Is My Engine F*ck*d?

[unix]

Hey people, My oil pressure always used to be pretty high most of the time like Perfect never getting under 2 or just under it the first line on the gtr dash oil pressure gauge, Anyway i done an oil change and everthing seemed normal but the otherday while driving my oil pressure got down under the first line nearly at 0 and wouldnt go up i got home checked the oil level and for some stuped reason it showed the level getting low! the level was on H like a week before!,

So i put in another 1litre and it was on the Line again started the car oil pressure went up to near normal on idle it sits about 2 or just under it. I have been watching it and it seemed ok i checked the oil level again today and its back to over full ffs! started the car let it walm up seemed normal again took it for a spin turned it off to put some fuelin in started it again and its sitting at about 1.8 a little under the first line...

I used one of them stuped piece of shit RyCO oilfilters its like double the size and made it shithouse china does anyone think this might have anything to so with it or is my Oil pump F*ck*d? or are the oil gallerys blocked or something and the oil is just sitting in the head and not draining to the sump? if the dam thing is gonna let go i wish it would just let go its reaaaaaaaally pissing me off i have the car booked in this thurstday to get new turbos put on i dont wanna spend all that money getting the turbos done and the engine fails and blows my new turbos up to!...

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated if its gonna shit itsself im not gonna get the turbos put on i have an n1 oilpump ill just spend the money getting the dam thing rebuilt.

Thanks for any help on this one....

[GTRsean]

Stock gauges suck. They have been a problem for many people.

Senders usually go in em.

Get an aftermarket gauge fitted.

[unix]

Its always worked fine mate im not saying it isnt the gauge but to work consistently for over 12months then just read the way its reading i dont think its the gauge like i said my oil level went from right on the full line to about halfway in a week or so i added an extra 1litre till it was right on the line again then 2days later its overfull again somethings not right. If the car makes it till thursday ill have the mechanics throw a gauge on it anyway. thanks for that,

[W0rp3D]

When do you check the oil, if you check it when the engine is cold and fill it up then check it when the engine is warm it will show up as low on the dipstick, if you then fill it when its warm when its cold it will show over full.

BTW due to bad oil return in rb's it is reccomended to over fill the engine a little if you drive it hard, that way it reduces the risk of emptying the sump and continuous high revs.

[unix]

When do you check the oil, if you check it when the engine is cold and fill it up then check it when the engine is warm it will show up as low on the dipstick, if you then fill it when its warm when its cold it will show over full.

BTW due to bad oil return in rb's it is reccomended to over fill the engine a little if you drive it hard, that way it reduces the risk of emptying the sump and continuous high revs.

Thanks "W0rp3D" When i checked it after driving home and noticing the Oil pressure was getting reaaaly low on the way home i probibly left it for about 10minutes checked the oil level and it showed it lost alot for some reason i left it for a further 20-30minutes or so and went and brought some more oil because it still showed it as fairly low. I put in about a litre and it was right on the line before the H the nextday it didnt seem to move oil pressure was back up at bit but not to what it used to checked the oil level again today when the engine was left overnight fully cold and it showed as being over full. Started it up oil pressure went to 4+ stayed there for a while as the engine got walm it dtopped down looked fine turned it off. Started it again it only went up to about 2 then dropped to under 2 took it for a spin when i start the car after turning it off it only goes upto about 1.8 or 1.7 a little bit under the first line and it never has been that low before at the lowest it would sit right under the first line vertually touching it. It really looks like the pump or something isnt working right. At this point in time there is about an extra litre of oil in there which i heard like you said should put a little bit more in if you drive hard or on the track ect. So im thinking if i dropped the oil and got it to the normal level again with only 4litres the pressure will be completely low again?, Something just doesnt seem right

[The Dan]

Are you checking the oil level on completely level ground?

If you are on a slight incline it will effect the result. There is no need to wait 10 minutes for the oil to drain back to the sump. In fact, 2 minutes would be the maximum you would need.

There is no difference between checking it hot or checking it cold. The level does not change that much.

The factory sender is usually the culprit for the gauge reading low, there is nothing wrong with the gauge itself so there is no need to go out and buy an aftermarket one. Ask the workshop who will be installing the turbos to do an oil pressure test with a manual gauge to confirm the health of the system.

Also, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Ryco filters. It is possible you had a smaller filter in place before as a Z386 also fits from memory. Being double the size, that is the only reason I can think of....but with filters, I would have to say bigger would be better anyway.

If you need to check the oil level....make sure it's on completely flat ground (garage floor should be level or service stations have level ground next to the pumps.)

[The Dan]

And 4 litres is not enough for your engine.

[unix]

Are you checking the oil level on completely level ground?

If you are on a slight incline it will effect the result. There is no need to wait 10 minutes for the oil to drain back to the sump. In fact, 2 minutes would be the maximum you would need.

There is no difference between checking it hot or checking it cold. The level does not change that much.

The factory sender is usually the culprit for the gauge reading low, there is nothing wrong with the gauge itself so there is no need to go out and buy an aftermarket one. Ask the workshop who will be installing the turbos to do an oil pressure test with a manual gauge to confirm the health of the system.

Also, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Ryco filters. It is possible you had a smaller filter in place before as a Z386 also fits from memory. Being double the size, that is the only reason I can think of....but with filters, I would have to say bigger would be better anyway.

If you need to check the oil level....make sure it's on completely flat ground (garage floor should be level or service stations have level ground next to the pumps.)

"'3lit3 32'" Ahh awesome thanks alot Mate i didnt think about that yeh the car was actually on a slight sloap on the driveway, Thanks so much for all this help its really nice your all good people i appreciate it ,

I will definitely take that advice onboard i will ask the workshop to do the check of oil pressure with a Manual gauge for me, Im hoping the sender has gone Faulty on me.. With regards to the oil filter i was going to change it tomorrow with the smaller Genuine Nissan filter i had on the car before, I understand that the RYCO ones arnt that bad then from what you said i will just try the Nissan one anyway just incase i have till Thursday before the car goes in Im really nervous about this because my last Standard Internal engine blew on me and i all of a sudden when at cruising speed lost all oil pressure it just went to 0 and the red light on the standard intrument cluster Atleast this time it isnt that bad but just hope it all is ok i will be so happy not to need another engine .. Thanks for all the help again.

[unix]

"'3lit3 32'" Ok ill remember that to thanks mate.

[The Dan]

The red light and the gauge needle operate separately from one another. If the red light comes on, turn the engine off immediately. The gauge can read zero but if the light doesn't come on then it's usually the sender at fault. Never drive it if unsure, it's waaaaay cheaper to call a tow truck then to replace an engine. Keeping in mind that we are only offering advice based on what you are saying and the most probable cause, your engine could still have low pressure, so if you choose to drive it with the needle reading low, keep in mind that you may very well be doing damage.

[unix]

Yeh that was the last engine i had in the car i think the oil pump blew on me and a turbo sized i pulled over straight away ect turned it off, I put in a new low km rb26dett after that with new turbo's ect that engine had it after that. At the present my engine thats in the car now is the one getting lower oil pressure but it hasnt gotten down to zero but it had dropped on me at the lowest now it seems to get about 3quarters from the first line so not that bad but im sure it never got any lower that just under the first line on the gtr dash pressure gauge.. Thats why im getting a bit nervous even driving the car today around a few slow corners its sitting a tad under that first line which it never used to do was always over that line with a bit of revs it does go up but not as much as it used to hence why i thought maybe my oil pump is about to let go or the oil isnt draining to the sump . I will have to get the workshop to chuck on a Manual gauge and give me a definet answer i guess... Do the oil pumps usually just give out or can they also start to crap themselfs and hence not producing as much pressure?.... Thanks again.

[The Dan]

Yeh that was the last engine i had in the car i think the oil pump blew on me and a turbo sized i pulled over straight away ect turned it off, I put in a new low km rb26dett after that with new turbo's ect that engine had it after that. At the present my engine thats in the car now is the one getting lower oil pressure but it hasnt gotten down to zero but it had dropped on me at the lowest now it seems to get about 3quarters from the first line so not that bad but im sure it never got any lower that just under the first line on the gtr dash pressure gauge.. Thats why im getting a bit nervous even driving the car today around a few slow corners its sitting a tad under that first line which it never used to do was always over that line with a bit of revs it does go up but not as much as it used to hence why i thought maybe my oil pump is about to let go or the oil isnt draining to the sump . I will have to get the workshop to chuck on a Manual gauge and give me a definet answer i guess... Do the oil pumps usually just give out or can they also start to crap themselfs and hence not producing as much pressure?.... Thanks again.

Yes they can fail. The pressure relief valve can stick or the spring can break. Less common but still happens. The spring can stick due to gunk in the oil. Make sure you change the oil regularly (5000kms) and ALWAYS use a good quality oil. Flushing the oil with diesel fuel on oil changes can help to prevent this. It works like an engine oil flush. If not sure, don't attempt it. Just make sure you look after it and it will usually be fine.

[unix]

Oh yeah cool thats what i was thinking, Say if the spring is stuck or sticking on mine now would that give a lower Oil pressure reading or Higher? sorry for all these questions btw thats again for helping.

Since iv had this engine i have done Regular oil changes maybe 2 or 3000km's but before me i am unsure what the last person or people have done with the engine. If My oil pump spring is full of gunk ect can my mechanics do a flush with Diesel oil when i take it in there i know you said to Prevent this but if it somehow is happening will they be able to Flush it with the Diesel oil to fix the problem or is it to late and im stuffed? Im really hoping this isnt the issue with mine but it does sound to me like something like that is going on . I have a new N1 Oilpump but i know in order for it to be installed they will have to take appart my engine ect and id probibly be better off Rebuilding with some Forgies and rods ect but this would be my last resort right now as i need the car on the road really and im sure they will take along time to have this work done for me. I have the pump for when i was going to build the engine slowly getting all the parts together, I just dont want them to put new turbos on and find out my OilPumps about to fail or something then have to strip the turbos off again and do engine what a nightmare. Plus i know that if the OilPump does fail on me im gonna need new turbos Again.

[The Dan]

DIESEL FUEL.

600ml of DIESEL FUEL poured into the oil system and run for 10 minutes or around the block at low/med throttle. Then drain while still hot.

Or go out and buy a wynns engine flush or one of the other brands. They are all Kerosene based anyway.

[The Dan]

And the relief valve is not the only thing effecting pressure. It could be stuck open or stuck closed.

...or it could be fine. Get it checked with a manual gauge. I'm sure it is fine. Worry about it later once you have the results of that test

[unix]

Yeh ok cool sounds good mate. Ill see how she goes on Thursday Thanks again for all your help.

[_Ryan_]

Just too cover the basics...

i think most RB's take ~4.5

I have used Ryco filters no issue just because its made in China it doesn't make it shit, i would say most car parts are made there, just different factorys turn out different quality products, on a rb30, rb25 it is Z145(i think) not sure about RB20's tho...

If you're filter isn't getting tight by hand, a scrap of sandpaper around it to grip it will assist in getting it tight enough, Also, Rb25's are AW12 sump plug washers... could be worth a new one.

[unix]

Cheers Ryan ill remember that now atleast 4.5litres of oil.

Is that also with the rb26 the sump plug washers wearing?, I tightened the filter as tight as i could by hand it does up fine so im lucky on that side of things, I do however have a warn O ring or washer where the ripstick holder goes into the block and a little oil comes out of that while the engine is running that wouldnt have anything to do with losing a bit of pressure would it? thanks.

[PhilKenSebben]

It is not recommended to tighten the oil filter as hard as you can. Make sure you put a bit of fresh oil on the rubber seal of the filter first (just run some on your finger around it) then put it on, screw it up until it makes contact with the plate, then tighten it 2/3rds of a revolution. Over-tightening it can stuff the brand new seal.

[unix]

Ahh ok another lesson learnt lol, I did put some oil on me fingeg and put it on around the seal before i put it on i didnt use a strap or anything to tighten it.. Thanks mate.