Oil pump will not pump oil

Discussion in 'Mk1' started by 0337, Jun 13, 2019.

  1. 0337 Paid Member Paid Member

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    Hi all, I have a 1991 golf 1.8 gti. Took my car for MOT, but was smoking like hell. The Mot tester said its burning oil that's whats causing it to smoke like this. Got it home and striped the engine to bits. I ve got everything back together as it should go but there is no oil coming to the top of engine. Is there something I have done that it is not getting oil to the cam, etc? Is there a step by step guide on here that can make things easy for me to check before I go and strip the sump of. Thanks in advance
     
  2. Tristan

    Tristan Paid Member Paid Member

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    How are you operating the pump, to check it?
     
  3. 0337 Paid Member Paid Member

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    I was turning the long stem which connects to distributor to check it before installing it and was also primed.
     
  4. rubjonny

    rubjonny Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    often helps to hook something to a drill that you can poke down the dizzy hole to get it to pump up, or desperate guys have poured oil down the block thru the filter hole.

    to make sure it works once sump is off fill the pan up with a decent level of oil, and pour some into the top of the oil pump as well. manually spin the pump clockwise untill you see oil coming out the top of it, then block the pickup with vaseline and install
     
  5. Tristan

    Tristan Paid Member Paid Member

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    You need to spin it quite fast, like with a cordless drill, to get it pumping.
    Also, are you sure you are turning it the right way?
    Is it a new pump?
    Any damage to the sump, that might not let it suck oil into the pickup?
     
  6. 0337 Paid Member Paid Member

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    The pump is an old one which was originally on it and it was working, there is no damage to the sump. It is all built up now so I would expect to turn in the right direction ( I was thinking the same, is it turning the right way?)
    Would vaseline not damage or block the strainer / feed pipe ? ( I know vaseline is petroleum?)
     
  7. rubjonny

    rubjonny Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    vaseline in the pickup is an old skool way to make sure the pump doesn't empty again after you've filled it up, wont do the pump or the engine any harm
     
  8. 0337 Paid Member Paid Member

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    what can I use to spin the pump whilst it is in situ or do I need to take sump off again ?
     
  9. rubjonny

    rubjonny Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    need to put something together that will fit in a hand drill and slot into the oil pump drive once the dizzy is removed :)
     
  10. 0337 Paid Member Paid Member

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    Sorry if I am being numb but when I spin the pump with the drill where should I see the oil come from, the head?
     
  11. rubjonny

    rubjonny Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    hopefully nowhere, otherwise you'll have an oil leak to fix :lol:

    turn the ignition on and watch the oil light, once it stops flashing you have oil pressure up to the head. or you could remove oil switch from filter housing and watch for oil pumping out :)
     
  12. 0337 Paid Member Paid Member

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    Ok thanks very much really appreciate all this help, will let you guys know how I get on. Am not very clued up with mechanical side but can carry out jobs myself with help & guidance.
     
  13. 0337 Paid Member Paid Member

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    Is it possible that all the oil has been drained out and now it is not picking any up ?
     
  14. rubjonny

    rubjonny Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    yeah if you've split down the engine its possible for the oil to drain out of the pump then it will struggle to prime up again. you dont really want to run the engine for long in this case, so this si why the 'spin pump with a drill' method is recommended as you can spin it up for as long as it needs without fear of engine damage
     
  15. 0337 Paid Member Paid Member

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    ok so this may be my problem then as it was built up and left for about a week with running it for the first time, and now am trying to run it no oil is getting up to the top of the engine, also I am not getting any oil pressure lights on the dash, they were working before I did this? I know the wires are connected to the switches but nothing is lighting up or flashing.
     
  16. rubjonny

    rubjonny Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    with the ignition on you should have a flashing oil light, this is controlled by the 0.25-0.3 bar oil switch in the side ofg the head with a blue/black wire. if this is disconnected you wont see any oil light regardless so most likely the wire has snapped off the spade or fallen off the switch :)
     
  17. Tristan

    Tristan Paid Member Paid Member

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    Pull out the oil light switches on the filter (actually, did you fill the filter before fitting?), and pour some oil down through the sensor holes, then spin the pump, by taking out the dizzy and attaching something to be the oik pump driving there.

    Another thought, where are you expecting oil to come out of the head? Have you the head oil pressure switch out?
     
  18. HPR

    HPR Administrator Admin

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    Did you fill the oilfilter with oil before install ?
     
  19. 0337 Paid Member Paid Member

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    Hi all, yes the filter was filled with oil before installing it and no i ve not had the switches out at all ( any of the switches).
     
  20. 0337 Paid Member Paid Member

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    Hi all, thanks for all your help. So i did prime the pump and now am getting oil to the switch on the filter and the head. Now my wires around that area have all been redone sometime in the pass so I need to know which wires go where.
     

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