Oil light is on, slant 6

[BudW]

My brother had an oiling problem on his big block last year. Long story short, he started his car and it had no oil pressure. . . . Apparently he had air in the filter. Something easy to try if nothing else.

Priming a /6 is not as easy as a small or a big block.

 

[Justwondering]

So the purpose is to be a very fine abrasive that doesn't put off dirt or larger grit.

Where to you get crocus cloth?

 

[BudW]

You do not want any kind of abrasive(s) inside of an engine. Crocus cloth is designed just for items like this.

Can be purchased from most hardware or auto parts stores.

 

[shadango]

My brother had an oiling problem on his big block last year. Long story short, he started his car and it had no oil pressure. he shut it off after 15 seconds. After doing a lot of reading on other forums, he took the distributor and everything out so that he could use a rod to reach the oil pump. He spun the oil pump and still nothing, so loosened the oil filter and tried it again. He then had oil pressure. Apparently he had air in the filter. Something easy to try if nothing else. His car has ran fine since then.

As a hail mary, we just pulled the filter...ther was oil in the filter......but we started it briefly with the folder off and no flow at all.

 

[shadango]

You do not want any kind of abrasive(s) inside of an engine. Crocus cloth is designed just for items like this.

Can be purchased from most hardware or auto parts stores.

Yep that's what we used.

 

[80mirada]

Check the gear on the bottom of the distributor. My High School Auto teacher had a Chrysler tech competition team break one while practicing and it wouldn't drive the pump.

 

[shadango]

Check the gear on the bottom of the distributor. My High School Auto teacher had a Chrysler tech competition team break one while practicing and it wouldn't drive the pump.

I know that's the case on a v8....but from what I under stand the slant 6 is set up different?

The oil pump's gear meshes with a gear on the camshaft.

 

[shadango]

So I am trying to psych myself up for the oil pump swap.....my son and I doing it.

We are going to follow the instructions someone posted on the slant 6 forum....basically lifting the engine on the passenger side using a 2x4 against the block lip where the oil pan mounts on the passenger side and lifting with a floor jack.

In those instructions , it was said to put the car on jack stands.

Anyone see any reason it couldn't be done on ramps? I am thinking we will need the space to work where the stands would be.....

 

[Justwondering]

Please, block the back wheels - I'm sure you will, but I don't want to read about you or your son being squished.... I want to read that the light went out on the car not on the people working on the car ...lol

 

[shadango]

Please, block the back wheels - I'm sure you will, but I don't want to read about you or your son being squished.... I want to read that the light went out on the car not on the people working on the car ...lol

Lol thanks for your concern! I agree, and the wheels will be blocked....I am more worried about jacking that engine up with a dang 2x4.....is that really a good way to go?

 

[Justwondering]

Unless you have a way to hoist the engine up, you would have to jack it up from the bottom.

 

[BudW]

I’m not worried about the 2x4 part.
After looking I think jacking the engine up using a 2x4, I would recommend using car ramps instead of safety stands.
The reason why is when you get to “limits”, the car weight will go up from the normal spring action of torsion bars, before car goes up and away from the jack stands.

There is another option available to you – but I think in the long run, it will be more work.
Unbolting the K-frame from car, leaving the engine and transmission in an “as is” position, then raising the car body up and out of the way.
It would make working on the oil pump SO MUCH EASIER, but more work in the long run.

To drop the K-frame, one would need to remove both upper control arm bolts, and the brackets the control arms bolt too, disconnect the steering, wiring, and most anything fluid (brake hoses, trans lines, radiator and heater hoses, fuel hoses, etc.).
Vehicle would have to be aligned afterwards.


If using the 2x4 method, I would recommend cutting away a triangle of top part of 2x4 so it is roughly ¾-1” wide at top (1x4, so to speak). Also place the smaller edge of top part right along the edge of oil pan, with at least one pan bolt is able to dig into the wood. That bolt head will help keep things in place.

 

[shadango]

I’m not worried about the 2x4 part.
After looking I think jacking the engine up using a 2x4, I would recommend using car ramps instead of safety stands.
The reason why is when you get to “limits”, the car weight will go up from the normal spring action of torsion bars, before car goes up and away from the jack stands.

There is another option available to you – but I think in the long run, it will be more work.
Unbolting the K-frame from car, leaving the engine and transmission in an “as is” position, then raising the car body up and out of the way.
It would make working on the oil pump SO MUCH EASIER, but more work in the long run.

To drop the K-frame, one would need to remove both upper control arm bolts, and the brackets the control arms bolt too, disconnect the steering, wiring, and most anything fluid (brake hoses, trans lines, radiator and heater hoses, fuel hoses, etc.).
Vehicle would have to be aligned afterwards.


If using the 2x4 method, I would recommend cutting away a triangle of top part of 2x4 so it is roughly ¾-1” wide at top (1x4, so to speak). Also place the smaller edge of top part right along the edge of oil pan, with at least one pan bolt is able to dig into the wood. That bolt head will help keep things in place.
View attachment 16883

Well we got the pump out....it was easier than we thought it would be.....and at first we cheered....the gear had come off the pump......then I tried to turn the pump and it was locked up solid.....took the pump apart and founder squished metal in it........not good.

 

[shadango]

I was able to peel that big piece off.. it's non magnetic so I assume the only thing it can be is bearing material.

 

[Master M]

I picked up some on Ebay for a good price.

 

[shadango]

We opened up the oil filter that was on it when we bought the car and also the one we installed with our first oil change.....metal pieces on both......I guess there is no ppint to dropping the pan just to clean it out......

This is the original filter which we were driving on for a month or so......

And this is the one we put in at our first oil change and drove b on about 5 days before the pump siezed....

 

[shadango]

Well me and Red Baron have been mulling those questions.....

Having this one redone (if its not too far trashed) would be the preferred route.....and hopefully the least expensive...maybe go a little oversized and tweak it a little.....?

A cousin of mine has a 1978 318 out of a truck that has 109k miles on it.....he says it ran good before getting yanked (the truck was being parted out)...that would mean a bunch of rework to exhaust, maybe trans, etc....not sure what trans we have in the Volare and if it will bolt right up to the 318 or not? He says we can have it free.....of course to adapt it in wont be free. Tyler is a new driver.....turning 17 in a couple weeks. He just got his first job....he is a responsible kiddo so far.....but hard to get in much trouble with a slant 6...plus the issue of gas mileage....if he cant afford to drive the car with the 8 in it, that will be rough......it will be his daily driver. I know the 78 318 wasnt a powerhouse.....but moreso than the /6. And we dont really know what shape the free engine is in other than "it ran fine". So did our current engine when we bought it two months ago....LOL

Not sure which would be less pricey at the end of the day.

A reman engine from advanced auto is $2,000. I suppose a rebuild will be just as pricey?

There is also the issue of emissions inspections.....where we live its a visual.....in other words if the car is supposed to have a cat and airpump and all the emmissions crap it wont pass without it.....that is easier to keep in place with the current engine.

I am so bummed out.....I thought that the slant 6 was "bulletproof".....I was hoping that we could have smooth sailing at least until next spring.....so much for that huh? LOL

It sounded fine before, and that is why I was surprised when we opened up the first filter.....that is a lot of metal in there......we were gonna throw the new pump on and see what happens, but that's just kicking the can down the road.....there has to be a spun bearing......and it will grenade, and I dont want it to happen to the kid in the middle of winter etc.

Sorry for the long post.....just at a crossroads and I dont do well with crossroads....LOL

 

[Darth-Car]

Those motors from Advance Auto are nice. They come with a 3 year 100k warranty that covers any problem, and the labor associated to fix it. I have one of these motors in Darth Car, and one in my Beautiful Bride's WJ Grand Cherokee.

 

[MiradaMegacab]

/6 trans will not work with sb engine.
Perhaps change the main and rod bearings...... that oil light was on for awhile.......

 

[kkritsilas]

Do you have a Pick N Pull type place around you? If so, and they have cars or trucks with /6s, that might be the cheapest way to go. Tranny will bolt up, you can take the emissions stuff from the current engine for the visual, and the motor mounts and everything else will bolt up. A complete engine up here is $179. It is true that this is a used engine, but so is the 318, and if nothing else /6s are probably the most reliable engine ever made.

We have the option up here of taking out a 12 month warranty, so if the engine were to be bad, bring it back and get another one. I don't know if they have that down in your area.