Newly rebuilt top end, no oil to lifters: what would you do?

jacomarcon

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Jan 5, 2025
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New Smyrna Beach, FL
I just got my 2000 TJ 2.5l out of the shop. I had them install a new head with new valves and springs pre-installed. New lifters, pushrods and rocker arms. Since it was a blown head gasket that prompted this, they dropped the pan and changed the oil pump as well (lots of water in the oil). After I got it back from the shop about 2 miles down the road a loud tick started (see video for example). I pulled the valve cover and it looks like no oil is making it to the top end.


I suspect a faulty oil pump, or the tech installed it incorrectly (the guy said he has his 'cousin' working on my jeep). His shop is full of newer jeeps, so it's possible with an old betty like mine he put one of his less experienced techs on the rebuild.

As a conversation piece, what would you do in this situation? What do you think might be the problem?
 
It's a 4.0L, just send it. Oh wait, it's a 2.5L, never mind.

But seriously, did the new oil pump get primed before they fired it up? In my LIMITED experience the pump will prime on it's own, but there's a reason why nearly all the internet guidance is to hand prime it first before running the engine. Given what was done to it, I'd suspect the pump before I'd suspect clogged passages....but also I don't know enough about the innards of the engine to know what other causes could be out there.

I'm guessing you have no oil pressure on your gauge? @macleanflood - do you know if you hand prime the pump will you get oil at the valve train? I would think you would. If so, while your valve cover is still off I would remove your distributor and put a drill on the pump and see if you can build up pressure.

There are others here more knowledgeable in this area than I am for sure.
 
The owner of the shop says they prime everything before assembling, and that he learned the hard way during school what happens if you don't. The oil pressure on the dash was real low, but not zero. He covers the work he does under warranty, so I'm going to tow it back to his shop and have him diagnose. I'm hesitant to dip into anything else to resolve it considering he should stand by his work.

Funny thing about the distributor is it is on backwards... I thought they had messed up the firing order with the plug wires and discovered it was right, but the distributor was installed 180 degrees off (they didn't do anything with the distributor, just put new plugs into the head).

Another thing I forgot to mention is new water pump and new timing chain, though those don't seem to have anything to do with the oil issue.
 
Maybe the water in the oil did more damage than assumed and you're losing oil pressure via loose cam, main, and/or rod bearings.

But if that's the issue, it doesn't make sense that it wasn't ticking when you first left the shop. So another possibility is the pickup fell off the oil pump as you drove. That said, those rockers look bone dry like they've never seen any oil ever. So maybe they filled the lifters with oil before installing them and with a little oil pressure, it took 2 miles for them to collapse? Seems like a long time to go with no oil but why do those rockers look dry?

Let us know what the shop says. They must have either missed a serious issue or totally messed up doing whatever they did, or both.
 
The owner of the shop says they prime everything before assembling, and that he learned the hard way during school what happens if you don't. The oil pressure on the dash was real low, but not zero. He covers the work he does under warranty, so I'm going to tow it back to his shop and have him diagnose. I'm hesitant to dip into anything else to resolve it considering he should stand by his work.

Funny thing about the distributor is it is on backwards... I thought they had messed up the firing order with the plug wires and discovered it was right, but the distributor was installed 180 degrees off (they didn't do anything with the distributor, just put new plugs into the head).

Another thing I forgot to mention is new water pump and new timing chain, though those don't seem to have anything to do with the oil issue.

100%, for some reason I just assumed you did it yourself....you clearly said a shop did the work. Definitely tow it back (on his dime) and make him make it right. And then report back what they say/find/do.
 
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How they did that work and did not test drive or run it a while is beyond me. I will add some years ago I was looking at a XJ/4.0 fixer. It used to run but had sat for years and I asked the guy if we could fire it up before we go any further. Oil was normal on the stick,fired it up and clatter, clatter, it would not pump oil. Even pulled the filter and fired it up with not a drop pumping out. Weird I thought. The only vehicle Ive ever seem lose its prime from sitting is the new ford rangers. Drain the pan, let it sit to long and your screwed.
 
@macleanflood - do you know if you hand prime the pump will you get oil at the valve train?

If by hand priming you mean either butchering an old distributor or making something with a long screwdriver that engages the pump and spins it with a drill then yeah, theoretically that does the same thing as running the engine.

Me personally I'd be doing that and watching a manual oil pressure gauge before I even considered a first start. No oil pressure, game over start over.

-Mac
 
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If by hand priming you mean either butchering an old distributor or making something with a long screwdriver that engages the pump and spins it with a drill then yeah, theoretically that does the same thing as running the engine.

Me personally I'd be doing that and watching a manual oil pressure gauge before I even considered a first start. No oil pressure, game over start over.

-Mac

I agree, except for the part about when I changed my oil pump I never could get it to prime by hand. I finally decided to start it up, and I immediately had pressure. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But I also wasn't dry from a fresh overhaul. I probably would've done the "pack the pump" trick if I were in that situation.
 
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It's 7:20 am, what did they say? ;)

Haha, I ended up heading there around 9. The owner was surprised it was that dry under the valve cover and asked me to bring it in so he can see what's going on with the pump, or what else might be happening. He said they didn't get into the crank case at all when they did the original job, so he doesn't know if something else might be going on in there causing the issue. Idk if that's a thing, out of my depth when you start getting into diagnosing issues with the innards of an engine.
 
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Haha, I ended up heading there around 9. The owner was surprised it was that dry under the valve cover and asked me to bring it in so he can see what's going on with the pump, or what else might be happening. He said they didn't get into the crank case at all when they did the original job, so he doesn't know if something else might be going on in there causing the issue. Idk if that's a thing, out of my depth when you start getting into diagnosing issues with the innards of an engine.

They replaced the oil pump , but, didn't get into the crank case ........ :unsure:
 
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Can opener? Peel open the oil pan, replace the pump... couple of fender washers and some self tappers topped off with JB weld.

-Mac

Seriously. Oil in the sump is of no value. It needs to be in the engine & galleries to do any good. I mean, who cares if the pan is lubed?
 
Seriously. Oil in the sump is of no value. It needs to be in the engine & galleries to do any good. I mean, who cares if the pan is lubed?

I care, thats how I know I have oil in it! if there wasn't any, my leak would stop :ROFLMAO:


JK I resealed the pan, did a rear main, and trans pan while I was down there.. 2 months later.... trans is leaking again... (Also my weird shifting issue was due to low fluid surprisingly even after triple checking the level...)