Oil pressure light on

[AndyJ]

Andy, Although your distributor may be working fine, if it's not installed correctly it won't be driving the oil pump. I suggest you try Seb's idea.

Cheers,

Graham

I tested it out with a screwdriver and battery drill, I DO get oil coming out the pressure gauge hole, then as Colt suggested I then put the gauge back in and turned on the ignition (without starting the car), with the drill turning the pump the pressure light on the dash went off.

When I removed the screwdriver it was covered in fine metal shavings (the driver I used was one of those magnetic ones) So my guess is that the slot that drives the pump got stripped out down the length of the distributor tongue. If I push the screwdriver in further than the distributor normally goes, the pump starts to engage.

So I have another newbe question, I have got the sump all unscrewed and need to remove the steering arm so I can get the sump out past it (the steering is HR) is there some trick/tool for unlocking the big nuts on the idler arm? I have always taken my cars to a mechanic to get steering work/alignments done in the past.

(I Havn't bought a FC/HR manual yet, I am sure it would explain the step by step process in there)

Andy

[dnb]

Andy, I have a workshop manual here you can have for free, it's a bit grubby, well used but has all its pages. If any use to you message me with your address and I'll try to get it in the post Monday or Tuesday.
Cheers, Darcy

[CraigA]

The slot in the oil pump drive it quite wide. If you put a blade screwdriver down there it could have slipped and either taken metal from itself or gouged out the edge of the drive slot leading to the shavings you noticed.

Have you made sure that the dizzy is seated low enough? I fully rebuilt/detailed and refitted that dizzy and you should check that it is seating right home. 

To do this loosen the flat bladed screw that holds the clamp around the dizzy base and refit the dizzy, making sure that the oil pump drive/dizzy engage correctly. You can usually feel this point and can identify it by the 'o' ring on the dizzy shaft going below the block casting. Once its in far enough then lock it all up and crank the engine sparingly to see if you have pressure.

If this fails I'd be friendly to Col or Graham from the ACT club and see if they'll come around and help you out. Better to get an experienced eye on it before pulling it apart too much further.

The car hadn't done any work really before it was sold on (12 miles....) and so we didn't get to iron out the inevitable bugs.

[AndyJ]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions, she's back on the road.

[KFH]

Well!  What was the problem?

Keith

[CraigA]

^^^ x 2

Very interested.