PLS HELP: No oil pressure problem

[Mango]

To keep it short.
Clutch cable snapped yesterday, had it towed home only 4 miles (lifted by front wheels)
Got new genuine cable and finally got it fitted.
Started engine and the fuel pressure guage went to nil.
Looked under car to find a small patch of oil beneath near the sump.
Checked oil filter and tightened a bit more, tightened sump plug a touch. Check engine level-max)
With keys turned the pressure shows 4, soon as its started it goes to nil.

Up until now ive had here, google and haynes but now im not sure what to do.

I struggled with the clutch cable routing but dont feel I damaged anything..
Would the towing have interfered at all with oil system?.. Leak a coincidence?
Haynes suggest possible sender problems or clogged oil filter etc

Basically car was running sweet before clutch cable went!!
Recent oil change 10/40w with new filter (purflux)


Please guide me to the components i need to check.

[Nottswoody]

Have you checked the two wires haven't come off the sender? Middle bottom of the front of the engine

[Mango]

Yes gave the two wires a wiggle hoping it had some relevance, looked like the oil system. I know that sounds daft.. But im thinking i have the wires you speak of connected up.

[Mango]

Definately thought not to warm the car up but
Would there be any way to unclog the oil filter valve if the car was run (given that i had lost pressure since having been towed)... Or too risky. Just an idea

[casper]

Take the wires off the sender and clean all four connections.If this has no effect check the connection block behind the passenger headlight.Its called the connector of doom for a reason.:agree:

[Mango]

Thanks, Ill try that in the morning, with ignition switched on and oil pressure reading of just over 4 made me think twice
The oil leak surprised me, Im sure the sump plug has a leak. Will clean everything up and check it for new oil.
I wonder that maybe when the clutch cable snapped something may have been hit by the cable end.

Will be a bit more thorough in the morning:agree:

Is that copper sump washer essential for the seal. (In the pack i got, the copper washer was too small the other one had rubber inside, it worked when first installed)

[Brigsy]

The stock gauge is notoriously unreliable...assuming your oil pressure warning red lamp that is separate to the gauge is not lit up i dare say there is nothing wrong with the engine..check the wiring to the sender as suggested.

[Mango]

The stock gauge is notoriously unreliable...assuming your oil pressure warning red lamp that is separate to the gauge is not lit up i dare say there is nothing wrong with the engine..check the wiring to the sender as suggested.

Thanks for that, I needed to be sure it was safe to run and now its all back to normal, just warming it up kicked the guage back into life after a minute or two :) sitting at 3 on tickover.
The fact that its my daily only makes any potential problem a real ball ache and im being extra careful :agree:

[Alex]

Like Brigsy said the standard gauge is hopeless. If it's your daily driver I'd definitely think about an after market gauge. :)

[GTphil]

To see if it's making pressure, disconnect the king lead, unbolt the turbo oil feed and turn the engine over, if oil squirts out then as Brigsy says i bet the lump is fine. Make sure you use something to catch the oil with:agree:

Hard to explain why a healthy lump just suddenly stops making oil pressure, much more easy for the 20+ year old engine wiring loom to give up the ghost.

[Trevhib]

With keys turned the pressure shows 4, soon as its started it goes to nil.

With ignition switched on and oil pressure reading of just over 4 made me think twice.




An additional bit of information that no-one else has mentioned just yet. The standard gauge/needle tells you two things:

- when you turn the ignition on (but don't crank the engine over), the needle comes up to tell you your oil LEVEL. There is a band on the gauge to show the level and it has nothing to do with the numbers.

- when you start the car the needle then shows the oil PRESSURE, which is measured in bar (i.e. the numbers you see).

The wiring/connections for these two things are separate.

It sounds to me like the only issue you have is the pressure gauge wiring, which is very common.

[Mango]

Thanks all

Ill be sure to head straight here at the next daunting moment :)

Rather than open new thread (i have done a search).. The new clutch cable adjustment leaves me struggling at times to engage Reverse and gears 1-2. Other times its perfectly smooth.
My question, with the auto adjust mechanism; is it constantly self adjusting? causing a variety of adjustments during driving?
I wondered whether i can have any influence on this; other than maybe using a spacer on clutch release fork cable bit, which is obviously bodge..
Or is it simply the clutch is going; i havnt needed that section in haynes yet:agree:

[Woznaldo]

The clutch pedal adjustment is a simple ratchet that takes up any excess play as it goes, so as the clutch wears it removes that additional play. It is not constantly adjusting.

The ratchet has plastic teeth and these can sometimes damaged. If you want to make sure that the adjustment is in the correct position, I'd just pump the clutch pedal several times and see if it feels any different. You might even hear ratchet click to the next position.

[Goobie]

http://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p651/GoobieAli/imagejpg1_zps8ddcf332.jpg

[Mango]

Cheers
funny how I must have looked through that diagram on page 5•4 :)
Ill steer clear of spacers and the like, I should be thinking about the cause, some more researching for me. Planning a transmission oil change but want to read more.

Next ill check for damage to quadrant and toothed cam (im sure theyre fine) then recheck routing.

As it goes the biting point has been ok, reverse crunched when parking; gonna take a look in a bit and check engine over after cleaning it of the oil.

Liking the cleaner looking version of haynes you have

[GTphil]

[quote=

Liking the cleaner looking version of haynes you have[/quote]

:laugh: Mines covered in oil grease and blood:laugh:

[Mango]

:laugh: Mines covered in oil grease and blood:laugh:
:laugh:

Well all sorted.

At the end of my 180 mile trip today the reverse was impossible, i filed a slot in two coppers washers for gearbox end and worked a treat. came across these threads afterwards which were same prob:

tobester

Re: gearbox / clutch
replace the clutch cable first in case it's stretched, change the oil in the box to see if that helps, check the selector rod is still aligned correctly, make sure your engine mounts haven't dropped out!!
If non of the above then it maybe time for a gearbox rebuild!
http://www.rtoc.org/boards/showthread.php?t=12031&highlight=Crunching+gears


Start of project so here goes! (Clutch issue)...
http://www.rtoc.org/boards/showthread.php?t=12031&highlight=Crunching+gears


Not happy to keep them washers in forever though, maybe get something rubber equivalent or bend the washer into a cone shape to seat it better..
Anticipating a new clutch in time so if thats engine out jobby (to do 100%) ill get the car back to shell and resprayed and a new windscreen next year, Cant wait!! :agree: