NO oil pressure TD42 GU3

[Knibbventures]

G'day all.
My car a GU3 that was for the first 10 years a ZD30 direct Injection Auto but at about 349,000 KM it had an un containable component failure.
Thats history now it has a TD42 Turbo driving a 5 speed manual since early 2014.
Since the engine swopp that was apparently fully rebuilt the car has had this odd problem on and off.
I don't really think we ever got this fully resolved but get to the point.
When I park the car on a hill up or down no difference.
When I start the car first thing I notice is I have no Vacuum boost for clutch or brakes.
Oil Pressure warning light stays on usually until I either get on more level ground or I shut the engine down and re start it.
Then all is good I drive off and the oil light goes off and normal vacuum assist is normal.
The car has been plagued with this problem on and off since April 2014.
The pressure switch was changed recently but still doing it.
At Christmas 2016 I had get the car Tilt trayed home from The Aldi car park in Gyimpie.
Now last week after doing some home shuffling of my camper at home.
I drove the car back up to the garage and guess what Oil pressure warning light is on solid now cant get rid of it.
This is a new pressure switch fitted in Dec 2016.
I had my doubts that the oil pressure switch was telling the truth so I got an oil Pressure gauge and fitted it in a T at the same location as the oil pressure sender device.
Now I'm quite sure that there is no oil pressure as the tube that goes to the new oil pressure guage has no oil in it, not a trace!
What have I done thus far?
Oil level is fine I have added more oil so I'm not suspecting the oil pick up, It was parked on level ground anyway at home and at Aldi when this fault occurred.
This week I have removed the oil cooler with the two oil filters.
When I took the oil cooler jaket off I found that the O ring and gasket were not where they should have been see the foto below...
Now I'm no Motor Mechanic but this look bad.
Not happy with the way this looks but a little surprised that the oil and coolant have been kept separated. Also given the poor state of the o rings and how far off center to where they should be,
This motor had a Full rebuild?
I've pulled the Cooler oil pressure relief valve out and looked at it and the other valve, System pressure regulator valve, I cant fault them clean and moving freely.
My next task is to pull the Oil Pump over pressure relief valve off and check it

When the engine runs I can hear oil running back into the sump. So I'm not at this point suspecting the oil pump.
I'm at a crossroads. once I gave pulled the last valve off to check it under the Turbo thats it!

Has anyone here got any other Ideas.??? Please Please..

I have put some more fotos up.
My findings so far are pointing to the oil Pump pressure relief valve. This is under the Turbo.
When I took it to the bench to remove the valve from the valve body it took several hard knock on the bench to get it out.
I found it was not moving freely and did not fall out under its own weight.
Its pitted dirty and looks to me like it was stuck, in what position? I don't know
I have cleaned it polished it and will re assemble and tset in the coming days.
I cant be sure until I put it all back together.


Oil Cooler orings.jpg
oil cooler.jpgOil Pump relif valve1.jpgOil pressure regulator valve.jpgOil Cooler relief valve.jpg

Well I'm really quite stumped.
I have put it all back together with new oil filters.
Started the car still no oil pressure.
The oil light stays on and the oil pressure gauge reads zero.
I have tested the oil pressure gauge with air pressure so I'm sure I have a working set up..
So to be clear I have no oil Pressure. I'm pretty sure I'm not getting any oil even coming into the oil Cooler.
I had this all off cleaned it had it welded up because I damaged it.
Should be easy for me to prove as I have just put new filters on, So I'll remove them in the morning.
I fully expect to find no oil in them or very little.
Also I filled up the coolant only to find the thermostat housing gasket in such poor condition that it was leaking like the Trevy Fountain.
Another fault that should not be after a full rebuild.

Thermostat housing.jpg
Oil Pump relief valve housing.jpg
This is the oil Pump relief valve housing

[Turtle_au]

Could be an oil pickup issue. When parked on a slope the oil in the sump moves and allows air to be drawn into system. Maybe the strainer head to pickup tube has loosened and whilst normally below oil level, on a slope it becomes exposed. Does oil light flicker or come on under heavy braking or driving hills?

Sent from my SM-T355Y using Tapatalk

[Knibbventures]

No once the oil ligh has gone off thats it.
It has always stayed off.
Of course I don't have that luxury at the moment no matter what it just douse not go off.
I hope I don't have to take the sump off...
Thanks Turtle_au

[happygu]

It has been a while since I have had my 4.2, and I remember that the oil pressure used to fluctuate a fair bit, and once the engine was warm it was fairly low on the gauge.


Has this problem arisen after you changed oil and oil filters, as there are two different types of oil filters, depending on what model engine.

One engine model takes two of the same filters, and the other takes a bypass filter as the second filter.... if you have installed the wrong filter, it may be causing some of these issues.

[mudski]

What did the other gauge you fitted up say? Was there oil pressure? Was it reading the same as your current gauge?

[Knibbventures]

Hi Happygu.
No The problem has been on going not after changing oil or filters.
The filters are Ryco Z503 and they are both 503's have been using them since the engine conversion.
What is the alternative filter combination?
And why?
Both Filter mounts have a small ball valve shown as filter relief valve on the drawing
I will post some more fotos to show all this.
The filter combination was fitted up that way at the time of the engine conversion, I'm assuming its correct

[Knibbventures]

Mudski thanks.
This is the first time I have ever had a oil pressure gauge on the car permanently. other than that only by a Mechanic here in Gyimpie.
From what I am told the pressure was on the high side of normal.

[mudski]

Mudski thanks.
This is the first time I have ever had a oil pressure gauge on the car permanently. other than that only by a Mechanic here in Gyimpie.
From what I am told the pressure was on the high side of normal.

Ok if the gauge is reading normal. Then one would assume all is good there. You have changed switches, Genuine or Non Genuine? May not differ but.... The oil pressure switch is just an earth point for the light on the dash. The wire going to the switch you can remove and fix it to the body of the car and the light will stay off. If it doesn't and continues to flicker, the issue lies elsewhere. The power side of the switch is the only other thing to look at. But where and how. Is a little beyond me sorry.

[Knibbventures]

Well I'm really quite stumped.
I have put it all back together with new oil filters.
Started the car still no oil pressure.
The oil light stays on and the oil pressure gauge reads zero.
I have tested the oil pressure gauge with air pressure so I'm sure I have a working set up..
So to be clear I have no oil Pressure. I'm pretty sure I'm not getting any oil even coming into the oil Cooler.
I had this all off cleaned it had it welded up because I damaged it.
Should be easy for me to prove as I have just put new filters on, So I'll remove them in the morning.
I fully expect to find no oil in them or very little.
Also I filled up the coolant only to find the thermostat housing gasket in such poor condition that it was leaking like the Trevy Fountain.
Another fault that should not be after a full rebuild.

[BigRAWesty]

Before you run this engine much more I'd be getting a mechanic to put an actual gauge on it to show if you have pressure still or not.

If you do then focus on electrical.
The light as mudski noted is an earth. So if its shorted out to the body somewhere then yes itll be in at all times..
But not sure why the gauge is showing nil.