I posted a while back about my Camaro not starting, posted a video as well.

The garage charged my battery and cleaned the connections and it starts right up. Problem is, there was no oil pressure. They hooked a gauge up and said there was no pressure at all. Mechanic said more than likely the oil pump is dead.

Fast forward a few days later and I get a phone call from said mechanic and he said the other mechanic told him it's hardly unlikely that an oil pump would just go out like that??? Why wouldn't it? Nothing lasts forever.

The motor is knocking slightly after me driving it to the garage which isn't far, but that was my fault. Turns out he suggests that I get a new motor since the oil pump is pretty much inside the motor. (Which I don't know, I don't know much about cars.)

I got a price on another 3.8 for $750. It has 101,xxx miles and the garage wants $800 to put it in. I told them I want the plugs and wires changed since the motor will be out. Is there anything else I should have them change or add? They are keeping my battery/alternator/water pump/coil packs since they aren't even a year old.

Is that a reasonable price or am I getting screwed?

I tried to talk to the guy about swapping it to a v8 but he acted like he didn't want to do it, said there's too much work involved and it'd be cheaper to just buy a v8 Camaro. Truth?

 

i cant comment on the price they quoted you, but as for what they said about swapping in a v8, yes it would be more cost effective to buy a v8 car than to swap a v8 into a v6 car, from the threads on here ive seen it is very expensive and time consuming to do

 

Swapping to a V8 is a nightmare and VERY time consuming. The oil pumps are not that hard to change compared to a engine swap BUT if you drove the car with zero oil pressure that option went byebye the damage is done.

$750 for a 100k motor is not a good price, My guess would be the mechanic is getting a motor from another Camaro, which are getting harder to find. 4 years ago I paid $650 from a yard for a super clean 2002 (3800) out of a Camaro with 48k on the clock. You can use the MUCH more common front wheel drive motors but it is a lot more work for the mechanic.

There is a good chance the mechanic is marking up the motor. This is common and just basic business. If the motor turns out bad or fails quickly he will have to install another motor for free. They cover this risk by making up the parts they buy.

$800 labor seems like a good price to me. I guess in a shop with a lift it is 10-12 hours to swap motors for someone that does not have everything memorized.

You should have him reseal the lower intake manifold. This is a very common issue if it is the original intake gasket and the motor has been sitting it could fail pretty quickly. Failing oil pumps in 3800 is very rare, while the intake gasket failing and killing the engine is very common.

 

I think Gorn has some good advice, but didn't the shop do any diagnosis to determine the root cause of failure? How expensive to replace the engine oil pump -- might be something to try first if not too pricey.


If you do end up putting in another engine, I would take this opportunity to upgrade your exhaust with some headers and high flow cat, along with cat-back if you have the coin. But yea, if you want a V8, get a different car.

 

If the motor pushed the weight of the car more then a few hundred yard the motor is damaged. Heck even idling the motor for a minute without oil pressure will mark up the bearing but once you pull it into gear and put a load on the motor, that is when the real damage starts. If it was my car and I had the oil pump parts laying around I might try it but to pay someone to install a new pump? You might as well burn your money in a fire place to heat your house.

Your only real hope is that your had oil pressure right up to before he did the test. Also oil pumps do go out just like that. Vanes break, keyways sheer, regulator spring break. regulators stick. In fact an oil pump spines fast, it can go from working fine to unrecognizable pile of scrap in seconds.

 

^ The oil pump (#98 gear set) on a 3.8 is part of the front engine cover.
The gears could be worn, the engine cover housing could be worn, or both to give low to no oil pressure.

 

You also may want to look into the Oil Pump Suction Pipe and Screen Assembly where you would clean the screen and housing with solvent and blow dry with compressed air -- it could be clogged-up, this requires oil pan removal... See diagram below.


Also, here's what GM says about the oil pump cleaning:
Document ID: 47289 Oil Pump Cleaning and Inspection
Caution: Bodily injury may occur if the cleaning solvent is inhaled or exposed to the skin.

Use a suitable solvent to clean the oil pump.
Remove all old gasket material from the engine front cover and from the engine block.
Inspect the oil pump cover and the engine front cover for the following damage:
• Cracks
• Scoring
• Porous or damaged casting
• Damaged threads
• Excessive wear

Inspect the pressure regulator valve for the following damage:
• Scoring
• Sticking in the bore
• Burrs
• Foreign material

Inspect the pressure regulator spring for loss of tension or bending. Replace the pressure regulator spring if damaged.
Inspect the oil pump gears for the following conditions:
• Chipping
• Galling
• Scoring
• Excessive wear

Measure the inner oil pump gear tip clearance.
If the clearance for the inner oil pump gear tip is greater than 0.152 mm (0.006 in) the oil pump must be replaced.

Measure the outer oil pump gear diameter clearance.
If the outer oil pump gear diameter clearance is greater than 0.381 mm (0.015 in) the oil pump must be replaced.

Measure the oil pump gear end clearance.
Measure the pressure regulator valve-to-bore clearance.
If the pressure regulator valve-to-bore clearance is greater than 0.076 mm (0.003 in) the oil pump must be replaced.

 

Document ID: 501825 Oil Pressure Diagnosis and Testing
Low or No Oil Pressure
The following can cause low or no oil pressure:

• Low oil level -- fill to the full mark on the oil level indicator.
• Slow idle speed
• Incorrect or malfunctioning oil pressure switch -- replace the oil pressure switch.
• Incorrect or malfunctioning oil pressure gage -- replace the oil pressure gage.
• Improper oil viscosity or diluted oil
- Install oil of proper viscosity for expected temperature.
- Install new oil if it is diluted.
• The oil pump is worn or dirty -- clean or replace the oil pump.
• The oil filter is plugged -- replace the oil filter.
• The oil pickup screen is loose or plugged -- replace the oil pickup screen.
• A hole in the oil pickup tube -- replace the oil pickup tube.
• Excessive bearing clearance -- replace the bearings.
• Cracked, porous, or plugged oil galleries -- repair or replace the engine block.
• The gallery plugs are missing or improperly installed -- install or repair as necessary.
• The pressure regulator valve is stuck.
- Check the pressure regulator valve for sticking in the bore.
- Check the bore for scoring and burrs.
• The camshaft is worn or poorly machined -- replace the camshaft.
• Worn valve guides -- repair as needed.

Oil Pressure Testing
Tools Required
J 25087-C Oil Pressure Tester

If the vehicle has low oil pressure perform the following tests.

Check the oil level.
Raise the vehicle and remove the oil filter.
Assemble the plunger valve in the large hole of J 25087-C base and the hose in the small hole of J 25087-C base. Connect the gage to the end of the hose.
Insert the flat side of the rubber plug in the bypass valve without depressing the bypass valve itself.
Install J 25087-C on the filter mounting pad.

Start the engine and check the overall oil pressure, the oil pressure switch, and for noisy lifters. The engine should be at operating temperature before checking the oil pressure. The oil pressure should be approximately 414 kPa (60 psi) at 1850 RPM using 10W30 engine oil.
If adequate oil pressure is indicated, check the oil pressure switch.
If a low reading is indicated, press the valve on the tester base to isolate the oil pump and/or its components from the lubricating system. An adequate reading at this time indicates a good pump and the previous low pressure was due to worn bearings, etc. A low reading while pressing the valve would indicate a faulty pump.