Firebreed

Just about, you got to lift it off the engine mounts.

wills83z28cfi

Damn, that sucks dude, have fun with that job, who knows how long. Good luck, let us know when she's all done.

Firebreed

sure will, wont be for a bit, need a good two day weekend just in case... i work a lot on the weekends right now

porkyzilla

iTrader: (1)

just because your oil pressure is low doesnt mean that your oil pump is bad, about the only time an oil pump fails is rod breakage or IMPROPER install when you have too low oil pressure you have one of the following excessive end play, worn bearings, excessive clearance , in a nutshell your motor is "F*cked" its time for a new motor or rebuild,

now if you want to try an "oil pump" than replace it shop time is about 14hrs, at house first time is 2 WEEKS youll need to lift the engine with a cherry picker, SPECIAL tools ie harmonic balancer puller, youll need some impact gun or air tools. HUGE JOB its not a walk in the park. my reccomendation replace the engine

there was an 4th gen 3800 v6 at pick n pull sunrise if you want to stay with a crappy v6 and be a gremlin, or you can slap in that v8, i believe also that i saw in another post that vindeezl has a 305 motor roller for sale.

so sorry for the news....good luck

vindeezl

iTrader: (2)

If I were you I'd go and get my hands dirty rebuilding and save some money since I hear alot of bellyaching about $$$

3.492rs

yea vins got a complete lo3 and a rebuilt 90* 700r4 for sale or if u want u can pnp another 60*v6 and drop it in but i wouldn't trust those used motors.
if u got barely any oil pressure with ticking lifters and u have been driving it around, ur motors done for KAPUT!!

it might be a dead oilpump or ur main bearing are almost gone but the damage has already been done, soon all that no oil pressure is killing ur rod bearings every time u run it, then the dreaded knock or the hideous bearings squeeling will show up

8Mike9

The V6 pan doesn't have as far to travel as the V8 to get it by the cross memember, so it'd probably be easier than a V8...

Also, no need to pull the balancer.

But as mentioned before, oil pump is probably not your problem.

Firebreed

guys, i havent ran it for more then 3 min after i heard the ticking and the ticking most likely had not been going on for more then five min, so hopefully nothing is going on with the bottom of the engine, im going to be replaceing the sender and the oil pump, so many weird things has happened to this engine/car since i bought it that i would highly doubt if this engine is dead yet, SInce i have heard the tick I have NOT driven the car, Also as 8Mike9 stated the Ballance doesnt need to come off, and the engine doesnt need to come all the way out, just needs to be lifted up off the cross members a bit before i can get the oil pan out. As 3.492rs stated it might be a dead oilpump or ur main bearing are almost gone, Im hoping for the dead oil pump, ill find out when i drop the pan, my motor may be screwed, which it could not be or it could be, im hopeing for the the could not be.

All i need out of this engine is a few more months so im able to save up enough cash to buy a crate motor from GM

Im not fully sure that it is a ticking lifter, for all i know it could be something completely different. or it could be just that.. a Ticking lifter.

Sorry if this sounded like a rant, but im gonna go the oil pump change route, while im in their ill see if their is any big metal shaveings in the pan, and check everything i can see when the pan is down. again sry if this seems like im trying to start an arugment, im not, im just stating what im going to try first. also while im at it im replaceing the sending unit. Also, I do not have completely 0 oil pressure, I still have some, just not high oil pressure, when i shut off the car it was just below the first white mark on our stock gages.

urbanhunter44

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, personally I'd drop the pan, grab a flashlight and check out those mains. I think you might have some wear in there. If the mains check out then you can try checking out the oil pump and sending unit. I don't remember, did you hook a mechanical up to verify low pressure?

If your motor is toast, you can replace it with either a 2.8, 3.1 or 3.4 if you just wanted a direct swap. But imo it's easier to go with a V8 swap. A little more work, but it would be worth it.

I'd recommend picking up a Chiltons manual for your car and following the pan drop procedure in it, those manuals are excellent. It will also tell you the special tools you might need - you can borrow them for free from Autozone.

Let us know how it turns out, and good luck!

Also eric, the 3800 series is a horrible swap into a thirdgen, I've only heard of one guy thats ever done it. The 3400 series 4th gen V6 (93-97 base motor, and from 95+ the 3800 was optional) is a direct swap however.

wills83z28cfi

I also say go with the oil pump rout first, if it all looks good in there then just replace it and hopefully that will buy you some time to save money for a new V8. Good luck. I know how it is to have all sorts of crap go bad at once but you just don't have the money to fix it all at once. Take your time and deal with what you have, it will all work out in the end.

Firebreed

cant find a place that will rent out, or even have a mechanical oil gage so i can hook it up, all they go is the in dash replacement gages around here...

8Mike9

Yuo should be able to purchase an inexpensive mech gauge for 10 bucks a good one for 20 or so. Just remove the sending unit or plug at the driverside rear of the block, behind the intake, and screw it in...

There's also a tap in the front of the motor on the pass side, above the waterpump...I know my '78 350 has a mechanical gauge screwed in there,...but may be hiddine buy the newer accessory brackets now used.

Firebreed

Tell ya the truth 8mike9 i dont even want to turn the engine on until i get a new oil pump in, i just dont want to chance itIve rescearched the 3800 v6 swap, and for the money v8 is the way to go not to mention 10 times easier to get smog legal, the 3.4 is just two much work, to get legal here because i got to go with the No dis set up. that includes the obd II wireing harnesses and sensors.. Not worth it either. I got access to a chery picker, I dont need to take my harmoic ballancer off, so i dont need to get the puller and worry about that, Also, i got the haynes manual it looks like a good, 1 1/2 to 2 day job. going to do it on the 3 day weekend thats comming up.

8Mike9

I gotta ask, is there some sentimental value to the car you have?

You should check the motor swap forum and see what's entailed with a V8 swap....you'd be yards ahead with buying a V8 car to begine with.

Most who have done a V6 to V8 always say..never again.

Firebreed

yea, its the first car i bought my self, and besides the engine the rest of the car is in remarkable shape besides the paint. i couldnt see this car going out to the junker's because of a **** poor engine. i know whats involved with the swap and im completely prepared for whats involved.

8Mike9

TraviZ

iTrader: (2)

prepared with long term as well?

ie gas

Firebreed

yup, whichs is why im gonna hunt down a 700r4 with overdrive

kairles

iTrader: (2)

shouldn't be hard

hear in sac most of the thirdgens in the yard are auto sixers

TraviZ

iTrader: (2)

have you even started one thing for that car yet?

Firebreed

Depends on what you mean by that. Ive come to a standing hault cause of money, I need to still replace my oil pump and everything related, however i have done a few minor things to the car, i did some break work to the car, and im in the process of figureing out where to put some speakers into the car that i got for free, the oil pump is going to be going in most likely around 10th of sept. with driving the 4x4 around im getting hit preaty hard in the wallet.. damn ford v10's... kragen gives me a 10% discount so i can get everything i need minus the oil and RTV sealent for around 73 dollars.

wills83z28cfi

It's all good bro, money issues always come up and I know how that can be. As long as you have good solid plans for the car things will come together in the end, plus this way you don't waste money, and it sounds like you have good plans for the car.

Firebreed

i love plans that HAVE to get done.. ie: oil pump

vindeezl

iTrader: (2)

I'd take my $73+ (without oil and RTV) and put it towards a motor.

If you look you could find a deal or there's always PNP.

Firebreed

i'd rather squeeze as many miles as i can out of my current engine and save up for that 350 crate that wills83z28cfi got, besides i got a car show coming up soon that i got to have the car running for.

wills83z28cfi

I agree, pinch every bit of life you can from your current motor, even if that means spending a little cash now and then. Meanwhile save up for the big V8 swap. Sometimes that's the only thing you can do to get what you really want.

TraviZ

iTrader: (2)

yea what he said

Naft

ask doward on the v6 board for what it takes to pull the oil pan on the v6's, i think he's done it a couple times.

is it bad that my big motor swap im saving up $3000+ for is just another v6? hehehe.

Firebreed

I got a hayns manual for the car so i know whats completely invovled

Firebreed

A update for ya guys, ive removed everything thats in my way to lift the engine, got the torque coverter houseing off, and oil pan bolts out, Motor mounts detached, then i tried to lift the engine today with the Winshield wiper motor attached took out the Wipermotor at around 8:00 tonight and called it a night, hopefully ill have the oil pump in by monday.. I came into enough money to do the oil pump myself so its getting done early anyways just wanted to update you all, im gonna be lifting the engine again tomarow after i get off work.

TraviZ

iTrader: (2)

i never had to remove the windshield wiper motor to hoist an engine...

Firebreed

the engine was hitting the wiper motor, so i took the wiper motor off.

wills83z28cfi

So, is it done yet, how does she run?

Firebreed

Update, a little one at that.

Last night took off the air injetion system, to get ready to take off the valve covers if i had to, Im gonna try taking the tranny off the tranny mount and lift both the tranny and the engine up, to get me the clearance, if that doesnt work, off goes the valve covers and up goes the engine, I did everything that haynes said to do and i didnt get enough clearance

wills83z28cfi

Nice, sounds like a pain in the a**, hope it all works out, sure it will. Let us know what happens when it's all done and fired up.

Firebreed

it has been, gonna get me some lunch then im gonna start into the car again, hopefully get it done by tonight.

8Mike9

Before pulling the tranny for more room, try rotating the engine a bit at a time...so the pan can get past the crank...worked on my 2nd gen Camaro years ago...rotate engine, slide pan back, rotate again, slide pan...all I had to do was pull the flexplate inspection cover.

Firebreed

Oil pump swap is done figured out that as i raise the engine the body raises up as well put some padding and sand bags over the shocks/struts and droped the exaust all the way down and the pan fell right out took me a total of 2 days to get the oil pump done. also the oil sender unit was not the problem it was the pump. who ever droped the pan before me, just loaded on teh RTV with out any gaskits lifting the tranny was no help btw

Firebreed

Just remebered about this guys, it looks like this car ate a oil pump before, Who ever replaced the pump before me decied to weld on the oil pick up tube and the person sucked at welding, i didnt even need a hammer to break the welds

vindeezl

iTrader: (2)

Most oil pickups are welded on for added security over an interference / press fit.

However if the welds are no good, that is a whole other problem.

Sounds to me like someone else tried the band-aid approach.

Firebreed

the pick up tube once i got it one would not BUdge if i tryed to take it apart, thank *** i got the right angle the first time yea who ever did the "repair" before me didnt know what he/she was doing, just used RTV to make the seal for the oil pan, and it was seriously 1/4 inch thick of RTV, no cork, no rubber or anything

wills83z28cfi

Nice job, glad to hear it came out ok. So how does it run, still knocking or is it better?

Firebreed

no knocking, my temp guage went out on me, says im overheating when the engine is cold where the heck is the coolent sensor on the early third gens, I also need to get a new winshild wiper motor the car runs even better then the day i bought the car, smooth accel, got to fix my idle issue, seems like everyday i got to adjust this idle, i had the idle good before i parked it, started it up and it was horable, fixed it, then started the car up again today and it was horable again.

wills83z28cfi

lol, that sucks man. Thirdgen's are always like that, you fix one problem and ten more come about. Glad to hear the knocking is gone. Wish I could help with the other problems, good luck.

Firebreed

i also got to get a new cat on the car

wills83z28cfi

Damn, that sucks, those are $$$ depending on what brand, etc. Are you going to go with a high flow cat, what brand?

Firebreed

havent decided yet, i havent even begun to look for them, the car passed with the cat that i have currently on with flying colors, in the same state that it is currently, what brands do you all suggest? im thinking getting a free flowing once, but im not sure

urbanhunter44

iTrader: (3)

direct fit, oem style replacements are your best bet for passing smog.

I wouldn't bother with high-flow universal cats.. that's only asking for installation problems and smog problems.

I've actually seen a universal cat perform WORSE than a completely clogged and trashed stock cat on the smog machine.

Firebreed

thats weird, I want to get a free flowing exuast but with this 2.8 i dont know if it would give the car any more power, im thinking of replaceing my hole exaust, pipes and all and go with a 2.5 inch pipes, so i can get rid of some of the back pressure, and have the exaust ready to go for the v8 swap that im gonna do down the road

wills83z28cfi

Don't waste your money on a 2.5" exhaust, especially if you go V8 someday. Go with full 3" for sure, it's the only way to go with a V8. I think others will agree. I have a 2 1/4 exhaust and my car is hurting with it's choked system, there is no way going to a 2.5" system would solve my problems, 3" is the only way.