yup.

 

I am not sure what you are talking about. Can you please post a link or explain it differently?

I'll try that, but it should build high oil pressure right off the bat with a cold start.

Does your gauge calibrate or anything before it gives you a reading? I just want to make sure my gauge is functioning right.

Yes that is what I did.

When I draing my oil for the first oil change the oil was still very clean. So it does not seem like there is much sludge in the engine. Does anyone thing one of those harsh sludge removal treatments could help me un clog something. Or are they just a waste?

 

I will never use one of those treatments unless I was about to give up on the whole car all together.

From what I hear if sludge is built up inside the motor around gaskets and seals. Removing the sludge that has formed to seals and gaskets could create leaks. I could be wrong tho but thats always been my impression of the harsh gunk removers.

I don't think you need to run any harsh sludge removal.

Did you ever take the valve cover off and look at the condition of underneath? A nice golden color is good, black and gunked up would be bad.

The only thing I ever run in the engine to help clean it up is 1/3 a can of seafoam. Ill put it in and drive the car for 200-500 miles then change the oil.

 

The engine is clean under the valve covers. I am pretty sure I posted a pic, in my engine swap thread.

I just am just not understanding why I am getting now oil pressure.

 

Im starting to think possibly the pump.

 

I called the people that I bought the engine from and the guy told me to check my oil pan for dents. He said that the pick up tube hangs very low on twin cam nissan engines and he said it is not un common for them to have very restrictive oil flow because of this. What do you guys think? I am going to check this out.

He said that they actually turn the engines over to make sure they have good oil pressure before they ship.

 

Use a wet guage TRUE PRESSURE READINGS! You seem to be having a hard time with this...Check the oil pump relief valve maybe it's stuck open with some debris!

 

Where in the world is the oil pressure relief valve, can you please post a picture of this? I am already in the process of removing the oil pan. The deep area does have a dent in the middle of it but I am not sure this would affect the oil pick up. I have taken all the bolts out of the lower pan and it is loose. I have removed my y pipe. Now it looks like I need to support the engine and remove the cradle...is this true or is there a way to remove it with out taking the cross member out?

 

nope, your first thought was right. you can get a suport that just rests across the engine bay (a long bar with rubber grips on it) rather than leaving the engine supported by a hydraulic lift, if you want. i've seen those sort of beam supports at some Harbor Freight or Northern Tool or one of those places.

 

I'd like to know where this pressure relief valve is also..

 

FSM - LC5 on the pump body itself

 

I have an engine hoist so that's no big deal, I just wanted to know if there was a way around it. I just to have tons of time to work on it, each night so I just have to pick at it an hour or two at a time. I hope to yank the cross member tomorrow engine and try to figure out what is going on. I post pics of everything once I take it down.

From what I can find it's in the pump it's self.

Is there any truth in what the guy I bought the engine from? Are the pick up tubes in DOHC Nissans normally very close to the bottom of the oil pan? The guy told me its a common problem. Doesent the pick up tube have some sort of mushroom shaped screen on the end? To me that seems like it would stop it from being too close to the bottom unless the screen is smashed in...who knows hopefully i will get some answers tomorrow.

 

based on what LvR posted, it looked like the releif falve was in the area where the oil filter housing mounts, and the regulator valve is in the pump.

 

Oil pickup tube and pressure relief assy......
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/engine/100_1228.jpg

 

Thanks for that picture. Where is the pressure relief assembly in that picture? Does all of our oil get pulled through that slit in the bottom of the pick up tube or are there other places for oil to enter the tube?

 

the pressue assembly is in the far left of the pic (right behind the crank pulley, but inside the oil pan)..

the only place the engine pics up oil is through that slit. the crank also gets splash lubrication from spinning around while stuff is dripping down from the heads and whatnot, but the only oil pump pickup location is through that tube (at the bottom of the oil pan)

 

What would I be checking for in the pressure assembly?

Hopfully I can find out something tonight. Pics later.

 

take it apart and look at it. see if it looks okay and make sure there's nothing stuck inside it anywhere.

 

okay so I got a chance to work on things last night, and I took some pictures.

Do you guys see the marks at the bottom of the oil pan in this picture? I does in fact look like the pick up was touching the bottom of the pan. I took a measurement of the bottom of the pick up and the marks in the oil pan and they are the same size.


Here is what the back side looked like. You can see where it is dented in.


So I went to town with a hammer and a center punch.


Looking much better! The dented side is now the closest to us in this picture.

 

when did it get bent in?

 

Once I got that done I started checking the other stuff out. Everything seemed to look okay to me.






I took the pressure relief valve out as well, and I did not see anything wrong with it. It had clean motor oil on it but that was about it. I wiped it off anyway.





Also while I had the pick up out I looked in both sides and everything looked fine. I blew through the tube and nothing was obstructing it.

I started to put everything back together last night, but I got hung up on one engine mount so I did not get everything put back together. Once I get the final engine mount in (probably need to take a bunch of other bolts loose to get it), I will neet to put the exhaust back on and the right side splash shield and it should have everything back together.

Please let me know what you guys think of the pictures and if you have any suggestions.

 

I guess some time before it got to me. I did not pay much attention to it before I put the engine in. I wish I would have taken the oil pan off of my old engine that I already took to the junkyard...oh well.

 

I have not had to open my motor yet, but sure hope to find it in that lovely condition yours is in the day I do have to open it.

 

So I got everything back together tonight and I fired it up..........80 psi I only let it run for about 10 seconds but I had good oil pressure on start up so I am happy. I will report back when I have more time so I can see how it acts when it is warm.

now I need to figure out how to mount the gauge. thread to follow.


As for the guage, I bought some autometer gauge cups/pod thingies for mine
http://www.aquasunmotorsports.com/sh..._116-Inch_2204
(don't buy from them. that price is insane. reference link only)

 

Based on all that, call the place you bought the engine from and tell them they owe you $100 for your labor since they most likely set the engine on the ground with the oil pan and dented the pan.
(hey, it's worth a shot!)

 

 

hahahha....like that would work. I'm guessing I may get hung up on, but I may try it any way.

 

it's worth a shot. what're you gonna do, **** off someone you'll never buy anything from again anyway?

 

I'm having a similar problem and I bet my pickup tube is a bit clogged, I get low pressure after the car warms up anything under I guess 1000 rpm. I'm in the process of putting in a new clutch and want to pull off the pan, but I'm not sure how to secure the engine to take off the cross member.

I dont have a hoist I was thinking of using a bar or 2x4 across the fenders with a chain holding the engine in place while I work on the pan. Where would I attach the chain to? I've got the transmission out and its a VE30de by the way.

 

So I've been looking online for various engine support beams, ones that have one anchor, or two anchors. Any sugguestions which works better for our VE engines? And where I would attach this support beam? I also have a Saab that has easily visible hooks to secure the engine, but haven't seen this on the VE. Thanks in advance.

 

I would recomend that you try to borrow an engine hoist. I don't think there is another recomended way especially if you are going to have the tranny off, because that is more or less your left side engine mount. Once you take the cradle out not much is hold the engine in once the tranny is out. If you were able to do your tranny work and put that back on before you take the pan off you could put a peice of wood (i.e. 2x4 or something like that) on your jack the use the engine/tranny union as a support point with the floor jack.

As for hooking a chain to the engine I usually hook though the exhaust manifolds and it will normally pull out pretty straight.

 

Thanks for the reply, I picked up a engine support bar from Harbor Freight today so I'll be working on the maxima this weekend. Thanks for the pics on the pickup tube and pressure release valve, gives me a much better idea whats underneath.

 

So I got the pan off finally and the pickup tube was totally clean @ 196k miles, I also took off the nut holding the pressure release valve, I looked at the springs and put the nut back on. I totally forgot to take out the actual value and it didnt just fall out. So could it have possibly been stuck and causing my low oil pressure? Or do I have a problem with my pump or even oil switch. I plan to put in a oil gauge, to check pressure once I have everything back together.

Any suggestions at this point, I would hate to take off the pan again.

 

How's your oil pressure sending unit/dummy light switch? they tend to leak or fail when they're 15+ yrs old.

If it's in good shape, then you may indeed be a bit low on oil pressure after a bazillion cold starts and whatnot. With that kind of mileage, I suggest you just put in some thicker oil and deal with it. it's probably bearing wear or ring blowby.
Is it burning any oil?
What type of oil are you using? viscosity?

 

It could actually just be the dummy switch, so I bought a gauge to put in and check the actual pressure. As far as oil I usually used 5w30 in the winters and 10w30 in the summer time, but last batch was 5w30 or 40. I never noticed any oil being burning between oil changes and the tail pipe is clean.

When I finish putting everything back together maybe I'll run Shell 15w40 to see what pressure I'm holding, or even also try 5w40 first and see the pressure and change it to thicker if the pressure is too low.