how often do oil pumps go bad?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 125
Likes: 1
how often do oil pumps go bad?
have an 04 zo6 pulled into a gas station oil pressure was fine... turned car back on 0 oil pressure... this car had a melling pump installed less than a year ago!!! i changed out the oil pressure sender still at 0... changed out the oil filter still at 0... somebody told me i could have spun a bearing but i would still have some oil pressure... to confirm i pulled the oil filter off the car than cranked... looked under the car no oil on the ground at all... i started it for 3-4 seconds and shut her down....it is making a little bit of a chattering sound but car has a cam and valvetrain so im not going to sit there with no oil pressure for 5 minutes listening... question is i heard these pumps are supposed to be bullit proof!! anybody else have the same problems? anyone know how long melling warranties their pumps?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,472
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From: Dyer, IN
have an 04 zo6 pulled into a gas station oil pressure was fine... turned car back on 0 oil pressure... this car had a melling pump installed less than a year ago!!! i changed out the oil pressure sender still at 0... changed out the oil filter still at 0... somebody told me i could have spun a bearing but i would still have some oil pressure... to confirm i pulled the oil filter off the car than cranked... looked under the car no oil on the ground at all... i started it for 3-4 seconds and shut her down....it is making a little bit of a chattering sound but car has a cam and valvetrain so im not going to sit there with no oil pressure for 5 minutes listening... question is i heard these pumps are supposed to be bullit proof!! anybody else have the same problems? anyone know how long melling warranties their pumps?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,071
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From: Goose Creek SC
Most likely it's not the "pump" part of the pump but the pressure regulating part of the pump. It's been known that a piece of casting flash can jam the regulator plunger open and dump all your oil back to the sump instead of pressurizing your engine.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
You may not have damaged the engine but if you continue to mess with it, it will be damaged!
I have been where your at. Lucky for me, it was a gage issue and NOT a pump issue. I removed the filter and had my wife crank the engine. There was a waterfall of oil IMMEDIATELY!
Heres a oil galley drawing and it shows the pump goes directly to the oil filter center inlet tube.
I can show you a picture of the bypass inside the pump if you want me to. I would have to take one of my old pump.
Remove the pump and examine that bypass valve without disturbing it. It most likely has a piece of trash in it preventing it from shutting. I also have a melling in my ZO6.
BC
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2009
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thanks for the input guys i didnt let it just sit there and idle... i started it once for 5 seconds realized no oil pressure shut her down... oil pressure sensor 3 seconds shut down... removed filter cranked two times...so i dont think any damage has occured... i am planning on putting a new pump in soon with a cam to go with it...until then she will just sit... sad thing is i just picked this car up two weeks ago... and i dont drive it during the week so this really REALLY sucks..
