NC99

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NC99

I figured that or more of the obvious has happened.

1. The pick-up screen is clogged
2. The piston rings are shot
3. The oil pump is shot

Not sure if I'm missing something that is easier to fix than the above...

dgrant3830

Yeah, if you heard noise or clattering start, you certainly lost pressure. I understand there is a checkvalve inside the oil pump which can stick open and cause this. FYI, the oil pump is onder the front engine cover.

dirty-c5

Do an oil change on the car your self and split the filter and see if there is bearing material or any other metal in it. More than likely sounds like a spun bearing or oil pump fail.

lucky131969

While my experience is limited, when I've seen a spun bearing, it's typically happened on start up. Also, I have not seen good oil pressure with a spun bearing....typically low, and does not respond to changes in rpm.

dirty-c5

Most of the spun bearings I have seen have been at higher rpm. But the stock rod bearings gm puts in these motors aren't that great of quality. When the bearing goes bad the clearance opens up causing the loss of oil pressur. It could also be a oil pump failure though still the first thing I would do is split the used oil filter on the car and check for bearing material. If there is none well next step would be to check the oil pump. If it has run long at all with no oil pressure its probly a lost cause any way because the bearing will be beaten out.
Good luck to O.P. hope it turns out good but if not its time to upgrade.

rebelheart

Piston rings have nothing at all to do with it and if you have been changing the oil like you state,it is not likely the pickup screen is clogged.If your gauge is accurate then you have some type of internal failure,bearings,oil pump etc.Sounds expensive.

C66 Racing

Back in 04 at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs on the first practice session, my harmonic balancer came off shortly followed by the oil seal behind it. Oil pressure dropped to zero and as a result, I spun a bearing. In my case, one or two of the rods came out of the side of the block. Complete new crate motor required.

With your oil pressure as low as you indicate, I would be concerned that you have lost a bearing.

If you have internal engine damage, used oil analysis will likely show it better than examining your oil filter. I would drain your oil and submit it to Blackstone Labs. http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

I would not run the engine until you know if it is a spun bearing as with a spun bearing the engine will not run long and when the rod seizes to the crank, bad things happen fast.

hobbesnmina2001

If your oil level is OK, and oil clean and engine turns over hook up a mechanical oil pressure gauge to verify it is low oil pressure. If you have a spun bearing or damage the engine should not be running or running smooth.
You can use a filter sandwich adaptor, or there is a plug near the balancer up front on the oil gallery.
When we drove home from SC with our low mileage Z06 last Nov. 2 hours into the drive the oil # went to zero but the level was good, we had a Chevy dealer put a mechanical gauge on it and the pressure was good. The rest of the trip was just putting up with the dinging of the sensor!
If you changed your oil every 3000 miles for 40000 miles and used any good oil like Amsoil,etc it would be the extremely unlikely your screen was clogged unless it was from some type of breakage, it would not be from sludge.

dgrant3830

I think he's past determining if he's got pressure or not because he said the engine started clattering. Good indication of oil pressure loss.

hobbesnmina2001

OK I missed that part OOps!

NC99

I was thinking the same in regards to the unlikelihood of the screen being clogged. When I bought the car in Nov 2008, it had 44k miles. It now has 80k miles with Amsoil and filter changed well before Amsoil's recommendations. Just thinking out-loud, but I would assume that if prior to me owning the car, if there were junk/sludge in the oil pan (or anywhere else), that screen would have been clogged before I put another 40k miles on it.

I think at this point, I'm going to have to take in somewhere and have it diagnosed and go from there.

dgrant3830

You really have very few options. Its got to come apart to find out the cause. Hope and pray its not too bad.

NC99

I agree. I hope it's not too bad either. Thanks for all the responses, I appreciate the input.

ipuig

Dirty, where did you find this little tid-bit of information, can you please enlighten us, or is this just an assumption on your part? And why just the rod bearings as opposed to the mains and cam bearings?

dgrant3830

To the OP, I could have sworn that you said in your first post that you heard noise and now that entry is gone. It doesn't say anything about noise now. Did I mis-read or did you alter your post? Without a noise issue suddenly becoming apparent, it makes a difference in how we offer thoughts and advice.

broke again

I think the last sentence of the first post stated that the "engine does make noise" due to no oil pressure. Not sure what kind of noise, however probably not the good kind. Hope it is not too bad.

dgrant3830

DUH on me... guess I'm having a mental pause...

NC99

When I got home I still had a small amount of oil pressure and I shut the car off. I drained the oil and removed the filter to see if I could see any metal (which I didn't) and then refilled. I started the car and it started to make noise. I don't know how to describe the noise, other than it sounds like it has no oil.

BLOWNBLUEZ06

Auto or manual? Either way you can set the e-brake (as hard as you can if it's a manual) , put the car in reverse (or whatever direction is opposite the wall if you're parked in the garage and with everything moved from the direction you're set up to go) and begin to try to move the car. If the noise sounds like a low hammering of heavy metal parts and increases with load, that's bearings. If it sounds like a clattering, ticking, (maybe like tapdancing class) then that's lifters and a result of the low oil pressure. After running it for a second, you can pull the dipstick and look for metallic particles by putting it in the sunlight or shining a bright light on it.

If it were my car, I would just start tearing it down. Are you going to do this yourself? Not too bad to change the pump and timing chain if you have tools + reasonable mechanical skills. If you ever had plans to change cams, now's the time.