Oil pressure problems

[Viperviking]

Ok guys..need help with this one..

Have a problem with my 97 GTS..the car has been sitting for almost 3 years without starting it up..when it was started, the oil pressure would go up, but then slowely go down to almost 0 pressure. The engine runs just fine and have no noice or rattles to it. Tried an external oil pressure gage, and it showed the same reading.

Have changed oil and filter, and tried a oil cleaning solution, but did not help..have anybody else encountered this problem with their Viper??

Have had 3 Vipers in the past, but have never had this problem or heard about anybody else having this problem.

I do all the work on my cars myself, but I am totally lost here and need professional help on this one before starting to work my way into the engine

Bearings or oilpump??

 

[Viper Specialty]

99% that engine needs to come apart. Do yourself a favor and get it torn down and the problem located BEFORE you end up with a total loss. Excessive clearances, a bad pump, bad relief valve, bad lifter, etc can all cause similar issues.

 

[Mopar Boy]

That does not sound good. Have to agree with Dan. You need to pull much of that apart. Even if it was repaired, and you get pressure back, you may have already damaged internal bearings, lifters, etc.

 

[Viperviking]

I agree with you guys..but if there was a bearing problem, then it should make some kind of noice some place, and the same with lifters??

Have had the engine running for about 5 minutes a few times, before the oilpressure is almost all the way down.

So what could have happened when the car was sitting to make such a strange problem??

 

[Greg Good Cylinder Heads]

I would pull the filter off and cut it open to see if it's clean.

Then pull the pan to take a look inside there.

When you changed the oil what did it look like? Normal?

 

[Viperviking]

Hi Greg,

Yes the old oil looked good, and had actually been changed with new filter before the car was stored away, and the filter was clean.

Next step wil be to pull the pan off, take a rod cap off, and pull the oilpump to see if there is a stuck valve.

What puzzle me tho, is that it runs smooth as a brand new engine, and has absolutely no rattle or shake to it..the mileage is only 19K on it, and these are gentle miles.

What can happen when a motor is sitting during a periode of about 3 years witouth being started??

 

[dave6666]

What can happen when a motor is sitting during a periode of about 3 years witouth being started??

Moisture from condensation -->> internal rust and corrosion

 

[bluesrt]

put a pump in it and b done- if it was the bearings it would have noise= i would do a pump, but first let it get to operating temp first, slowly bring the engine to about 3k only if its got oil pressure, if you dont hear oddly noises, you should b good

 

[Viper Specialty]

put a pump in it and b done- if it was the bearings it would have noise= i would do a pump, but first let it get to operating temp first, slowly bring the engine to about 3k only if its got oil pressure, if you dont hear oddly noises, you should b good

Not always... and a sure fire way to cost yourself a boatload of extra money if you are wrong.

Excessive bearing clearances will not make noise until they are extremely excessive, and by then, it is generally too late. However, excessive bearing clearances will bleed off a lot of oil pressure, especially if it happens to be an engine-wide failure. If the engine had enough moisture in it to cause corrosion on the journals, it is currently in the process of wearing away bearing material. If it all came apart, it could possibly be saved. If not and left to wear, it would eventually become spun bearings.

checking the pump and valve is a no-brainer, but checking the bearings as well is a good idea. Even if the pump is the culprit, checking the rest of the internals is just a plain good idea.

 

[Jack B]

The filter and pan should tell you almost everything.

 

[Jack B]

Not always... and a sure fire way to cost yourself a boatload of extra money if you are wrong.

Excessive bearing clearances will not make noise until they are extremely excessive, and by then, it is generally too late. However, excessive bearing clearances will bleed off a lot of oil pressure, especially if it happens to be an engine-wide failure. If the engine had enough moisture in it to cause corrosion on the journals, it is currently in the process of wearing away bearing material. If it all came apart, it could possibly be saved. If not and left to wear, it would eventually become spun bearings.

checking the pump and valve is a no-brainer, but checking the bearings as well is a good idea. Even if the pump is the culprit, checking the rest of the internals is just a plain good idea.

Dan:

wouldn't you think the lifters would clack like crazy with zero oil pressure?

 

[bluesrt]

if the bearings had that much clearance to have that low of pressure at idle,you most probably would hear a mainbearing clunk at a few k rpm,s from what iv seen. iv seen rods tapping at idle and had good pressure still- from what ive seen its allways the main bearings that goof up the earl pressure, but like i said had a clunk of some sort to get that low at idle. if you remove the pan and it looks like you struck gold, well you didnt, you struck something else

 

[Viper Specialty]

Dan:

wouldn't you think the lifters would clack like crazy with zero oil pressure?

As long as there was enough flow that they didn't gulp air, no, they wouldn't make any noise. This would still be possible sitting at near zero.

 

[Viper Specialty]

if the bearings had that much clearance to have that low of pressure at idle,you most probably would hear a mainbearing clunk at a few k rpm,s from what iv seen. iv seen rods tapping at idle and had good pressure still- from what ive seen its allways the main bearings that goof up the earl pressure, but like i said had a clunk of some sort to get that low at idle. if you remove the pan and it looks like you struck gold, well you didnt, you struck something else

You are forgetting that Viper oil pumps are relatively small for their job. there is not a ton of extra oil volume. Even slightly excessive clearances will result in a fairly large pressure drop when using thinner oils.

 

[99 R/T 10]

You are forgetting that Viper oil pumps are relatively small for their job. there is not a ton of extra oil volume. Even slightly excessive clearances will result in a fairly large pressure drop when using thinner oils.

This is why Arrow racing will upgrade any oil pump. I have had 2 done on engines I had built as a safety precaution. The stock pump can be anywhere from 19mm-21mm. Talked to Todd at Arrow, but I believe he takes them all to 23mm.

 

[willbell]

If you have never had oil pressure problems befour. I would try filling the motor 2 or 3qt over full. I had the same problem with a hemi 5.7, the motor set for 2 years. The oil pump just lost prime.Just kill your spark and fuel and crank the motor over,and then start it.Then drain the exter oil out after the oil pressure come up.

 

[Dan Cragin]

Were did you hook up the external pressure gauge?

 

[Viperviking]

Hi Dan,

It was a while ago I did this, but I used either the same place as the original oilpressure gage on the car, or there was a bolt next to it I removed and put it..just can't remember.

One other thing that I find strange with this problem, is that even if I rev the engine up to 3-4K it still sounds like a healthy Viper motor should sound like..well will ceep you all posted when I have this solved.

Than'x for all the professional advice on this problem, always great to have this forum for help when you get stuck..I will try to put a couple of extra litres of oil in and see if this solves the problem before I start to tear into it.

 

[2000acr]

Ok guys..need help with this one..

Have a problem with my 97 GTS..the car has been sitting for almost 3 years without starting it up..when it was started, the oil pressure would go up, but then slowely go down to almost 0 pressure. The engine runs just fine and have no noice or rattles to it. Tried an external oil pressure gage, and it showed the same reading.

Have changed oil and filter, and tried a oil cleaning solution, but did not help..have anybody else encountered this problem with their Viper??

Have had 3 Vipers in the past, but have never had this problem or heard about anybody else having this problem.

I do all the work on my cars myself, but I am totally lost here and need professional help on this one before starting to work my way into the engine

Bearings or oilpump??

99% its an oil relief valve stuck open.- its located on the lower right side of the front timing cover-if its not that replace the oil pump assembly.

 

[Viperviking]

I am hoping so myself..would just hate to have to start tearing the motor apart..but if I have to do so..

 

[speedracervr4]

99% its an oil relief valve stuck open.

It still wouldn't drop close to zero would it?

 

[1TONY1]

99% its an oil relief valve stuck open.- its located on the lower right side of the front timing cover-if its not that replace the oil pump assembly.

I had a gen1 with low pressure issues. No amount of twiddling with the pressure valves would help it....I put new valves and springs in there and the oil pressure came back to normal. Those can be checked/removed with the front cover still bolted on.

 

[plumcrazy]

Tony, isn't there something that can be shimmed too? Maybe the actual pump tohelp with pressure

 

[Viperviking]

speedracervr4..yes it comes very close to zero oilpressure

 

[2000acr]

It still wouldn't drop close to zero would it?

Yes it drops to zero or very very low-- as somone else posted this can be checked with the front cover still on from underneith-

You must remove the oil filter adapter bracket thing- then the releif valves are under 2 little circular metal caps. Youll have to tap holes in the caps to remove them- then check that the releif valves go all the way in and out- My guess is at least 1 is stuck in the out position. It probably rusted in place from 3 years of not running.

 

[Viperviking]

Ok..than'x for avice..will have to look into this posibility.