Technical 323 nailhead no oil pressure

when stored ran fine with good oil pressure. Cranked it the other day. Idled great and sounded great but no oil pressure. Mechanical gauge with clear tube. No oil pushing thru the tube. I don’t know much about these motors. Except you can’t find parts for them. And people call the flathead a boat anker. Any ideas? Thanks for the help

 

Pack the oil pump with grease and try it again.


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First the obvious....check the oil level and make sure it's not diluted with gas or water from storage. Also could have a mucked-up filter. My nailhead showed very low pressure after 4 years storage.....changed the oil (10W30) and filter, now runs 40 psi at idle/180F temp. Every nailhead I've had has been bullet proof.

If you really have zero oil pressure you should be hearing the lifters clacking away. If you do not hear them, maybe your oil pressure line is blocked.

 

Assuming you tapped the gauge, I would pull the other end at block, turn over half a second see what's up, if nothing, I'd check oil pump bypass/psi.valve, cold oil sitting, maybe pushed it farther than normal, an hung-up, just a thought... If it's external, couple tap's in the right place might work also...

 

Yep hear tapping on top end. Fairly new filter and oil change. I’ll pull that filter

 

Oil pressure bypass valve? I will check that before I pull the pan. Thanks

 

Oil pump bypass. Thanks

 

I've never had any issues finding parts..... if you need anything go to WWW.centervilleautorepair.com

 

Thanks!

 

Not uncommon for the oil pump pickup to be loose, which sucks air ... have seen a couple 322s the pickup just fell off underway. Held on with two 1/4"x20 screws & lock washers that cracked.

 

I’m gonna pull the pan tomorrow. Thanks

 

Make sure you let us know what you find.

 

Will do

 

Oil pump pickup tube is tight everything looks super clean. Oil filter bracket clean check valve moves smoothly. ???? WTF?

 

Pack the pump with Vaseline er fresh grease and try again....

 

Seriously? Never heard such a thing. What will that do for me? I’ll do it. Just trying to comprehend why. Thanks

 

Pulled the pump. Turns smoothly. Everything was tight. Looks brand new inside. No metal or debris in pan

 

Can a shaft be made up to pre-oil the system before firing? Might also try using an Accusump canister to do the same thing. Just random thoughts.

 

The Vaseline helps the pump prime easier. Then it dissolves.

 

Normally even after sitting when I crank it I get oil pressure within a few seconds. The oil pressure line on the block is free of debris, check valve in the filter bracket feels good. Pickup line secure and the pump shaft felt like it was biting on top. I had to bump it a bit to get it to come down. Plus seems like it won’t mount flush unless the shaft is turned just right for it to engage up top. I’m going to pack the thing with grease I guess and slap it back together with new oil and filter and dry crank it slowly.

 

When starting a new engine I have used a Ford oil pump dipped in a clean bucket of oil. Using a reverse turning electric drill, I pump oil through all the passages and fill the pan through the pump and drain back. You need to find a port that you can connect to, in the oil passages. This primes the pump and preoils everything. Grease in the pump also primes the pump

 

A number of Hambers have mentioned packing the pump with grease, they are absolutely correct. I learned that from Kenne Bell back in the days we were building Buick V6 Turbos. The pump simply would not prime itself without doing that. Any new Buick engine or one that has been stored for an extended length of time should be packed before initial startup. Kenne really knew his stuff.

 

No oil pressure after putting it back together. I’m stumped!

 

Did you try a different filter? Leave the filter loose a little and start it and see if it shoots out everywhere.

 

Yeah new filter and oil. Pulled oil pressure tube off cranked it got nothing

 

See that big nut on the oil pump body, above the pickup up tube. That is where the oil pump pressure relief valve is located. You do not mention having removed and inspected that item as recommended. You mention the filter bypass valve but that is for a clogged filter, not pump over pressure relief. May not be a problem, but could be and it's worth checking.

Ray

 

The relief piston must move free and ez without the spring.

 

That pump looks like it sets in oil so the grease thing should not be necessary check as Ray said the relief valve Another point you might check is the drive in the bottom of the distributor.

 

Yep, I removed it and the spring. Had pressure on the big nut. Super clean looked new. I put it back the way it came out. Is the oil pressure gauge run from crank case pressure or oil only or both? Only thing I haven’t done was yank the distributor and look in there. But the pump rod I had to turn a few time to line up the pin or gear for it to go back in. It felt good going back in. Next going to prime oil system as if was a new motor just out of rebuild. I never let my stuff sit without a start and warm up every couple weeks. This winter was a exception. I had it stored away from my home for three month while we moved.

 

It did nicely.