A dealer in Brooklyn, NY is listing a D2 whose VIN falls within the range which is claimed to have oil pump problems (3A771801 to 3A808362). I know there's a lot of debate on this however I do have some personal experience in that I bought an 153k mile 03 last year with a failed pump that grenaded the engine. The owner was a car guy who had just got done dropping the tank to replace the fuel pump and sender, and POR-15'd the frame while he was at it. 80 miles after spending $1,247 on 5 BF Goodrich A/Ts the pump failed. Clearly not a case of neglect and while it certainly could be purely coincidental, especially given how long the engine lasted, the VIN is in the range above.

The BaT truck only has 52k on it and looks as nice as you would expect at that mileage, and there are 255 photos to back it up. At the current bid price of $7,500 the truck is getting to the limit of what it's worth given the fact that the engine *may* be destined to fail. Is it right to post something in the comments to bring this issue to light or is that just crapping on someone's auction? I'm of the opinion that the BaT community is there for exactly this reason, and honestly am a little surprised no one has brought up the oil pump issue yet.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...r-discovery-20

 

Does it not list a recall performed for that?

 

There is no mention of the words recall, engine replacement, or oil pump.

 

I think it would have failed by now
but always a good idea to install a oil pressure gauge

 

Why would you say that? Mine went 153k before it grenaded and this one only has 52k on it. My question isn't really about whether or not this truck's oil pump will fail. I'm curious whether or not posting information that may be relevant to the purchase to inform potential buyers is a good idea, at the risk of casting shade on the auction.

 

these are rings of metal with teeth that do wear out and should be considered a maintenance item
but the only way to know when it should be done is having a pressure gauge
I did mine on my 03 and it was starting to wear

 

As I understand the problem, it's the location of the dowel pins in the block which hold the front cover (and oil pump) in place that is the root of the problem. Improper location creates aggressive wear in the aluminum cover and ultimately failure of the pump due to a worn housing. I suppose that replacing the pump gears and cover often could prevent failure however it will be a constant and expensive maintenance issue, and as you point out, an oil pressure gauge would be critical. Hence the nature of my original question and the purpose of this thread.

 

of course you should bring it up if your planing on bidding
the answer will be simple probably in the direction of. Well it hasn’t been a problem .

 

I am not planning on bidding. Do you mean I should bring it up to scare other bidders away?

 

no i wouldn’t do that