martian_1894

I got my engine back yesterday from them. Fitted it back into the car today checked filter had oil which it did so fitted back onto the engine full of oil. No plugs have been fitted to the engine yet and it's been turned over to check it had pressure. Oil light on the dash never went out so we fitted a gauge to the normal oil pressure switch hole, turned the engine over again to find the gauge had no reading. So at this point I got desperate and removed everything from the hole and turned it over again expecting oil to come out but nothing!

Please help I need my car back!!

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

May seem asilly one but there is oil in the sump?
Has the oil pump been changed with the build?
And what oil are you using and are you using an oil cooler?
Ryan

martian_1894

yes there's oil in the sump & it is a new pump. Oil is 10-40 as per the sheets supplied by them. Not using an oil cooler.

Jolly Green Monster

iTrader: (4)

Spin it over longer on the starter, it should build pressure eventually

Simon

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

As simon says give it abit longer on the starter but if nothing has happened after about 30 sec's tops then you'll have to get on the phone to David as something is amiss fella.

martian_1894

Don't want to keep spinning it over & over in the hope that it builds oil pressure. The guidence sheet says 20 secs should be enough & we done this everytime we tried a different way of testing the pressure.
Surely after 3 or 4 attemps there should be oil somewhere, we just don't have any.

martian_1894

i would get on the phone but as it's the weekend i won't get an answer until monday & i need the car as it's booked in for a MOT 8am Monday morning & booked time off work to take it.

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

Mate in that case get on the phone as some oil should have moved around the motor by now,doesnt sound to good there mate imho,and it won't be doing the bottom end bearings any good either.

martian_1894

I'll be on the phone first thing monday morning as I'll be losing out on money then as I've got time off work to Mot the car. I've stopped turning it over as I can't afford it to be rebuilt again. I had a new clutch as well so the total cost is nearly as much as the car cost in the first place! I've also now got to find a car to get into work next week.

If I was not so desperate to get the car back I would never have posted on here in the first place as I would always give someone the oportunity to rectify a problem. They tested it before it left them so I can't see whats happened to cause this.

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

Other than internal blockage i can't think of anything either,is there any funny noises or anything?

martian_1894

No funny noises at all. I'm really stuck. They pressure and compression tested it I assume yesterday morning as they fitted the new timing belt then, My dad picked it up for me yesterday about 1pm as he knew I needed the car back and running. We've spent all day doing it as we didn't want to rush it and make sure we didn't do anything wrong and now we have it back together but we can't fire it up.

Jolly Green Monster

iTrader: (4)

30seconds is not long enough..

try pouring a little oil into the hole where the sensor goes to try and help the pump..

you need to crank it for 2minutes at a time a few times and it will sort.

very common and sometimes you have to bite the bullet and refit plugs and start it..

Simon

stann01

thats what i was going to say but jgm beat me to it. just get it all together and fire it up!!
you`ve spun it enough im sure ..

martian_1894

Thanks for your reply. I'll try the oil in the pressure hole to see if that helps. The thing that worry's me is they said they had it pumping oil since then the filter has only been losened to check it had oil and refitted it with the oil they had put in the engine in the filter. I drained the oil they had left in the sump from testing to replace it with new oil. I've got a sandwich plate for my gauges but I wanted the engine running before I fitted it on to the engine.

I'm just not gonna fire it up fully without the go ahead from API in case this causes any damage. i just can not afford it.

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

tbho i agree,thinking about it mate if its been built by David then it will have warrenty so if anything is wrong it will be put right,give it a whirl and see

stann01

prodriverules is right, it has left the a.p.i garage, they were happy to let it go to you, get it started following the right procedure they have specified, if it goes boom they must rectify....

martian_1894

I know he has a great rep which is why I used them to do the engine. I'm just worried if I phone them monday and say. I fitted the engine primed the oil as per your instructions fitted the plugs and fired it up and now it's knocking.

I'll get the reply did the oil light go out when priming?

Me No but it had been done 4 or 5 times.

Then a resonse saying we're very sorry but you haven't followed our guidelines.

As desperate as I am to have the car back I can't afford it to not be covered by something silly like that.

I would fit my sandwich plate for the gauges and check it that way but they lose power when turning the car over so I wouldn't get a reading! We fitted a mechanical gauge direct to the normal pressure hole to get a reading but there nothing at all.

martian_1894

Thats why I won't fit the plugs and fire it up because the oil light on the dash hasn't gone out after being turned over with no plugs in.

stann01

well if that says in the guidelines that the oil pressure light must go out then leave it till you phone david then.
but sure i`ve read somewhere it dont really matter if the light dont go out....

its up to you bud.

martian_1894

My heart say's fire it but my heads says leave it until I get confirmation of what to do.

I brought new plugs for it and there still in there boxes

stedee

iTrader: (4)

i feel for you, just try it for longer but i dont think i would start it until the light goes out

Mrfastbaz

as above better safe than sorry then call api on monday

martian_1894

I want to leave it but I could end up liable for the costs for the Mot which it won't now be able to attend. As I've said before if I wasn't desperate I would never have posted this here. The amount of money I've put into this has nearly doubled the cost of the car, I really can not afford any more costs.

We're going to double check everything again today to see if we can see anything that looks out of place.

I've tried calling API in the hope that someone is doing a little extra work and picks the phone up. I've emailed David but I don't expect to hear anything until Monday after the Mot has been missed!

Jolly Green Monster

iTrader: (4)

How long habe you cranked it for?

Battery on charge? Try jump leads to another car with engine running?

f4la k

iTrader: (1)

I would not start it untill light goes out.( Thats common sense). Take the sump of and check the pick up pipe has not had a dunt and been cracked. Try and use an air line and blow through the oil ways and make sure they arent blocked.

kevin wrx

iTrader: (1)

let us no what happens and good luck

Ian

iTrader: (10)

if it is a new built engine, i would not want to be doing any of that my self. that is what you pay someone to do, to make sure everything is right. that if there is anything wrong

martian_1894

It's been cranked with a fully charged battery as it had lost its charge from standing. We also did the extra boost from another battery as we thought it could be that due to having new rings fitted and it being a little tight. It's been cranked for 20 to 30 secs on each attempt until the last one where we did it for longer praying for it to kick in to life! We tried a little bit of oil in the pressure hole and cranked it but still nothing so we're now leaving it until we have spoken to API, just got to hope that I don't get charged for a no show at the MOT. I'm not removing the sump or anything like that to try and clear oil ways I felt bad enough removing a rocker breather to refit the coolant bracket.

Anyone want to lend me a car until this is sorted? be warned I have 2 young children so expect footprints everywhere! I'm also 137 miles away from API so this is not going to be easy to sort out.

Jolly Green Monster

iTrader: (4)

Your not cranking it long enough imho

martian_1894

Trouble is if I crank it longer after there guidance sheets say 20 secs I could end up with a large bill. I just can not afford anything else. I've had to beg for the money to repair it as is. If I could get the car to them for Monday morning in order for them to check it over believe me I would.

Thing that concerns me the most is they tested it with oil and had pressure. I can't see how it can have lost pressure being loaded in a car removed from a car and then fitted back in. We removed it from the car gently didn't drop it or anything. We've been extra careful with it. The turbo doesn't have it's heat sheild as one of my mates has said they have a turbo jacket for me they're just soo busy to drop it off and I have no car to collect it.