[jrapose]

Last week I fired up the engine for the first time....no oil pressure...I had packed the gears with white grease while assembling so it should have pressure immediately....nothing....I tried priming using a stripped down old distributor...I could not get anything...I installed a new oil filter.... I removed the oil pressure (old style) check valve and installed the later style pump cover from Gil...nothing....(I did remove all the parts from the old check valve) So I decided it "had" to be the pickup tube.......I jacked up the motor....took the crossmember out and dropped the pan...I thought that the gasket might have been bad so I made a real strong gasket...and that had to seal...I had checked the tube and it did not leak...no cracks or anything....so I put it all together...thinking the gasket must have been sucking air....so I put er all to together and late this afternoon I tried again.... nope...zero...nada

What else is there ? I am sure the oil pump gears are spinning...my drill motor only goes clockwise (it's old)...the crankcase is full... even if the oil gauge or the sending unit was bad I would still see oil at the rockers...nope..

I am at a total loss.....HELP !!!

 

[jrapose]

I pulled the rod and main clearances and got .002"...I was worried that the clearance was excessive, but no...
When I had the cylinder head sone...(large valves) I had the machine shop replace the cam bearings...and I used a new cam.

When I spin the oil pump with my drill motor it spins easily ....as if there is no load against it...tomorrow I think I will pull the gears...check their clearance and try greasing them....other than that I think if that is not helping I am going to put the restoration into storage....I am done...it is now less fun than washing dishes......or a lower GI

 

[jrapose]

Question: I had the old oil pressure valve....with the flat bottom pump cover......I replaced that with one of Gil's new pump covers with the valve built into the base of the cover... then I removed the old pressure spring and ball from the timing cover.... was I supposed to make that ball solid to the timing cover...I just removed it...

 

[First opel 1981]

You have GREASE in your system. You're not going to get oil pressure til it moves.
Then it has to move more to get oil flow.

Get a priming rod. Trust in that.
You will need to work at it a while. Last time I had to get rid of a grease packed system it took almost 15 minutes of priming to get the oil to the cam.

 

[kwilford]

Question: I had the old oil pressure valve....with the flat bottom pump cover......I replaced that with one of Gil's new pump covers with the valve built into the base of the cover... then I removed the old pressure spring and ball from the timing cover.... was I supposed to make that ball solid to the timing cover...I just removed it...

... and we have a winner!

The older CIH engines without the oil pressure release valve built into the oil pump cover relied on a ball and spring in the side of the chain case. When Opel changed to the pump cover relief valve, they left the old relief valve system in place, but changed the spring to a stiffer version, effectively eliminating the old relief valve.

Without a ball and a stiff spring, you will have NO NONE ZERO ZILCH oil pressure.

 

[RallyBob]

What Keith says is true. Without the old pressure regulator ball in the side of the timing cover and a stiff spring...you will have nothing.

When you eventually work it all out and spin up the oil pump gears again, you’ll know when the pump is working. It will bog down your drill during priming something fierce!

 

[terrylewisac]

glad to hear the problem is going to be resolved.
I don't think anyone would have expected that to be what was going on.

 

[opelspyder]

Also if you are relying on a factory gauge and sending unit, I would get a screw in pressure gauge to make sure. I have had timing covers with the new cover, and old spring and still get oil pressure, but it wasn't that great. I've also had new sending units that failed.
But if you have a new engine, always, always prime the oil system first. I do this with the valve cover off too, because you want to make sure that every lifter is getting oil.

 

[Vincent]

But if you have a new engine, always, always prime the oil system first. I do this with the valve cover off too, because you want to make sure that every lifter is getting oil.

X2

NEVER start a a freshly assembled engine before properly priming the oil system

 

[The Cub]

Let’s hear the good results after you re install the ball and (preferably heavy) spring 😉