Bad oil pump?

[distributorguy]

That debris on the pump looks like blasting media from cleaning the engine.  Its my guess that whoever rebuilt it did not thoroughly clean all the oil passages, and grit was left behind.  Lots of it.  Enough to clog things up and cause the damage shown.  I'd guess the entire engine needs to come out, get torn down and inspected, cleaned properly, then reassembled with new bearings, possibly rings, and try again with a good oil pump.  I'd love to see what was in your oil filter.  

[racerx]

/\...this is what i was thinking that it did not get lubricated.

[datzenmike]

The 'new' oil pump was put on a rebuilt engine. Only passage that could have depris that would affect the pump would be the pick up tube. This is unlikely.

 

That $25 POS wasn't worth the savings.

[distributorguy]

Ummm.... think a little harder about that.  What if the oil galleys in the block never had the plugs pulled and they blasted the engine?  They'd be packed full of sand or glass bead, and very little if any oil would go anywhere.  You're assuming it was a legitimate rebuild.  This horrible shit happens all the time, by people who claim to be rebuilders and just don't know or don't care.  Then they blame it on the engine installer, as if that has anything to do with anything.   Laziness may be a bigger issue than bad parts in this one.  It should have made oil pressure no matter what.  All the oil could have gone through the bypass back into the pan.  I don't see any smoking gun but the debris in the oil on the pump.  Is it cast iron or...???

[datzenmike]

Ummm.... think a little harder about that.  

 

 

 

I did. Wouldn't affect the pump. It would max out at 50-60 PSI and the relief valve would have kept it there. Dirt can't travel backwards into the pump. The pump was crap. Basically going to some Central American country for a heart transplant to save $50,000

 

 

BTW the oil doesn't return to the pan from the by-pass. It is 'recycled' to the pump inlet and just circles through the pump over and over. Actually that's for the L, Z and KA series. I am assuming the A's are the same. 

[distributorguy]

So you're saying there's no way that debris left in the block can work its way back to the oil pump pickup in the pan?  The pump can't flush it out, and then pick it back up again?  That debris can't stick the filter bypass open?  Just trying to learn here, since I've only seen this a few dozen times in other motors.  I know all oil pumps are mediocre in quality, no matter how much you paid for it, but still...  That sure looks like more debris than what's missing from the oil pump gear, which appears to have been broken off in one piece.  

 

Either way, there's debris everywhere and just slapping a few parts at it will result in more damage to all bearing surfaces unless it gets thoroughly cleaned out.  The bearings ran dry if no oil was introduced.  20-30 seconds of that and the engine is ready for a real rebuild.  

[datzenmike]

 

 

Well, possibly. Mayby it's ground up cam and oil pump gears?  What's inside the oil pump.

[Lockleaf]

I once ran a z24 on nothing more than assembly lube and splash oiling for half an hour before it locked up...i put my main bearings in upside down and blocked the main passage.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Oops. Bet you won't do that again.

 

It's hard enough to perform forensics on an engine in the shop, let alone by pics and second hand info on a forum.

[distributorguy]

True.  That wear pattern on the gear is interesting.  There was quite a bit of grinding going on.  Fugly.