My cam belt went on my 95 wrx so I have just changed heads with a second hand pair and new head caskets and water pump and full cam belt kit, finished putting it back together today put 4.5 litres of oil in it but didn't seem enough on dipstick have now put 5 litres in it although I am parked slightly up hill it's not reading full but around half and my oil light is on very dimly and my tapers/lifters are very noisy???? Any ideas guys please

 

Oil light doesn't mean low oil, means low engine pressure!

 

Oil pressure isn't made in the pump, it's created due to the gaps in the engine. As in putting your finger over the end off a hose, if you get me.so may be an issue with the rebuild

 

You have no oil pressure to your heads , it's running dry ,, & will soon die

 

The oil pressure light is either on or off. It could flicker if the pressure is around the trigger point but if it's on constantly but dim, it's probably an electrical or sender problem.

JohnD

 

Thank you that would explain why the lifters are noisy, have you any ideas what I could have done, this is going to mean I have to lift it back out and buy another top end casket set don't it??? Thanks again

 

Thank you if it was just the oil light I would think this is right but I do have noisy lifters and lots of smoke too thank you though anyway

 

This sounds about right mate I didn't think about oil pressure? Have you any ideas what it could be, the only thing that I can think of is maybe I put the head caskets on the wrong way round and didn't line all the holes up right?? That would do it wouldn't it? Or do you think it's worth trying a new oil pump now too thank you

 

I think I see what you mean but wouldn't I have an oil leak then???? I thought maybe I put one of the caskets around the wrong way? But wouldn't this make lots of pressure rather than low pressure thanks for your help I'm almost at the point of scrapping it but spent so much time and money on it now, if I strip it again would I have to change my head caskets again? I have only started it and left it running for a minute or two a couple of times??? Thank you

 

Yes it would be recomended that you use NEW gaskets again im afraid as the standard gaskets have now been compressed again where you have torqued down the head, any previous issues with oil light? I take it you didnt?

Would have thought that either you have blocked the oil galleries which is preventing the oil reaching the heads or something is blocking them or you have been rather unfortunate and the oil pump has given up the ghost!

Bit of a tough one to diagnose over the web tbh, and if it was the pump and you end up stripping it back down at this point and find the gaskets are correct and everything is as it should be, then you have the added cost of new gaskets and then the pump on top, bit ****ee for you to be honest pal!

 

Cheers fella sounds like you no what your talking about, no I had no oil light issues before the water pump went which is what caused the belt to go! When I was doing second head I realised that they can go on wrong and wondered about the other side but it seems to be the side I double checked that I have issues with? I didn't want to take the first side off again because I had torqued it down but just going by the bits that stick out the sides it looked ok? And like I say it seems to be the side I'm 98% sure is right, so you think it would be worth buying an oil pump first before I take engine back out? Oil pump must be much easier to change than head casket??? Also would it be worth trying an engine flush incase some some dirt has falling into oil ways when I was cleaning them up??? Thanks again I no its hard without seeing and being their in the rebuild etc but you advice is greatly received, I'm no mechanic but have always liked tinkering and air fix kits lol no different just bigger.... I have done all this before just never a scoobie I was worried about buying one because I knew nothing about these engines, had mine three weeks, addicted to it but been spending and rebuilding it for last three weeks and just want to drive her again now... Thank you

 

To be honest fella i would probably speak to one of the rebuilders on here, you have plenty to choose from and they all give sound advice, its just alot of people dont have the funds to do as they recommend, but they are a well of knowledge with this kind of thing, it has been known before now for an oil pump to go once engine had been disturbed but it is very few and far between but stranger things have happened! Oil pumps are pretty fairy priced and can get uprated ones for around £150, wouldn be a bad idea anyway if mileage is high and you plan on keeping it for a while, i cant comment on your driving style lol but it certainly wouldn hurt to replace it and its piece of mind for yourself as last thing you want when out is low oil pressure. If your doing oil pump timing belt has to be removed, are you running a new belt since head work? If not again i would change it, dont want to be doing this work for the belt to fail after it!!
Im NOT telling you that IT IS THE OIL PUMP but 9/10 if light comes on then normally not a good sign especially if you have lifter noise in the heads, its getting starved and not providing the pressure required to pump oil up to the top, just double check that wiring is correct and is not shorting anywhere on anything to bring the light on, but certainly judging by what you have mentioned its not looking too clever im affraid as you may get a little noise when first started after being apart but should clear up quite quickly and the oil light should go off!

 

Yeah I'm pretty sure it's not wiring cause it comes on after about 20/30 seconds ish and yeah I brought new cam belt idlers and adjuster new water pump multi layered steel head caskets, it's looking more n more like oil pump, the oil was pure filth that came out and I put millers 10/50 cfs in it? You are a star fella, I will stop pestering you now and try find the engine builders you speak of thanks again

 

No worries fella glad i can help a little, sorry cant be more definitive but more than likely pointing towards the pump from the info given

 

*gasket

 

[QUOTE=Infected by sti;10780568]No worries fella glad i can help a little, sorry cant be more definitive but more than likely pointing towards the pump from the info given[/QUOTE

Lmao I'm soo blonde at times, I had oil and water wire on wrong way round hence reason light was comin on strangely!!!!! I'm just about to take the oil pressure switch out to see if I have pressure a mate said I could have a bit of an air lock in there so taking its time???? Fingers crossed

 

[QUOTE=hardcore199;10780674]Oh and I double checked with old gasket and old head and found that if it was wrong way round then I would have the hole for oil way poking out the top so I'm sure that's fine now

 

Probably still cleaning the oil up......

 

Yeah she is running sweet no mate thank you, just took a bit longer than I thought to quiten the tappers down they are a bit noisy still but I will live with that for now and get some new ones ordered up