89 f250, 70k miles, banks turbo, 4wd, yard art.

Had heard about how oil turned acidic and decayed seals so I used an oil changer vacuum to pump the oil out the dipstick and left the truck dry for a couple years. Then needed a truck so I filled the oil using the oil fill (not using the dipstick tube to pump oil back in, just pouring the oil in the normal way). Truck started right up...seemed to turn over too easy. Oil pressure gauge reads zero and 'engine' idiot light is lit.

Questions:
1 - did I somehow lose prime on the oil pump?
1a - If so, can prime on the oil pump be reestablished without taking the oil pump out of the truck?
1b - if oil pump prime was lost, was it because I pumped the oil out or because I left it dry?
2 - how much damage did I do running the truck with zero oil pressure (10 minutes, low rpm, no big torque but did move the truck)?
3 - did running the turbo dry fry its bearings? The turbo still spins, but nobody likes a dry bearing...

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

 

Did you make sure that the oil you put in actually made it to the crankcase by checking the dipstick?

You said banks turbo, is this a diesel?

 

1 - No, the pump is self-priming. It's the rest of the system ahead of the pump that loses prime, but if oil is available at the pickup tube and the pump is working then it will fill back up on it's own.
1a - See above.
1b - See above.
2 - Probably enough that you'll want to pull the engine out and at least check the main, rod, and cam bearings.
3 - Yes. Turbos operate at high RPM... if they ain't fried yet they soon will be because the damage has already been done.

BUT!!...

You didn't hear the engine making "no oil" noises? I bet none of the above applies because you actually DID have oil pressure and the oil pressure switch is just stuck. Put a mechanical gauge on it and check it out.

And why would you let the engine run for ten minutes with questionable oil pressure!?

Welcome to FTE by the way!

 

The turbo is not fried yet if you didn't do anything to rev up or load the engine, etc. There is still oil in the bearings just like there is oil all throughout the engine. But it will not last long under load with no oil pump, obviously.

I have heard of this happening when oil is left drained too long, even in the course of an oil change. Oil pumps are self priming, to a point. They are a gear pump or a pump of similar principle and they have clearances throughout that are of no consequence if they are filled with oil but air is able to pass through them and short circuit them. When we rebuild them we sometimes pack them with vaseline to help get primed the first time.

I wonder if pumping oil into an oil pressure port from the top of the engine would be enough to reach the pump and help get it primed. All it takes is a little extra sealing to be able to lift the oil from the pan to pump which isn't very far. For grins I would just try starting it again after it has set with oil in the pan. Another way (probably worth trying) would be to severely overfill it with oil so that the oil is above the level of the pump, wait a while for the oil to equalize inside the pump, start it long enough to get pressure, and then drain to the proper level.