Help! No oil pressure.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
You can rebuild it with the knowledge and time. You could also do a crate engine. Depending on your level of expertise, you might want to consider having a Corvette knowledgeable shop, along with recommendations, do the work for you.
Last edited by dgrant3830; Oct 22, 2011 at 10:24 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
Obviously some of the cuttings in there were from the opening but there were metal particles down embedded in the filter material vanes. Any one of the numerous bearings could have let go or more than one of course. I'm really curious what precipitated this to happen? I'm still on the OEM bottom end on mine at 325K miles although I know at some point, it'll have to be rebuilt.
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,208
Likes: 6
From: Prince George VA
Obviously some of the cuttings in there were from the opening but there were metal particles down embedded in the filter material vanes. Any one of the numerous bearings could have let go or more than one of course. I'm really curious what precipitated this to happen? I'm still on the OEM bottom end on mine at 325K miles although I know at some point, it'll have to be rebuilt.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 911
Likes: 27
From: Southern IL
Wow 325k miles? I don't know what happened. Like I said I had just left my driveway, went through 1st and into second and came up on a stop sign, let in the clutch, and the car stalled. And the motor locked up and wouldnt crank. Very wierd. I did run it very hard the night before and kind of noticed a tapping sound out of the ordinary. The motor always had a lot of valve train noise but I do remember hearing something just a tad louder that night.
I would suspect that you did the damage while you were running it hard. When you took it out the next day, whatever you damaged the night before finally gave out and the shrapnel jammed up your crankshaft somehow? I am betting on a spun main bearing. Especially since you didn't hear a rod knocking.
May I ask what cam you were running, and what oil pump you had? Threads like this make me want to upgrade my stock oil pump ASAP.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 911
Likes: 27
From: Southern IL
I lost a main bearing on my old cammed 408ci, on a long leisurely drive...after having an oil leak I didn't yet know about. The oil pressure on the DIC never indicated a problem. 3 quarts down when I made it home, and my crankshaft was history.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,085
Likes: 3
From: Ottawa Ontario, Canada
Did you previously have fluctuating oil pressure?
The bypass valve in my stock oil pump got stuck several times after a WOT run, the pressure at idle would drop into the teens ('02 Z06, 100% stock engine). A quick rev up would get the pressure back where it was supposed to be and "unstick" the bypass valve and all would be well again. I kept a very close eye on that situation for over a year, then when my cam and lifters got wiped out this summer I installed a Melling 10296 high flow pump with the low pressure spring. No way was I going to dick around with another OEM based pump - WAY too much work involved in changing it, and the Melling was not much more expensive.
My oil pressures are perfect now, right where they should be for a stock engine. It's also nice to know as my high mileage engine wears that the pump has 18% more flow capacity than the stock pump did. I had to file an EXTREMELY small area in my timing cover to get the pump to fit, no big deal at all, and everything oil pressure related is good now.
The bypass valve in my stock oil pump got stuck several times after a WOT run, the pressure at idle would drop into the teens ('02 Z06, 100% stock engine). A quick rev up would get the pressure back where it was supposed to be and "unstick" the bypass valve and all would be well again. I kept a very close eye on that situation for over a year, then when my cam and lifters got wiped out this summer I installed a Melling 10296 high flow pump with the low pressure spring. No way was I going to dick around with another OEM based pump - WAY too much work involved in changing it, and the Melling was not much more expensive.
My oil pressures are perfect now, right where they should be for a stock engine. It's also nice to know as my high mileage engine wears that the pump has 18% more flow capacity than the stock pump did. I had to file an EXTREMELY small area in my timing cover to get the pump to fit, no big deal at all, and everything oil pressure related is good now.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,208
Likes: 6
From: Prince George VA
Man, I felt sick reading this thread. I totally feel for you.
I would suspect that you did the damage while you were running it hard. When you took it out the next day, whatever you damaged the night before finally gave out and the shrapnel jammed up your crankshaft somehow? I am betting on a spun main bearing. Especially since you didn't hear a rod knocking.
May I ask what cam you were running, and what oil pump you had? Threads like this make me want to upgrade my stock oil pump ASAP.
I would suspect that you did the damage while you were running it hard. When you took it out the next day, whatever you damaged the night before finally gave out and the shrapnel jammed up your crankshaft somehow? I am betting on a spun main bearing. Especially since you didn't hear a rod knocking.
May I ask what cam you were running, and what oil pump you had? Threads like this make me want to upgrade my stock oil pump ASAP.
I am assuming the stock oil pump.Did you previously have fluctuating oil pressure?
The bypass valve in my stock oil pump got stuck several times after a WOT run, the pressure at idle would drop into the teens ('02 Z06, 100% stock engine). A quick rev up would get the pressure back where it was supposed to be and "unstick" the bypass valve and all would be well again. I kept a very close eye on that situation for over a year, then when my cam and lifters got wiped out this summer I installed a Melling 10296 high flow pump with the low pressure spring. No way was I going to dick around with another OEM based pump - WAY too much work involved in changing it, and the Melling was not much more expensive.
My oil pressures are perfect now, right where they should be for a stock engine. It's also nice to know as my high mileage engine wears that the pump has 18% more flow capacity than the stock pump did. I had to file an EXTREMELY small area in my timing cover to get the pump to fit, no big deal at all, and everything oil pressure related is good now.
The bypass valve in my stock oil pump got stuck several times after a WOT run, the pressure at idle would drop into the teens ('02 Z06, 100% stock engine). A quick rev up would get the pressure back where it was supposed to be and "unstick" the bypass valve and all would be well again. I kept a very close eye on that situation for over a year, then when my cam and lifters got wiped out this summer I installed a Melling 10296 high flow pump with the low pressure spring. No way was I going to dick around with another OEM based pump - WAY too much work involved in changing it, and the Melling was not much more expensive.
My oil pressures are perfect now, right where they should be for a stock engine. It's also nice to know as my high mileage engine wears that the pump has 18% more flow capacity than the stock pump did. I had to file an EXTREMELY small area in my timing cover to get the pump to fit, no big deal at all, and everything oil pressure related is good now.
I was hoping to put in an LS3 with a small cam. But the guy just did a compression test and said the #5 cylinder was a little lower than the rest. So I may steer away from that one. I don't want any problems down the road. The car is my daily driver. I did find a LS2 with 4k miles on it. Stock motor.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 21
From: Oak Hill Virginia
I was hoping to put in an LS3 with a small cam. But the guy just did a compression test and said the #5 cylinder was a little lower than the rest. So I may steer away from that one. I don't want any problems down the road. The car is my daily driver. I did find a LS2 with 4k miles on it. Stock motor.
Lots of LS2/LS3/LS7 swap threads on here for reading though...
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,208
Likes: 6
From: Prince George VA
thats the thing. I can't really afford the down time. I don't want to hold up a friends lift for weeks to get mine rebuilt. I want to be able to pull my engine out and put the newer one in and just keep the ls1 I have as a spare to rebuild later if neccessary. I'm hoping I can get this done in a long weekend.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,471
Likes: 1,171
From: Dyer, IN
thats the thing. I can't really afford the down time. I don't want to hold up a friends lift for weeks to get mine rebuilt. I want to be able to pull my engine out and put the newer one in and just keep the ls1 I have as a spare to rebuild later if neccessary. I'm hoping I can get this done in a long weekend.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
Now I've got to ask, what were you doing the night before that entailed running it hard per your words? Most people don't track a car at night so I've got to wonder.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,208
Likes: 6
From: Prince George VA
I agree with lucky on this. His view is right on the spot. Get your wheels working again and worry about mods later.
Now I've got to ask, what were you doing the night before that entailed running it hard per your words? Most people don't track a car at night so I've got to wonder.
Now I've got to ask, what were you doing the night before that entailed running it hard per your words? Most people don't track a car at night so I've got to wonder.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,447
Likes: 1
From: Katy TX
Wow 325k miles? I don't know what happened. Like I said I had just left my driveway, went through 1st and into second and came up on a stop sign, let in the clutch, and the car stalled. And the motor locked up and wouldnt crank. Very wierd. I did run it very hard the night before and kind of noticed a tapping sound out of the ordinary. The motor always had a lot of valve train noise but I do remember hearing something just a tad louder that night.
what was your redline? Do you check the oil level routinely?
Last edited by All_Motor_C5LS6; Oct 26, 2011 at 11:47 AM.