.5k trouble free miles.
Hope that helps, the engines are very similar.
Regards, Andy.

[Asim R32GTR]

Is it a new oilpump in the engine?? If it is it needs oil inside to start picking up oil from the sump.

What you can try is take of the oilfilter adapter from the block and squirt oil in the block.. as much as you can... it will eventually come some in the oilpump. I had the same problem on a RB26, and a couple of SR20 engines... it worked every time.

It could also be a good idea to disconnect the oilcooler and put the filter directly in the block... just to get oil in the system....

Asim...

[NITO]

Cheers Guys,

Z bloke, thanks for that, I found it here;
Did I mention that....

Stuart,
I doubt I'll be at work tomorrow, want to get this sorted or I won't sleep, plus I won't have time to mess about with the car next week! Thanks for the offer, but I'll be ok, I'll recheck with Tony in the morning about the remote filter.

Ajax/Andy, cheers, I spent nearly 90 seconds cranking it in one go and loads and loads of 30-45 second stints with nothing on the gauge or the light. It probably just is being a bastard!

To be continued...

[NITO]

Thanks Asim,

Yes, it is a new pump. I may try filling the remote filter pipes with oil. The oil cooler is thermostatic so it won't even be opening at this stage.

Thanks
Nito

[Asim R32GTR]

Originally Posted by NITO

Thanks Asim,

Yes, it is a new pump. I may try filling the remote filter pipes with oil. The oil cooler is thermostatic so it won't even be opening at this stage.

Thanks
Nito

No problem mate....

If i were you.. i would take the filter remover kit of... and just start the engine up without it... to be on the safe side...
When you know it is working ok... then put it back on

Cheers...

[paul cawson]

If you get the two wires around the wrong way on the pressure sender the light stays on and the guage will show zero oil pressure.

[NITO]

Paul,

I thought the plug can only go on one way? I take it you mean the plug with the large rubber boot that goes to the pressure sender. There is also a single plug low oil switch on the other side.

Regards
Nito

[Cord]

I'm sure the plug can only fit on the sender one way round.

Sounds like your oil pump is dry, first you need to establish if it is pumping oil, or just not enough pressure. Remove the oil filter head take-off and crank the engine. You should see oil ****ing out, if you do have oil then bung a filter on and fire it up. This way you know the bearings are going to get oil and you can sort your cooler at a later date.

If no oil comes out then your pump needs priming. Usually puuting excess amounts of oil in will do the job, (you've already tried with 10 litres in?) A long shot but worth a try is getting a small oil can and pumping it back into the block at the oil filter in the hope that it runs back down and into the pump gears.

[Peter]

Nito,

As you've seen, Tim (good memory!) was correct about what happened with my new engine but I did prime the oil pump. Cord's advice looks spot on to me. Good luck today....

[cokey]

Hi Nito,
What Cord said above although......
Prior to start-up I primed everything. Filled the cooler in situ, filled all the pipes up to the filter relocation and the feed/return to the cooler then connected them up. I then filled the new oil filter and screwed it on losing a bit as my filter is above
When I cranked the engine, plugs out and injector plugs off. The light went out on the second crank and I had 5 bar of pressure constant.
I kept on cranking it for a good 20 mins in short bursts. To be sure in my mind that the oil-ways were primed !
I do have the Tomei pump though
Even with the Trust sump extension and cooler my capacity is about 7 1/2 to 8 ltrs. I would be concerned about starting it with 10 ltrs in the sump.
Hope all it needs is some primage
Best wishes Cokey

[Cord]

On a fresh engine 20-30 seconds cranking should see the oil light go out.