Is it about to die...?

[hayesey]

yeah I'd be surprised if a 1/2" drive socket will fit between the flywheel and sump pan.  Get yourself down to halfords and buy a nice socket set with some 1/4" stuff in it, or borrow one off someone.  The only other option would be removing the gearbox which isn't even worth thinking about!

[g40chris]

1/4 socket set it is haha

i need one anyway as its easier to get into awkward places like this

[g40chris]

i have taken the sump off and taken the pick up pipe off and cleaned it up as it was clogged. the oil had a shimmery metallic look to it, hoping this was crap from the rebuild.

i have blown an air line through the sensor holes again and also blown into where the cogs are by near the pick up pipe on the oil pump. i have blown through where the oil filter sits. blowing through the hole in the middle of the thread blows oil through and comes out by the cogs. i also have blown through the small hole at the bottom where the oil filter sits and it seems to blow through and oil comes out near the top of the diagonal pipe on the oil pump. should there be a gap by there.

[scotsjohn]

If you're getting oil coming out of that area it sounds like the pump face isn't mating up correctly with the pump body;maybe worth removing and re-fitting. A leak here would explain low oil pressure. It's quite a critical area where they rely on good machining rather than gaskets. The oil pump's a self primer otherwise every time you cornered hard enough to cut the oil supply, you'd break the flow. Oiling/Vaseline/ Wynns etc. at start-up are just to stop any metal to metal contact until the pump is operational.

[scotsjohn]

See you're looking for pics Chris. Does anyone have a schematic of the oil supply? that would help too.

[g40chris]

well i vaselined the pump gears up, cleaned the metal mesh on the pick up pipe. refitted the sump, took the head off and blown through every oil way and water way to make sure they are clear. refitted head, fired it up. i have oil getting up to the tappets and cam, a small amount came out of the sensor holes but that stopped and hasnt came out of the holes again.

might have to take the sump back off and take the oil pump off as you said and re-fit if there is not supposed to be a gap there. but the gap is about 2mm wide