Hello Crew,

About two weeks ago I recieved a call from my wife that when she went to start her 04 that she had no oil pressure on both the dash and gauge. Now this 04 has an aftermarket pressure gauge/alarm that I installed that is in a seperate port then the OEM oil pressure sending unit. She didn't drive it since I've been preparing her for this day (kind of like a nuclear attack but much more important, to me at least since I need to fix it). I got to the 04 and jump in to start and surprise, oil pressure. Drove the 04 until last night.

Now in these two weeks we probably have put about 400 miles on the 04 with no issues.

Let me re-phrase this- No issues except a number 3 cyl that I found to be low on a compression test a few days ago. I don't think this is related but I could be wrong.

Yesterday I had the 04 out for about a mile trip to pick up some dinner. When I went to start the 04 I got light and no oil pressure on the gauge. I shut down waited and attempted start with for oil pressure 4 time with no success. Oil level is good running shell rotella 15-40

I need some major support here please! My game plan is this-

1. Pull the pan and look for possible a clogged up pick up (Unlikely I bet)
2. Pull the front cover and inspect the oil pump gear
3. Bandage bloody fingers and Bang head on concrete!!

 

#2: check oil pump gears.
You need to remove the oil pan anyway to get the front cover off, so clean the pickup and replace the pickup o ring.

 

If oil pump housing is in good shape I can just replace the gears correct?

 

Yes, for $100 instead of $500. You have to get them after-market though.

@ british pacific, and others.

Price lookup

 

have you pulled the sender and verified that you have no oil pressure, before dropping the pan?

 

drowssap makes a very valid point, the oil pressure sender could be faulty.

 

I have the factory oil pressure switch and an aftermarket oil pressure transducer in another port and both were showing low oil pressure.

I've been in contact with Mark at http://aluminumv8.com/ on the issue. He is extremely knowledgeable about this motor and with the symptoms I'm having which is on start and intermittently, he believes it to be an issue with the Front cover oil pressure relief valve sticking open or close.

Does anyone have as schematic or knows the complete function of this valve/system? Just trying to understand its workings so I could possibly save from buying a new front cover.

 

Early D1s had a problem with sticking oil pressure relief valves, the 03/04 do not. The oil pressure relief valve is in the front cover. You will see 2 tubes or channels molded into the front cover, one up the left side and one on the bottom of the cover. At the end of each tube is a circlip that retains a piston or cup, behind the cup is a spring and the pressure relief valve. I cannot remember which channel has the relief valve in, but it's a 50/50 guess between the two. Remove the clip, pop out the cup, pull the spring and you may have to use a magnet to pull out the valve.

 

Bundu, Have you removed these valves? I don't want to remove them and have problems getting them back in. D&D mentioned that he did not recommend messing with these at clearances are very precise.

 

Yes, I have stripped the front cover and oil pump.... actually stripped the complete engine to its last components. Those suckers are a bitch to put back in. I replaced all the o rings and the gears in the front cover. The way I got them back in is by pushing the cup in with a screw driver and holding it in there (the spring wants to push it out again), then hang the clip over the screw driver and pop it back in place with one of those circlip tools.