FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Gday All,
            I bent some pushrods last week, and after reading this web sight I pulled the rods and sraightened them in a vice with the help of a hammer. (came up spot on).
            I disassembled the rocker mechanism and cleaned out 49 years of sludge and oil tarnish. After reassembling and adjusting rockers engine started 1st pop and ran sweet. Except, no oil pressure.(Oil light did not go out)
            Oil line to rockers is attached. Line was not loose in block.
             Do grey motor oil pumps just stop working one day?
             Can oil pump inlet get blocked?
             If pump is shagged can you get new/reco'ed pumps?
              Can you retro fit say a red motor oil pump to a grey?

               A quick fix would be great, as I need to show the car on Sunday.


Cheers
Scotty

Scotty,

Someone else will know more about this than me but I'm sure you can install the oiler section of the rocker shaft back to front - 180 degrees out so the oiling hole is blocked. To prove it pull off the oil pipe that joins to the rocker shaft assy and start the car to see if oil comes from the pipe. If it does, the problem is in the shaft, if it doesn't the pump is at fault. Unlikely it would fail so quickly because its only a couple of gears.

Let us know what you find.

Cheers,

Craig.

Check the sender first, trust me, it's worth it before you go and spend big bucks fixing something that isn't broke.  :'(

Scotty
          It could be the oil pressure switch that's faulty. Is the motor noisey,  try another oil switch or take the switch out, pull the coil lead out, have someone turn the motor over while you check to see if any oil spurts out the switch hole with pressure. See if there is heaps of oil up around the rockers, It could be that the pipe up to the rockers is blocked, something might have fallen in when you had the shaft off?? It's unlikely the oil pump would have just given up just like that.

   Cheers Al

Scotty,
Sounds like something that would happen to me.
I think Craig A is right on the ball as I remember having exactly the same thing happen to me some 30+ years ago and guess what, I had put the rockers back together AAF as Craig has suggested.  If in doubt; check your oil pressure gauge  - if you have one or pull off the oil pressure line and see if the oil hits you in the face like it did to me all those moons ago.
I hope it works out alright for your show on Sunday .

Alan

Cheers fella's,
            I will give all above mentioned tips a go, and will get back to ya all next week with results.

Scotty

Gday,
       I have an update on my oil pressure problem. I pulled the oil press sender from the block, got the missy to turn the engine over, and nothing came out the hole, at all. So, I pulled the engine on Saturday, put the gearbox and 6V starter and genny on another grey I just finish rebuilding for an EJ. Wacked the new donk in the FJ 1st thing Sunday morning (thinking I'll make the car show by 3pm), all went well untill I tryed lining the front engine mout up. The front mounting plates on EJ's and FJ's bend in different directions and extend down different lengths, so after manufacturing addaption plates and finnishing the installation, the 6V starter motor did'nt have enough nuts to turn the new "tight" engine over.

Missed the car show, and havent trouble shot the original grey yet, but will update you when I do.

Scotty

Scotty
Did you have the distributor out of the origional motor when you were straightening pushrods, if you did, the oil pump drive tang on the bottom of the dizzy may not have engaged the slot in the oil pump, so you would get no oil pump drive
Cheers
Jock

Jock,
      No, the dizzy was never out. I am thinking the pump may have failed a while back, thus the bending of the push rods.
Scotty

I once had a grey motor in an FE that had a similar problem.
A little split pin that holds in the relief valve decided that it was time to go,  The oil light came on and stayed on. The oil was being pumped straight out the relief valve back into the sump.
This was pretty hard to find until I pulled the sump off

Les

Finaly an update on my oil press problem.

When I pulled the sump off I was greeted by a skailly sort of old oil residule that had coated everything.I then removed the oil pump strainer, (it was clear, as could be). I then opened the pump, and found the oil pressure relief valve was stuck in the open position.

Mystery solved.

I have some great pictures if someone can give me guidence as to how to post them.

Scotty,

Thanx to everyone for your help and guidence.(http://URL)(http://URL)

hey mate

if you want pictures posted, email them to me

Torque_fc@hotmail.com