2000 8.0 V10 oil pressure problem.

[Warlock1369]

Like in title I have a 2000 ram 2500 8.0l V10. Last week I lost oil pressure at idle and a small ticking sound started. Checked oil, it was low but good. Added 1 quart, still had tick but oil pressure showed around 40. Get home to work on it. Tick sounds like it's from #2 valves. Pull the cover, everything moves and torqued. Couldn't run it to see if oil moves well because well the top half of the motor is off. Next I drop oil pan to check the pick up tube. It was fine, cleaned it out just to make sure. Gave it a oil and filter change at this point. Ticking stopped, but oil pressure guage goes to zero at less then 1000 rpm, and below 40psi at any rpm above that. So I pulled the sensor and pump on a manual oil guage. It red 12-15 psi at idle and 40 at 2500rpm and goes up with rpm. Oil pump right? Well I find one, get it a week later. Take motor apart and well they sent me the pu for the van not truck. I clean everything on old setup. Looks new and everything moves great. Relief valve and spring as well. I blow out all the ports just in case a blockage. None. Get it all back together same issues. So take back the wrong oil pump, can't get the right one anywhere. And I get oil pressure sending unit. Same issue. Says low at idle and under 40 Psi at 2500RPM. Before I order just the pump gears for $111, want to see if any of you might have a idea. I added a photo of my gears so you can see if the look good to you or I'm a idiot and need to replace them. Sorry about the long read but it's info needed to get the best help. Thanks in advance

 

[Daw14]

Add a mechanical gauge.

 

[Warlock1369]

I didn't add one but I used one to test before I went after the pump.

 

[Dean2]

You checked and cleaned the most common causes of the issue. If the timinng cover bolts are not backing out, which can cause low oil pressure then it most likely is the oil pump at this stage. You used to be able to get a high volume oil pump for the V10, was used in all of the Viper motors, it solved a lot of low oil issues at idle. Let us know how you make out when you replace the gears.

 

[Warlock1369]

I figured. Just wanted to hear I was overlooking something so small and common. So far it just seems I spent $400 and only did a oil change. Yes I had to buy a few tools to get this far.

You checked and cleaned the most common causes of the issue. If the timinng cover bolts are not backing out, which can cause low oil pressure then it most likely is the oil pump at this stage. You used to be able to get a high volume oil pump for the V10, was used in all of the Viper motors, it solved a lot of low oil issues at idle. Let us know how you make out when you replace the gears.

 

[Warlock1369]

Well it took forever to find the dang gears. Got oem Mopar. Just replaced them and same thing. Only thing I found was a rotation rub. Maybe 1 or 2 mil deep and about 5 mil wide on the housing. Don't see how that could be that much of a issue but what do you think? I have oil pressure at idle but not enough to read on dash but mechanical guage it reads low. At 1000 rpm dash shows 40, but stays there even at 2500 rpm. Mechanical shows 25-30 at 1500 rpm and 42-45 psi at 2500. I'm thinking of just unplugging the dash so it stops dinging at me and run just the mechanical. I have Texas inspection next week and they say no check engine codes, none show but check guages does.

 

[Yardbird]

My guess is rod or main bearing wear, or both.

I can't remember right now what my V-10 oil pressure is, but I know it's not a whole lot. 166k miles on my '94.

 

[69_XS29L]

"You used to be able to get a high volume oil pump for the V10, was used in all of the Viper motors, it solved a lot of low oil issues at idle."
Here are the V-10 Viper and Magnum oil pump rotors side by side. Good guess the Viper rotors solved pretty much nobody's oil pressure problem. About 30% thicker and that key cut internal on the inner rotor does not fit the Magnum crank, although by very small amount. Crank flats could likely be carefully dressed with a file.
Diameters are the same, and the internal rotor milling is the same, but you would have to custom mill a new cover, or pray there is enough meat in the timing case itself to mill that extra depth.
Not sure yet if there is enough space in front of the timing gear to allow a thicker cover to be added over the Viper rotors. Before you buy a Viper set......