Club 80-90 Forums

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The main +ve connection on the starter also acts as a connector, allowing current from the alternator to flow to the battery to charge it, as well as battery to starter to turn the engine.

Electrons flow both ways

Thanks carrera

Going through the restart process. I've turned it over for about 40 seconds in total but the oil light is still on. I've checked the oil filter and it's still dry/empty. How long does this take normally? It's a new oil pump.

I'm very aware of how critical this is so I want to get it right... Any thoughts or ideas would be much appreciated.

I don't know as I always fill the oil filter before fitting it... hint hint

Oil light then should be out within a few seconds cranking

937carrera wrote:I don't know as I always fill the oil filter before fitting it... hint hint

Oil light then should be out within a few seconds cranking

Will filling the oil filter help. I thought I read somewhere that it normally fills by itself when being cranked. The battery is not great so the cranking has been a bit slow. Does it need to be cranked at the same rate a car would be or is that an unrealistic expectation for a T25?

Filling the oil filter will be a big help - you should do that on a normal oil change too.

937carrera wrote:Filling the oil filter will be a big help - you should do that on a normal oil change too.

Thanks Carrera. I'll try again with the oil filter filled.

Yes fill oil filter, you will never crank pressure with it empty

Ok, I filled the filter and took out the plugs and gave each cylinder a squirt of oil and gave it a 15second turnover and still the oil light is on. How long can I turn it over safely ?


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You can turn it over until the battery is flat but personally I'd just start it now you have cranked it a while. If the light does not go out in a few seconds then shut it off.

Thanks Paul.

I ended up changing the oil pressure switch and hey presto the light went out almost immediately next try. The one in there was from the doner engine and must have been faulty. With a bit of messing around with the timing I even managed to get her started! No time/daylight left for a test drive but a big milestone achieved.

at least you didn't end up stripping the engine down again, that would have been a right PITA - good call to swap the switch

You won't sleep for excitement tonight

937carrera wrote: at least you didn't end up stripping the engine down again

When that light refused to go out I was seriously worried I would have to!

937carrera wrote: You won't sleep for excitement tonight

I'll sleep sounder knowing that damn oil light is out I tell ya! :

... how's it going then ?

937carrera wrote:... how's it going then ?

Pretty good thanks carrera. Thanks for asking.

I've been for a couple of short runs but the oil pressure seems a bit low when hot (just over 1 Bar according to an old air regulator gauge I have) so I'm not going too far for now. My pressure tester is leaking due to an exhaust burn on the hose and in any case was 0-30 bar so the resolution is inadequate at the level I'm running at. I am ordering a 0-7 bar unit from Germany tonight. I put a new oil pump in but it's 50:50 whether I used the right gasket on the cover so I might have a bit too much clearance between the gears and the cover. Also, I am running 15W40 oil also so I may have made things difficult for myself. The pressure switch I have is from my old engine so I'll get a blue switch I can trust from BW also.

In short, I have been reading your Oil Pressure.. or lack of it. thread with interest...

New pumps seem to be much smaller than the old one I took out of my engine.See photo. There's a good 8mm height difference between the gears on the two models. I'd like to see if the old pump cleaned up to get the right clearance generates a bit more pressure. I might use Paul's dirko method to seal the cover on.

Have you swapped out pumps with the engine in place by any chance? Is it a difficult job?