No Oil Pressure After Repair

[Shepherdguy]

Okay, so I am having an issue with prepping for start up after doing a repair from my Hemi 5.7 camshaft/lifter failure. I tore the engine apart (in vehicle) and replaced the lifters, camshaft, water pump, oil pickup tube and tube o-ring, and oil pump. Engine rebuilding lube was used on the lifters and camshaft to aid in the turnover and everything was torqued to spec. The stock oil pump was replaced with a 6.2 oil pump with the pressure relief spring being swapped from my stock oil pump. Everything was put back together except the radiator and hoses (for now), and I hooked the battery back up with the fuel pump fuse still out. I hooked up a scan tool and brought up the oil pressure PID to check for the pressure build up while cranking; and during cranking, the oil pressure never came off zero. I double checked the oil pressure switch connector to ensure it was connected all the way and it was. I also brought up the oil pressure on the communication center on the dash and it also stayed on zero during cranking. I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say that this oil pump does not self-prime. Prior to cranking I had put about 6 of the 7 quarts of the oil in (5-20 full synthetic) and I also filled the new oil filter up with oil before installing it. As for a potential of the new oil pickup tube having not be hooked up to the oil pump, I am 100% positive that was not the case. I installed a brand new o-ring on the pickup tube and installed into the oil pump and torqued the bolt to spec, so no prime is the only thing I can think of. I believe that if I overfilling the pan with oil just to try and get the oil level up to the pump level, then the pump would prime and then I can drain out the excess oil, but I figured it would be best to check here as there are folks that have either experienced this already and folks that are more "technical" than I am. There has got to be a better way short of tearing everything off the front again just to get to the oil pump. And to get the oil pump back off, I would have to drop the oil pan again and remove the pickup tube. And to do that I would have to remove the cross member again. Hindsight being 20/20, I wish I had filled the oil pump with white molly grease or something. And advice on what would be the best solution at this point?

 

[chopperman1]

Pump should have primed before installing it. You can try a priming tool but may be out of luck with that too, but certainly worth the shot!

 

[crackerjack1957]

How to Prime a Hemi Engine with Oil | DIYHEMI Tech Tip

Today we talk about priming an engine with oil before we start it up. Many people overlook this process but it’s crucial to be sure you have lubrication in ...

youtu.be

 

[Shepherdguy]

How to Prime a Hemi Engine with Oil | DIYHEMI Tech Tip

Today we talk about priming an engine with oil before we start it up. Many people overlook this process but it’s crucial to be sure you have lubrication in ...

youtu.be

Thank you, I used this method and worked like a charm. Once oil pressure up, put the fuel pump fuse in and started it up. Cycled the key a few times to turn the fuel pump on and off but still took a moment to get it started. I guess that was just getting enough fuel into the rail and injectors since they were completely drained, but everything sounds great. The valve & rocker knocking I was expecting until the lifters got pumped wasn't any where near as long as I was expecting - literally only lasted maybe 30 seconds. After a minute or two of running, shut it down and now just need to install the radiator and fans. Coming down the home stretch.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Sounds like you're almost there... give us more updates when she breathes fire!

 

[Shepherdguy]

Okay, update. Filled cooling system with OEM Mopar coolant and bled. Let warm up and everything sounded great. Took for a test drive. On the residential street, everything seemed normal, then got on to a road where speed was increased to 45mph and noticed a little sluggishness. Got on to the freeway and there was a lack of power getting up to speed. Kind of felt like I wasn't getting fuel, but if I pressed down on the accelerator pedal, it kicked up a gear and began accelerating to 70mph. Still didn't seem right because it should have gotten there and remained there effortlessly. Took back home and shut off. There was no CEL but I hooked up scan tool and I had several stored codes and one pending code. Stored codes were P0221, P2135, P0121, and P2110 - every single one related to the throttle body or TPS sensor (which is built in to the throttle body and not replaceable separately. There were no codes before I went on my test drive. The one pending code was P1411, which is cylinder 1 reactivation control performance. This is obviously one of the MDS lifters. Maybe its possible that lifter just hasn't pumped up enough to allow oil pressure to lock the pins, not sure. I'll give that one some time and see if it corrects itself. As far as the throttle body codes, those may have been "operator" generated, unfortunately.

Let me go back to an error I created. When cranking the engine to get the oil pressure up and it wasn't coming off zero, I wasn't considering at first that the new oil pump wouldn't self prime. I was looking at what the issue might be and I noticed it still had a shop towel stuffed into the throttle body with a nitrile glove stretched over the top to keep debris out. I though maybe this could have been preventing vaccuum to get the oil pump prime started (which was not correct) but what I was considering at the time. I removed the glove and rag and tried cranking again with no change. That's when I came here looking for ways to prime the pump. In the meantime, I stretched another nitrile glove over the throttle body to keep debris out. After learning about pumping oil through the boss where the oil pressure switch is located, I was successful in getting the pump primed and oil pressure up. However, I FORGOT that I had stretched another glove over the throttle body. So when I put the fuel pump fuse back in and fired her up, I heard a loud screaching noise. I gave it a few seconds to see if it would go away but then shut it down.

When going to the engine bay, that's when I discovered my error as the glove was still stretched around the outside of the throttle body intake but the rest of the glove was sucked inward and stuck in the butterfly. I was able to get the glove out and inspect it but there was a tiny, maybe half a dime size, piece that I believe is missing from the glove. I inspected the throttle body but there are no pieces of the glove there. Either the glove just got deformed and nothing is missing or a small piece got sucked into the intake. I plan to remove the intake and inspect for any potential glove piece and also inspect the intake slots on the plenum to see if there is anything above the valves. In any case, whether I find it or not, I don't believe it is causing my codes with the throttle body. I suspect, but really not sure, that the glove threw off the calibration of the throttle body. I am looking for expert opinions on whether the current throttle body can be relearned or recalibrated, or if the throttle body needs replacement? Or am I barking up the wrong tree altogether?

 

[Jeepwalker]

Don't take this wrong, but those gloves gotta go down in the library of 'great goofs' lol (Oh..I've had my share too!!).

I doubt it's causing the problem. It'll eventually burn off, unless the tip of the glove finger is nicely formed over the O2 sensor tip..lol.

When you look on your scanner, can you see what the TPS is doing as you run the engine up/down? Are the readings pretty linear, or do you see drop-outs? Are all the pcv & vacuum hoses and the main snorkel all hooked up properly? No cracks? I know that wasn't one of your code errors, but sometimes ...it doesn't make sense, but sometimes simple things can lead to odd, seemingly unrelated codes.

 

[Shepherdguy]

@Jeepwalker , yes all the vacuum hoses were hooked back up. I took the throttle body off and haven’t put it back on yet as I am working out of town the next two days so it will be Saturday before I can look at it again. The reason I suspected a calibration issue was the P2135 code. That code is thrown for a sensor correlation error sent to the PCM. I didn’t have the code before my work on the truck and the code was cleared and came right back. I have double checked if everything was connected back up and as near as I can tell, all hoses and wiring connectors have been reconnected. That’s why I was wondering about the glove snafu causing the issue. If the glove was preventing the throttle plate from closing all the way, the PCM I would think would still command continuing closing since the position signal is still not what it is expecting to see. Could the internal TPS have slipped or jumped a tooth on the plastic gear in the process of still being commanded to close further?

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

Could the internal TPS have slipped or jumped a tooth on the plastic gear in the process of still being commanded to close further?

You may have damaged the throttle plate drive gear.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Any time a person does major engine surgery, brittle hoses that flex can crack (where they were 'good' before). All items on top of engine are worth a tripple-check. Maybe go along the top of engine with a propane tank with hose (not lit of course).

 

[Shepherdguy]

I will check for the potential of cracked hoses and make sure I’m not getting a vacuum leak. I should be able to see that in the STFTs as well. But if I was a betting man, I’m still leaning to a damaged or out of calibration TPS in the Throttle Body.

 

[Shepherdguy]

FINAL UPDATE: Got back in town mid day Saturday and was too tired to look at the truck then so went back to it yesterday. I already had the throttle body out so examined it well and ensured the throttle plate was moving freely and reinstalled. I checked compression on all cylinders just to ensure I didn't have a head gasket issue. Lowest was 195 psi and highest was 205 psi - I was happy with that. I visually rechecked for any potential cracked lines or hoses and found nothing. Used my Scan Tool to do an ETC Relearn and after that...problem solved. Took for a test drive around town and then got onto the freeway. It drove purrrrfectly. Torque and power are back, and fuel consumption back to normal. Drove a couple towns away and back and absolutely no issues. Ran for DTC codes again just to check and got a clean bill of health. Even the Cylinder 1 MDS code corrected itself, which I suspect it would. She's back!!!

 

[indept]

Great news. Thanks for the update.

 

[Wild one]

FINAL UPDATE: Got back in town mid day Saturday and was too tired to look at the truck then so went back to it yesterday. I already had the throttle body out so examined it well and ensured the throttle plate was moving freely and reinstalled. I checked compression on all cylinders just to ensure I didn't have a head gasket issue. Lowest was 195 psi and highest was 205 psi - I was happy with that. I visually rechecked for any potential cracked lines or hoses and found nothing. Used my Scan Tool to do an ETC Relearn and after that...problem solved. Took for a test drive around town and then got onto the freeway. It drove purrrrfectly. Torque and power are back, and fuel consumption back to normal. Drove a couple towns away and back and absolutely no issues. Ran for DTC codes again just to check and got a clean bill of health. Even the Cylinder 1 MDS code corrected itself, which I suspect it would. She's back!!!

Throw those rubber gloves away while you're at it,lol

 

[Shepherdguy]

Throw those rubber gloves away while you're at it,lol

Yeah, they work better on my hands.

 

[Tominator223]

Since you took the tb off you have to re-calibrate it anyway. Also if a piece of clove got sucked in , it’s long gone. (Unless you can see it on the blade/shaft).You should be able to move the blade very slowly open and close and feel if it’s smooth operation. No broke gear. It will probably close by it self. And most newer vehicles the blade(butterfly) stays closed. No need to cover. GL