'02 Trans Am Lost Oil Pressure

**stevo5662** · 04-23-2012, 06:00 PM

My sister owns an 02 trans am and she lost oil pressure while driving. The car was immediately shut off and parked. Checked all the dummy stuff. Car had oil. Oil filter wasn't plugged. So I started tearing into it to figure out what was going on. No metallic fragments or shiny material was found in oil. (good news). So i tore the front end of the motor apart to get to the oil pump, and oil pickup tube connection. Visibly nothing looked abnormal or out of place. Pickup tube was still connected. Could not get to the single 10mm bolt that holds the pickup tube to the bottom of the pump. Gonna have to drop the oil pan to get at that. So then i decided to take the oil pump apart i removed the front cover to inspect the internals. No major damage was found but i did find some grooving across the front face of the internals and the back face of the front cover. like the impeller was rubbing the front cover a little bit. Im not sure if that grooving is considered an acceptable amount of wear. Keep in mind that this car only has about 45,000 miles on it.IMG_4933.jpg IMG_4940.jpg IMG_4936.jpg

Here are a few photos of the grooving inside the oil pump. Anyone know if this is normal or does it look like this pump is trashed? Also if this pump looks ok or normal what other things can i look for that would cause this loss in pressure. Also checked the "freeze plug" on the oil galley underneath the timing cover and that was in tact to.

**reaper ws6** · 04-23-2012, 06:25 PM

did u check your oil sending unit?

**stevo5662** · 04-23-2012, 06:28 PM

No i didn't but if your hunting down the road of a bad reading on oil pressure i don't think that's the case. The motor sounded dry. When i changed the oil filter and fired it up after that it was chattering pretty good. But just not to leave anything out whats the best way to test the oil sending unit?

**LETHALxLS1** · 04-24-2012, 11:09 PM

Replace it IMO/ check wires to make sure the connection isn't broken. I am not sure about the sending unit on f bods but the sending unit in my Old IROC went out slowly ( the oil pressure read lower than normal until it was sitting on zero at idle and would hit 15-20 psi while driving) not to say that they can't just crap out but.....

I would buy a good ported oil pump at this point.

**2002ssslp** · 04-25-2012, 05:51 AM

It sounds like your pump is shot. Replace it with a SLP unit or similar, replace the OPSU if you can get to it, you may have to pull the intake, take a good look in the oil pan and use a magnet to fish out any metal shavings, make sure the pick up is clean and put it back together. Use Lucas with 5W 30 to fire it up. Good luck.

**LETHALxLS1** · 04-25-2012, 10:52 PM

This is what you need. Texas Speed and Performance - Texas Speed Ported LS6 Oil Pump.

With the new O ring option.

**tdevil55** · 04-26-2012, 02:31 AM

Originally Posted by stevo5662

No i didn't but if your hunting down the road of a bad reading on oil pressure i don't think that's the case. The motor sounded dry. When i changed the oil filter and fired it up after that it was chattering pretty good. But just not to leave anything out whats the best way to test the oil sending unit?

I would replace it if your also replacing the pump IMO. Just get a replacement from the parts store. You do need to check the one wire that is in the connecting boot to make sure it's not worn or severed, that would also give you a false reading.

**robs98mysticZ** · 04-26-2012, 06:44 AM

Originally Posted by LETHALxLS1

This is what you need. Texas Speed and Performance - Texas Speed Ported LS6 Oil Pump.

With the new O ring option.

Great unit i just installed this 2 weeks ago along with cam install...pressure is amazing...when they say 10psi increase at all times they were right

**Strange Camaro** · 05-01-2012, 05:07 AM

Kind of weird to adress tdevil, specially from strange camaro on my first post !!!

None the less, I've been reading throught this LS1 site for many many valuable informations and I thank you all for contributing to our group knoledge, unvaluable.

I've been looking for this oil pressure sender and wire and can't find the XXX thing! After taking my 2001 SS with 100,000miles out of storage, the ''check gauges'' turned on and the oil gauge shows 0, are these 2 related, and where do I find this sender, or fuse??? Motor is running good, oil normal ???

Thanks
SC

**0rion** · 05-01-2012, 05:33 AM

sender is on the top of the motor just behind the intake on the drivers side....black cylindrical piece that sticks up.

**Strange Camaro** · 05-01-2012, 06:08 AM

Thanks
and can the ''check gauges'' and no oil pressure be related?

**jiveass** · 05-01-2012, 06:29 AM

yes they are related....whenever one of your gauges gets below acceptable range, the check gauges light comes on....i see this from time to time when my gas gauge is low. BTW, very good idea to change the sending unit as stated.

**jiveass** · 05-01-2012, 06:31 AM

also, has the engine had any mods or anything that would cause it to run rich and dump fuel into the cylinders, thinning the oil?

**Strange Camaro** · 05-01-2012, 06:44 AM

Quite a bit of ''bolt on'' mods, headers & exhaust system, coils & wires, 80mm trottle body, TB bypass, HP programming but same cam, intake and injectors for the time being.

But as mentionned, I don't get a lower reading on oil pressure gauge, I get no reading at all, the needle doesn't move period! I suspected the #sensor or wire, now that I know where to look for it, I'll be looking into it tomorrow or thursday.
thanks
SC

**jiveass** · 05-01-2012, 06:47 AM

if the tune is improper, it could be flooding gasoline into the cylinders and thinning the oil..its a longshot, but smell the dipstick and see if its gassy...

**Strange Camaro** · 05-01-2012, 06:59 AM

I will, thanks for the advice, makes sense

**tdevil55** · 05-05-2012, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by jiveass

if the tune is improper, it could be flooding gasoline into the cylinders and thinning the oil..its a longshot, but smell the dipstick and see if its gassy...

Just to add, had a friend just do a cam and injector change and no tune yet, and he had a file dump problem causing the oil to thin, but he still had some oil pressure. I feel the problem is sensor or the indicator on your cluster took a dump. Not saying you could have a fuel issue, but of the engine is running fine and not overheating, then I would guess there a sensor or cluster issue. Just my 2 cents.