D16z6
75.5 mm wiseco pistons
greddy 18g turbo

so my oil light started flickering at idle after driving the car for about 20 mins but was fine while driving. I bought a cheap oil pressure gauge and it was 10 psi at idle. After about 20 mins it dropped to about 5 psi so I'm assuming the oil pump is failing.

so what exactly goes bad in the pump? I've taken a few apart and there doesn't seem to be much to them.

 

It is possible that the pump has eaten something ferrous and gouged the internal structure of the pump... although it is far more likely that you have a main bearing problem. If this is a "built" bottom end and you used some "one size fits all" bearing kit (like ACL, Clevite, King, etc.), I would put my money on the bearings and not the oil pump.

 

I actually don't know what bearings were used. I bought the bottom end from some one that never used it. It was put together at a reputable shop in Allentown. I can't remember the name if the shop.

I checked the oil and didn't see any contaminants. I have another oil pump that I know is good that I'm going to put on so I guess if that doesn't fix it then I'll tear the engine down.

The engine has been fine the entire summer. This just started happening. If it is the bearings wearing how does that cause low oil pressure?

 

u push so much oil between bearings and crank and loose pressure. i would put the oil pan down inspect for some golden flakes in the pan and oil

 

poor install, worn crank/rod bearings, wear and tear, etc....

 

I'll check the pan when I put the other pump on. If it were the oil pump would it be more consistent low pressure or still intermittent

 

A very rough rule of thumb is 10 psi for every 1000 rpms. This isn't gospel,but a starting point. On most 4 cyl Hondas the pressure at idle is typically between 5-8 psi at idle. The oil pressure switch grounds at 4 psi. So either you have a bad switch or a bottom end problem, not necessarily the pump.



I typically dont respond in threads where the vehicle is modified,because the amount of butchery that occurs often times will skew the chances of a good diag. I need to see the vehicle in person to see what kind of work was done.


But the info I provided should give you some direction.

 

I took the pump off and the clearances were terrible. The gear flopped around terribly. Put the other pump on and the pressure is spot on. Also didn't find any metal shavings in the pan so another win win