So just did a rebuild. New housings etc. Reused oil pressure regulator and everything in oil system except different oil pump from another known working engine. New pickup gasket, front cover o-ring, used rtv on oil pan. Cranked for 2 mins nothing on the gauge, cranked another 30 seconds poped of oil filter nothing there either. poped off the oil line going to front cover no oil there either.

Possibilites? I looked it up and read something about installing the oil pump with lots of oil? I installed it dry... issues. I would like to resolve this some other way before i pop off the front cover?

 

http://www.mazdatrix.com/faq/oring.htm

 

i have earlier style front cover where it uses just the o-ring. So i used o-ring and rtv in place of a gasket

 

when I built my motor I packed the oil pump cavity with vaseline and poured a little bit of oil down the oil filter pedestal area. it built oil pressure immediately during the initial cranking.

 

Was i wrong to install the oil pump dry?

 

I don't know. I'm not a professional and I've only built one motor, but the motor hasn't had any internal problems. I did get that whole packing the oil pump cavity thing on here somewhere. I think in the Bruce Turrentine video I used, he put motor oil on the oil pump before installing.

 

i spend a lot of time cranking my last rebuild and it will not build any pressure at all ,took the front cover up and everything was fine,cranked more and nothing so i got really pissed of and i fired her up like that and the second that she started the oil pressure went to the roof(adjustable regulators)110 ps1 of oil pressure.

 

If you get no oil pressure right when you start it up obviously turn it off... but it may be the key on the oil pump gear. I have ran into that problem once before.

 

Assuming you built everything correct, you still probably won't get any oil pressure dry cranking. I had the same issue with my rebuild. I built it dry and it took me forever to get any oil pressure. The trick is to remove the plugs so the engine can turn easier with no compression. Next, remove your oil filter and pour oil down the center hole. Mine took nearly 3/4 of a quart IIRC. This route runs direct to the pump. Put the filter back (obviously) and try cranking again. You should get some oil pressure eventually. If not try removing the oil cooler feed line and forcing oil in that way. What we are trying to do here is get oil to the pump any way we can.

 

There seem to be indications in some of the older service manuals that you should be lubricating the oil pump before installing. The strange thing is, the Rx-3 service manual just says "installation is reverse of removal" and a lot of the Rx-7 service manuals don't mention assembling with engine oil or other lubricants.



Like I said, I put vaseline on the rotors, some vaseline in the oil pump cavity, and a bit of oil down the oil filter passageway. When I primed the engine there was plenty of pressure. This was on an engine with s5 irons, so it had the front cover o-ring, the white teflon spacer ring, and an OEM front cover gasket.

 

SO, it's a must to prime the oil pump before installing on rotaries?


My buddy never primed his oil pump for his freshly rebuilt ka24e And it ran for about 1,200 miles. A lot of the engine was garbage after that.

 

called up the guys at pineapple they said i should of installed the oil pump with oil... They gave me some great info. and im gonna post it for future people who search for this thread.

The oil pump has to be primed when you install, meaning you need to install it with oil. What happens if you don't is you create an air pocket and the oil pump doesn't pull any oil, this is further problematic if you drained the oil cooler or let the lines hang and they drained a good amount of oil. You need to get rid of that air pocket.

They suggested un hooking the the oil line going from the oil cooler to the front cover. Then pouring oil down the oil filter pedestal until it starts to flow out the front oil cooler line; what this does is feed oil into the oil cooler eliminating air pockets(put it a rag under it so you don't make a mess). Hook it back up then put a little bit more oil in. The by hand crank the engine backwards this will cause the oil pump to suck the oil through the oil cooler. Then crank with starter and you should begin to get oil pressure.

It also helps to pre-load the oil filter element so it is not dry and just absorbs some of the oil.

You might need to drain some oil afterward.

 

All FSM's highly suggest oil pump priming. Instructions that come with a new oil pump suggest the same thing. I have not messed with the rotary oil pump yet, but when I have rebuilt piston engines, depending on the engine, you can go rent an oil pump priming tool. The V-8 Fords I have rebuilt, since the oil pump is turned by the sprocket on the bottom of the distributor, you just pull the distributor, put this rod down in the hole put one end in a drill and the other in the oil pump sprocket and crank away. This obviously helps with the elimination of dry starts as well. Obviously there are more bearing to worry about in a piston engine. I always put oil in the plug holes before cranking an engine for the first time as well. A lot of damage can be done on initial start up if you are not careful.

 

ON the ka24e u can stuff the oil pump in a little bucket of oil big enough to fit the pump.

Use a electric drill with a flat head. And it is perfect for turning the ka24e oil pump. This is how he primed his second rebuilt ka24e.

 

check ball in the oil pump? stuck mabie?

 

Oil pump key didn't get installed. Fell out the back. I read the tea leaves.

You can buy a simple oil squirt can. Remove the filter. Pump several oil squirt cans into both holes under the filter. One heads towards the cooler/pump and the other hole to add lubricant to the bearings etc. Like a full quart or so. Then try again. If the oil pressure does not show up, read the tea leaves and remove the front cover and install the oil pump with the key in place. Filter in place.

And to keep the Load off the bearings, remove the sparkplugs so the engine will spin a LOT faster. Rekon theh pump will spin faster also (if only the key was in place...humor).

 

oil pump was never disassembled? is it that easy for the key to fall out?

 

You never removed the drive gear on the oil pump? Well then there'd be no reason for the woodruff key to fall out or not be installed right. Tea leaves must be thinking of someone else.

I did buy one engine where the small allen screw that holds the inner gear of the oil pump, had fallen out and was in the bottom of the pan. It was supposed to be staked in so it couldn't vibrate out like that. It holds the inner gear of the pump stationary. You can stare at the outside of the pump housing to see if it's there or ....not.

How do you remove the chain when taking the engine apart? Must unbolt the four bolts that hold the pump on if you don't remove the front drive gear. I guess. I always remove the drive gear on the oil pump when taking a engine apart. Seemed easier.

 

yea thats how i took the chain and the front apart. removed the 4 10mm bolts underneath the oil pump itself.

 

Then I'd do what I suggested in a earlier post. Remove the sparkplugs so no load will be put on the engine and it'll spin faster. Then buy a squit can and squirt a quart or quart and a half into the oil filter passages, especially the one that leads to the oil cooler. Squirting into the passage that goes into the internals of the engine helps the bearings out while the engine is being spun.

Then, with the filter on, spin the engine with the starter for a minute. If the pumps any good then you should get oil pressure. Well, maybe leave the filter off or just loose so you can see the oil ooooze out. But the guage, if working should have been good enough to display pressure if it's there.

 

thank you for the double verification. THis is what pineapple racing also suggested me to do.

 

Well I wouldn't do it for a minute continuously for the health of the starter, but I don't think you meant that literally. Just do it in bursts, with a few seconds for the starter to cool down.

 

a) you don't have to disassemble the engine to prime the oil pump, the oil filter housing goes directly to the oil pump remember?
b) if you still aren't getting any suction or pumping after filling up the lines to the pump then you have either a missing gear key, a missing oil pump lock set screw or a loose oil pump drive gear nut.

 

I did what you guys said, disconnected the oil line going to front cover, poured oil down centwr tube of oil cooler and no oil comes out of the tube going to front cover....its like no oil is getting theough the cooler, can u install the banjo bolt incorrectly ? The hole should line up with the tube opening when tight correct?

 

have you already tried removing the filter and pouring oil directly down the inlet?