I've been reading members having all kinds of low oil pressure with a rebuild.

Here are a few tips that have worked for me over the years.



Where do I start? Ok Long thread.

Once the short block is assembled, you want to take your time and pay just as much attention to the rest of the build. When I say rest of the build, I mean the front part of the engine. Example, needle thrust bearings,end play spacer,counter weight, oil pump,timing gear and pulley bolt.



I wish my pc wasn't broken, I would have done a picture thread. but anyway here we go.

First thing you want to do, before final timing cover assembly, is to make sure the engine has the proper end play. I have found end play to work really great at .002-.0025 If the engine doesn't have this end play, check the letter your using and adjust the end play with a larger end play spacer or smaller end play spacer.(this is easier done with the timing cover off).



Ok you have the perfect end play and your ready for the oil pump install. Many engine builders have found a problem with AIR BUBBLES swimming inside the oil when the oil is being pumped through the pump and into your engine bearings.

Racing Beat sells a baffle plate to eliminate the nasty air bubbles from swimming inside the oil. The problem I have found is that even with the baffle plate, the air bubbles continue.



This first tip that I'm going to give is 1 of many treasured tips I have had for many years.

The reason I have found air bubbles swimming inside the oil is a VACUUM leak between the aluminum oil pump housing and the engine. similar to running no gasket between the lower intake manifold and the engine ports. The engine will run but you could hear a real bad vacuum leak. The oil pump creates a vacuum as it works, because the aluminum oil pump housing has no gasket between the pump and the engine, air gets sucked in from the outside and into the oil, as a nasty air bubble.



Tip #1

I have made my own paper gasket for the oil pump. This gasket goes in between the pump and the engine. The gasket has to be no larger then half a thousand of and inch. I use school notebook paper. this way your not inferfering with the oil pump to engine clearance.

I have primed the oil pump before the gasket and found the nasty air bubbles, then I primed the oil pump after my gasket and found absolutely no air bubbles coming out and through the oil system.



A simpler tip is to use a very light application of silicon around the outer edge of the oil pump housing(be very careful not to over do it and get a silicon mess, that could go into the body of the oil pump itself.)



Tip #2 on the next page. I'm trying to keep members interested in breaking this thread into sections, instead of a long single page.

Tip #2

Notice that the oil pump has a shaft that is used to align the pump. Take the oil pump before you tighten the 10mm bolts and find the center alignment of the pump. (Move it up and down,side to side and find the best center you can) Once you do that, only bolt down 2 of the 4 10mm bolts and manually spin the oil pump and make sure, it's not binding. Make sure is spining freely. If it's binding, your center is off and the oil pump shaft is rubbing against the side housing.(I have seen oil pumps and side housings destroyed in high revving engines because of this)



Once you have made your gasket or added a lite bead of silicon to the oil pump housing and aligned the oil pump perfect, then you could go ahead and torque the oil pump down.



tip#3 coming up..

Ok tip#3



The nasty O-ring problem that doesn't like to go away.

I have all kinds of different things I do according to the engine application. Street engines,all out race engines and high revving 11,000 rpm engines I do different mods.



For the most common mod I do is.

take the timing cover and right where it meets and squeezes the rubber O-ring I go ahead and take a very sharp center punch and PIT that part of the timing cover(similar to my oil pan mod) when the surface of the timing cover is pitted it keeps the O-ring from trying to walk away when rpms go up and oil pressure is increased.



Tip #4 coming up

Tip#4

The oil pick-up tube. Through out the years Mazda has made different kinds of oil tube pick ups. You need to pay close attention to the proper bolt that is used to tighten the tube. I have found that if the proper length is not used, the oil tube is not properly bolted down but will give the builder the feeling that it is. If the oil pick up tube is not properly secured a low oil pressure problem will arise. This seems to be the easiest part of the rebuild, but I have found it to be just as important as everything else.



tip # 5 coming up

tip#5

ok the engine is in the car and ready to fire up. First things first you need to prime the engine and read some oil pressure. Usually I see about 30psi at cranking speed. that would be 250rpms.



Once the engine is running I manually check for SOLID oil pressure. I take my hand and squeeze the oil cooler hose coming out of the timing cover into the oil cooler. That oil line has to be BRICK HARD to the touch. When that oil line is brick hard that is a sign that you did a good job. You could then pat yourself on the shoulder.

As the engine warms up the oil pressure is reduced and the oil cooler hose will no longer be brick hard at idle but it will still feel quite heavy.





I hope you guys have learned a little from some of my trusted tips that have worked great for many years on all of my engines.

Man, that's really thoughtful of you to do this for us, thank you.



I performed the silicone sealant part of tip number 2 by accident, I thought I had lost a gasket in the kit and was to embarrassed to call and verify if one was sent in the first place or not. Now i'm kinda glad I was to embarrassed to call. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/blush.png

Hey Judge,



What do you think of spraying some high temp gasket tack on the surface before installing the oil pump?

I have this gasket tack in a spary can, I just spryed a bit on the front iron and bolted the oil pump to it.



Hopefully that works because I just built a motor today and did just that.

As long as your creating a type of gasket it should work.

Ito, when you have the chance can you post a picture of this. I'm having a hard time visualizing this step.