82 720 kc low to no oil pressure

[Snohomishdatsun guy]

Picked up a 720.

On the test drive I saw the oil light flicker at lower rpms. Higher revs and no light at all.

During the drive home the oil light was flickering more often. By the time I pulled up the driveway it had gone full on. 

 

Oil level was good, if anything about a half a quart over full. After some research on ratsun i gained access to the sender. Found no leaks. Removed sender and it didn't appear plugged.

Installed a direct reading pressure.

Cranked the engine to bleed the gauge tube and got no oil flow. Started the engine with little to no oil in tube. 

 

Any idea?

Anybody?

 

Original engine installed.

Z22 with a newer Hitachi carb.

Runs strong with plenty of pep.

 

116k miles

 

[datzenmike]

You don't need to bleed the oil pressure gauge tube. It's sealed so the oil going in from the engine will just pressurize the air trapped ahead of it. Gauge will still read accurately. So did you get a reading????????? 

 

 

1/ Change the oil and filter. Use Shell Rotella T4 10w30 it's got the original levels of ZDDP. WIX or NAPA Gold filter, NEVER a fram. Find out exactly how much to put in with a filter change. Does the dip stick agree? This eliminates an under full pan from a bad dp stick and gets rid of oil that may be contaminated with, and thinned by gas. If doesn't help, no harm done you now have a proper anti scuff oil in there now.

 

2/ Change the sender. Only $10 at Orylieghs/auto zone/rock auto. Light should come on below about 8 PSI. What if the sender was bad?????

 

3/ If light still on or new gauge reads low, like under 10 then replace the oil pump. For the same price you can get a KA high volume oil pump from a D21 Hardbody.

[Snohomishdatsun guy]

I got the filter and oil today. 

Take it a step at a time. It made it home 😃

 

Thinking about a thread.

Not a build really. Got one of those.

More like make it a daily driver 'Refresh'.

 

I did a temporary install of the gauge with some stuff off big red.

But I had a solid idiot light screaming at me before the gauge test.

It was on the verge of abnormal sounds.

 

Thanks

[Snohomishdatsun guy]

DatzenMike for the save.

Thank you.

I was about tweaking out over this oil pressure problem that turned out to be low, and I do mean low, oil level. 

Was able to get back on Blue this evening and changed the oil and filter. Before draining the oil I checked the level for about the tenth time and confirmed, again, that the it was indicating well over full. As I reinstalled the dipstick it kinda bottomed out then slid in the tube quite a bit more.

I got the truck lifted on the left and slid the jack stand into to place. 

The under side of the engine and tranny is pretty wet but didn't see much dripage. Drained the oil cold cause I wasn't running it again until this problem was fixed. Had to use a breaker bar with a cheater bar to get the drain plug off. Draining the oil was fast, lucky if I got 2 quarts out of it. So I'm thinking, wrong damn dipstick. 

Went ahead and removed the filter, which was almost as tight as the drain plug. Cleaned the oil filter mount, lubed filter seal with engine oil and installed hand tight.

The local China auto parts store was out of the T4 so I got the Ford 10w30 diesel oil. Serviced the engine with about 3 quarts and checked the dipstick. Holy crap, it was showing over the full hash mark. 

Looking at the dipstick the external portion sure looked awful short and there were some kind of bulbous things a couple of inches further down the stick. I was looking at the stick and tube seal or the rubber stopper that's pressed onto the stick and found it loose and could spin it by hand. Sliding the seal down to those bulbous things I rechecked the oil. Hot damn,  it was showing more than a quart low.  Topped off the oil, reconnected my oil pressure gauge and started the truck.

Bam!

 

At cold idle.

 

It was running and sounding much smoother. 

 

As a matter of fact, it was so much better I let the wife drive it and she's sold on it as well.

 

I have started a new thread on the 720 page.

 

82 720 'Blue ' Refresh

 

See ya there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[datzenmike]

Well it may be 4.3 liters of oil when a new filter is used. Find out, you said you put 3 in? It's definitely more than just 3.

 

 

Anyway, easy fix and tragedy averted!!!!

[Snohomishdatsun guy]

Once I adjust the dipstick stopper down it read about 3 quarts.

Topped it to about 4.5.

 

It could have been a lot of money not wisely spent.

Not to mention all the time that this may have cost. I wonder if this was why it was so low priced?

Maybe the po thought it was internal and something major. That's where my mind was at.....

 

Installing the sender and wire as was. I know the oil light is operating properly now.