1981 corvette not pumping oil

have ya checked your oil filter ?

Did you prime the oil pump before putting it in?

How do you know it isn't pumping? Factory gauge? Try hooking up a mechanical gauge if you have one. If not, buy a cheapie to try. It doesn't have to be good or accurate, just show pressure. Sensors on the electric gauges do go bad.

You can also pull a valve cover to see if it is squirting out the push rods.

If you really have none, check the screen pickup for foreign material clogging it. Check the nylon sleeves on the drive shaft are intact and the drive shafts are really engaged into the distributor.

Take an old distributor with no lower gear, put it in where the distributor should be, and try manually spinning it to get oil. You will know by the resistance if the oil is pumping and you should eventually see oil at the push rods if the passages are all clear.

That was pretty good advice Tom....

distributor

You can buy a cheap large screwdriver, bust the handle off and drive it with a drill. Don't laugh, I did it:) To see if the oil is moving, unscrew the sender and crank it. If oil comes out of the hole, the pump is at least doing something. If you do the drill thing, you can feel the pressure come up. The drill will slow down and try to twist in your hands. My 3/8" Skill drill can develop around 50 PSI.

You can also loosen the filter a turn, crank it and see if oil spills out. All easy tests.

The 99 cent stores have large screwdrivers. Lay one on concrete, hit the handle with a big hammer and it will split. Instant oil pump drive rod.

Al

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