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No oil pressure after head swap m20 325ix

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    #1

    No oil pressure after head swap m20 325ix

    Hi all,

    Hoping to get some help with my 1989 325ix. I swapped in a new head with 272 cam. Car ran well before the swap. I used all new parts, did the front and rear main seal, intermediate shaft seal, and buttoned it up. Car ran for 30sec but oil pressure light didn't go out. I turned it off. Disconnected the pressure sensor a d the oil light goes out. I checked the valve train and it was dry! I found a partial blockage in the camshaft drip bar. Draining the oil (10w40) and it was clear. Pulled off the oil filter and it was dry!!. Now this car was super dirty, I spent a long time cleaning it. Am I looking at a clogged or failed oil pump? Any risk of intermediate shaft issues? Anything else that would cause dry head and dry oil filter? It's an ix so not super keen to pull the oil pan but I think that's my next step...

    Help in next steps would be great!
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    #2
    if you ran it like that for 30 sec, most likely cam/rockers are shot. I would also inspect the crank and its bearings.

    It appears that you skipped a very important step after the reassembly - manually priming the engine.

    You can still try to prime it and see if you get any pressure and oil flow. If still no go, time to start disassembling and inspecting things.

    Just making sure....you did reinstall the oil pump drive rod, right?

    Comment

      #3
      Was there still assembly lube on the parts when you took it apart again? Agree with Zaq, never fire up an engine without priming the system by manually turning over the engine at a minimum.

      Comment

        #4
        You need to put a drill on the oil pump shaft to prime the oil while manually turning over the engine a couple times. Then your oil pressure light should go out within a couple seconds after firing it up.

        Comment

          #5
          Originally posted by zaq123 View Post
          if you ran it like that for 30 sec, most likely cam/rockers are shot. I would also inspect the crank and its bearings.

          It appears that you skipped a very important step after the reassembly - manually priming the engine.

          You can still try to prime it and see if you get any pressure and oil flow. If still no go, time to start disassembling and inspecting things.

          Just making sure....you did reinstall the oil pump drive rod, right?
          30 seconds? Nah. at least not assuming there was assembly lube on it.

          sounds like it could be many things. clogged pickup tube, missing oil pump drive shaft, etc. Also it's possible to put a RWD intermediate shaft in the ix block, which will result in no oil pressure (because it turns the pump the wrong way).
          Build thread

          Bimmerlabs

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            #6
            I also doubt there will be damage if there was assembly lube. I had an m54 e46 in the shop one time where the owner forgot to refill the crank case after an oil change. Car idled for a good 30 min before I checked the dip stick, there was zero damage.

            As far as RWD vs AWD pump drives, don't see why anyone would take that out during a head swap (OP doesn't mention a bottom end rebuild).

            Check the rocker arm shafts. They can be installed the wrong way with the oil passages facing up, this would completely block the flow to the head.

            While it may or may not be the issue, one would think the pressure would be fine since the oil pressure sender has a passage that goes right to the oil filter housing boss. If it were plugged up by the head, wouldn't pressure be showing up to that point - then the pressure relief open on the pump?
            john@m20guru.com
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            Transaction feedback: Here, here and here. Thanks :D

            Comment

              #7
              well, it sounds like it came to him not running, so who knows what the condition of the block is.

              Most people have no idea that they have different oil pump drive shafts, same thing happened to me (ran the RWD intermediate shaft, no oil pressure). Which is also why I really doubt that any damage to the head was done in 30 seconds.. that was like 100,000 miles ago now.
              Build thread

              Bimmerlabs

              Comment

                #8
                Better be good assembly lube. +/-500 cam turns in 30sec (if one tried maintain 2k rpm to break it in)....not sure how much lube will be left there...Hopefully all is good, inspect it


                Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

                Comment

                  #9
                  Originally posted by ForcedFirebird View Post

                  Check the rocker arm shafts. They can be installed the wrong way with the oil passages facing up, this would completely block the flow to the head.
                  Are you sure that is possible? I mean you could install shafts the wrong way but that would prevent the key slots facing out or rocker clips not fitting correctly...no?

                  Comment

                    #10
                    it's possible if you don't put in the key (common when people don't know what they're doing).
                    Build thread

                    Bimmerlabs

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Originally posted by zaq123 View Post
                      Better be good assembly lube. +/-500 cam turns in 30sec (if one tried maintain 2k rpm to break it in)....not sure how much lube will be left there...Hopefully all is good, inspect it


                      Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                      the rockers and cam are really hard.

                      Like I said, that happened to me 100,000 miles ago. If there had been damage I'm sure I'd know by now..
                      Build thread

                      Bimmerlabs

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Originally posted by E30_Doc View Post
                        Hi all,

                        Hoping to get some help with my 1989 325ix. I swapped in a new head with 272 cam. Car ran well before the swap. I used all new parts, did the front and rear main seal, intermediate shaft seal, and buttoned it up. Car ran for 30sec but oil pressure light didn't go out.
                        Originally posted by nando View Post
                        well, it sounds like it came to him not running, so who knows what the condition of the block is.

                        Most people have no idea that they have different oil pump drive shafts, same thing happened to me (ran the RWD intermediate shaft, no oil pressure). Which is also why I really doubt that any damage to the head was done in 30 seconds.. that was like 100,000 miles ago now.

                        Running car, only a head swap.


                        Originally posted by zaq123 View Post
                        Better be good assembly lube. +/-500 cam turns in 30sec (if one tried maintain 2k rpm to break it in)....not sure how much lube will be left there...Hopefully all is good, inspect it


                        Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

                        Re-read my post. Old motor with 100k on the clock, ran like that for 30min. Not even lube, just residual oil on the moving parts. Maybe not a 2k rpm break in, but a car will idle a long time without damage. EDIT: What gave it away was a lifter started clapping - immediately shut the car off and checked the oil, only to see the two gallon sealed containers on the seat. :/


                        Originally posted by zaq123 View Post
                        Are you sure that is possible? I mean you could install shafts the wrong way but that would prevent the key slots facing out or rocker clips not fitting correctly...no?

                        Originally posted by nando View Post
                        it's possible if you don't put in the key (common when people don't know what they're doing).

                        Go look at a set of rocker shafts. The retainers and rocker keepers will still fit on a set if they are up side down in the head. I have assembled hundreds, if not thousands, of m20 heads and I always set them on top of the casting prior to sliding them in to make sure the holes are down. If you slide a set of shafts out of a head, flip them over so the holes are up, then put the exhaust back in where the intake was, the retainer slots and rocker keepers will still go in, and the oil passage holes will be on top. ;)
                        john@m20guru.com
                        Links:
                        Transaction feedback: Here, here and here. Thanks :D

                        Comment

                          #13
                          No oil pressure after head swap m20 325ix

                          Originally posted by ForcedFirebird View Post






                          Go look at a set of rocker shafts. The retainers and rocker keepers will still fit on a set if they are up side down in the head. I have assembled hundreds, if not thousands, of m20 heads and I always set them on top of the casting prior to sliding them in to make sure the holes are down. If you slide a set of shafts out of a head, flip them over so the holes are up, then put the exhaust back in where the intake was, the retainer slots and rocker keepers will still go in, and the oil passage holes will be on top. ;)


                          I get what you are saying but it is still pretty hard to make that mistake....it will be obvious that rocker holding clips are facing the wrong way... is it possible...absolutely. Maybe that’s is why BMW puts red dot on the front of IN shaft or the back of EX shaft?




                          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                          Last edited by zaq123; 04-23-2019, 04:28 PM.

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                            #14
                            No oil pressure after head swap m20 325ix

                            Double post...sorry
                            Last edited by zaq123; 04-23-2019, 04:29 PM.

                            Comment

                              #15
                              No oil pressure after head swap m20 325ix

                              Just trying to picture how one can make that mistake....still don’t get it. If you rotate ex shaft 180 so holes are up and slide it in IN with the front key slot aligned to the center, rockers won’t alight with valves as shaft has rocker holes and clips spaced out so the cyl 1 IN goes first or cyl 6 EX goes last. IN and EX shafts are made the same, identical, the same part number. If you install EX shaft in IN with front key slots inward and rockers set over appropriate valves, oiling holes will remain on the bottom ...EX and IN shaft are the same. Am I missing something???

                              It is possible to install the shaft with oiling holes up but the front locking key won't fit as its slots will be 180' out. It is also possible to put oiling holes up and alight the front key slots properly but the rocker holes/clips won't alight with valves in this scenario. So I still don't understand how this mistake is possible
                              Last edited by zaq123; 04-23-2019, 04:47 PM.

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