Is this an oil pump problem?
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 350
Likes: 28
From: Louisville, KY
Is this an oil pump problem?
Yesterday I took my '72 F-350 on a 700+ mile journey from Kentucky up to 40 miles north of Chicago, loaded some furniture in it, and headed home. When I was in northern Indiana the engine suddenly started sputtering and backfiring and the oil pressure gauge started to drop. I pulled into a rest area and checked the oil and the level was fine so I continued driving, even though the engine was running like crap but it wasn't backfiring anymore. The gauge kept dropping slowly until it was barely above the L. I didn't want to stop because I had crammed a lot of my parents' furniture into my 9 foot dump bed and didn't want to leave the truck sitting somewhere. I cruised at 60 mph and finally made it home by 9 PM (after getting up at 4 AM). My questions are: Is this an oil pump problem and did I do any permanent damage to the engine? If it's not the oil pump what is it? Thanks in advance....
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 24,552
Likes: 74
From: Creedmoor, North Carolina
What engine, what brand oil filter?
Try changing the oil and give it a good look, and check the gasket area where the filter connects. I might suggest a Motorcraft filter with the oil change.
John
Try changing the oil and give it a good look, and check the gasket area where the filter connects. I might suggest a Motorcraft filter with the oil change.
John
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 198
Likes: 3
From: Burbank, CA
The big question is: Where did the oil go? Did it blow out externally and get sprayed down the highway? Or did it get pushed up into a couple of cylinders and get burned out the exhaust? How much damage you've done to the engine will depend on how long you drove it with very low oil pressure.
At this point, you may as well refill the oil, fire it up, and see what happens. Is it blowing blue-white smoke out the exhaust? Is oil dripping out around the filter?
At this point, you may as well refill the oil, fire it up, and see what happens. Is it blowing blue-white smoke out the exhaust? Is oil dripping out around the filter?
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 780
Likes: 0
Possible blown head gasket
Did the oil look like it had any water in it? You may have to fill up the oil and drive it a little to be able to tell.
The first thing I would do is a compression test on all cylinders.
The first thing I would do is a compression test on all cylinders.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 384
Likes: 1
If the engine is dirty. Clean it. Replace the oil. Drain your oil threw a fine screen. Check your plugs to see if any are wet or oily. I would also drain your coolant and give it a good look to see if it has any oil in it.
After all that. Fire it up and look for leaks. Now that it's clean you can find them. The oil will be fresh so you won't do any more damage unless you rev it up withought oil presure.
After all that. Fire it up and look for leaks. Now that it's clean you can find them. The oil will be fresh so you won't do any more damage unless you rev it up withought oil presure.
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 350
Likes: 28
From: Louisville, KY
Thanks for the replies. I had a full schedule today but I should be able to try some of your ideas tomorrow. Hopefully it's nothing serious because the odometer just turned over to 65K yesterday and that's original miles so I was planning on keeping it for a few years....
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 290
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From: Las Vegas
Lebowski,
When you "pulled into a rest area and checked the oil and the level was fine so I continued driving":
1>Was the engine running when you pulled the dipstick?
2>Did you wipe the dipstick off the n put it back in ad pull it back out before reading it?
Just asking, not trying to imply anything. It sounds to me as though when you checked the oil, it was likely pretty low, but you somehow got an inaccurate reading. As others mentioned, you won't know how much damage was caused until you refill the oil (complete oil and filter change would be best) and drive it. Keep us posted.
My $.02,
Gene
Gene
When you "pulled into a rest area and checked the oil and the level was fine so I continued driving":
1>Was the engine running when you pulled the dipstick?
2>Did you wipe the dipstick off the n put it back in ad pull it back out before reading it?
Just asking, not trying to imply anything. It sounds to me as though when you checked the oil, it was likely pretty low, but you somehow got an inaccurate reading. As others mentioned, you won't know how much damage was caused until you refill the oil (complete oil and filter change would be best) and drive it. Keep us posted.
My $.02,
Gene
Gene
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Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 350
Likes: 28
From: Louisville, KY
I pulled into the rest area, shut off the engine, went inside and used the men's room, and came out with a piece of paper towel. I pulled out the dipstick, wiped it off, stuck it back in, and when I pulled it out it was right on the full mark.
This afternoon I drained the oil pan and removed the oil filter. There was less than a pint of oil in the pan and none in the filter. I also saw what looked like pieces of a cork gasket in what little oil I drained out. I installed a new Motorcraft filter and 6 quarts of Quaker State 5W-30 oil and when I fired it up the oil pressure gauge went up to about the 3/4 mark towards the H which is where it always was before. I drove it a couple of miles and it ran fine. I looked under it when I got back with the engine running and didn't see any oil dripping or leaking anywhere. I also removed one spark plug when I changed the oil and it wasn't oily at all.
So now I'd like to know what could have caused this and where all that oil went. I don't think it came out the exhaust because after going 60 in a 70 mph zone for 250 miles with many cars tailgating me none of them honked at me or gave me a middle finger salute. Any more ideas would be appreciated....
This afternoon I drained the oil pan and removed the oil filter. There was less than a pint of oil in the pan and none in the filter. I also saw what looked like pieces of a cork gasket in what little oil I drained out. I installed a new Motorcraft filter and 6 quarts of Quaker State 5W-30 oil and when I fired it up the oil pressure gauge went up to about the 3/4 mark towards the H which is where it always was before. I drove it a couple of miles and it ran fine. I looked under it when I got back with the engine running and didn't see any oil dripping or leaking anywhere. I also removed one spark plug when I changed the oil and it wasn't oily at all.
So now I'd like to know what could have caused this and where all that oil went. I don't think it came out the exhaust because after going 60 in a 70 mph zone for 250 miles with many cars tailgating me none of them honked at me or gave me a middle finger salute. Any more ideas would be appreciated....
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,396
Likes: 4
From: Cupertino
This old iron is tough. These engines will run and hold oil pressure as long as there is enough oil in the pan to cover the pump pickup. That can be a very small amount.
Cork in the pan is not something to worry too much about. Your concern should be small bits of metal- bearing material- that signals that you began to hammer and burn out rods and mains. Apparently you caught it early enough.
If it has decent oil pressure at idle, you are probably okay. Just write it off as one of those things and check the oil frequently. You apparently have a slow consumption problem that got away from you.
Get a good night's sleep.
Semper Fi
Cork in the pan is not something to worry too much about. Your concern should be small bits of metal- bearing material- that signals that you began to hammer and burn out rods and mains. Apparently you caught it early enough.
If it has decent oil pressure at idle, you are probably okay. Just write it off as one of those things and check the oil frequently. You apparently have a slow consumption problem that got away from you.
Get a good night's sleep.
Semper Fi
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 384
Likes: 1
I agree with John. Just keep an eye on things. My 360 eats oil and knocks pretty good but it keeps on going as long as i keep topping it off. I looked down one time and had no pressure. I just sucked it up and kept both ears on that knock. It never changed. Filled her back up and it was like nothing happend. These motors are crazy durable!!
