Replaced the clutch, blew up the engine? - NO oil pressure

[damagd]

I highly doubt that they're related, but that's what happened. 1985 1.9. Removed tranny to install new clutch. Engine needed oil after reinstalling, topped up with 10w30 Castrol High Mileage because that's all I had laying around (been laying around my garage for like 10 years if that matters). Engine did have 20w50 in it, so they got mixed together. In short, the oil light came on after about 10 miles. Would go off if I kept the RPM's under around 2500. Not leaking oil. If anything, oil was maybe a little too full. Got stuck in cattle chutes on the highway, had to keep moving. Engine lost some power and is tapping pretty badly. No knocking. Towed home. Tested oil pressure with a tester. No psi at any rpm. Engine does not sound very good because of the tapping. Question is, what damage has definitely been done? I'm willing to rebuild as this engine has a lot of miles on it anyway and I have the time to do it. Just need to know what I'm looking at. Or possibly purchase a good used engine to keep me running. Also open to swapping (Subie, Bostig, etc....but haven't really researched any of that yet.) I just find it REALLY hard to believe that a good running engine all of the sudden lost it's oil pressure at the same time the clutch was replaced.

[MarkWard]

The 1.9 is a stout bottom end. It’s really unlikely you caused a problem by mixing oil brand and viscosity.

Did you have the flywheel off? How are you checking the actual oil pressure to determine it’s zero? Even an engine with a spun bearing will have some oil pressure.

Probably time to dump the oil and see how it looks. A clean catch pan. Report back. Sorry.
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[bobhill8]

I'm no expert, but it's hard to imagine that there is NO OIL PRESSURE at any RPM. Are you confident that the test was performed correctly? I would start there before making any big decisions.

EDIT: Listen to Mark
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1986 Westy
1971 Squareback

[Silverghost500]

Are you basing it not having oil pressure on the oil light, or an actual oil pressure gauge connected to the engine?
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1986 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia "Von Westy"
Honda K24A converversion-Road Testing Phase
3-Speed Automatic

Von Westy YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbhyZYxJEQrUuLnMbLleeIA

[Sodo]

Dang it. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Hope you can get thru this. I think there are more than a few used take-out engines available, hopefully in your geographical area.

One thing to note is mixing engine oil weights, ages or brands cannot contribute in any way to failure. It makes no difference whatsoever..

[MayorMcCheese]

[Sodo]

[zerotofifty]

Cattle chute? what is that? How you get stuck on one? I have driven over plenty of cattle GRATES, never got stuck on it.

You kept moving with low oil pressure warning and tapping noise? Good grief, you beat it to death. When the light comes on, you shut down, dont keep going unless Godzilla is after you, in which case you wont go far.
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Give peace a chance. No American war with Russia!

[E1]

Without knowing just what “too much oil” and “tapping” means, it’s hard to know.

I like Sodo’s concept of oil foaming, but pressure has to be WAY LOW to trigger the light. But I think this is your possible issue.

These vans hate even oil at the top mark. Many of us know it burns off to where it wants to be, I run it *below* a quarter-distance up from the low notch.

When overfilled at all above the high notch, it *will* clog the breather, and my personal theory is that’s where excess oil burnoff happens by crankcase pressure forcing tiny amounts of oil from the breather into the hose going to the intake — but so minutely it may not produce blue smoke. Remove and clean that hose, and possibly the intake boot, I’ll bet they’re full of oil.

You might drain the oil and see if it’s metallic. If it is, worries grow. No issues mixing oil grades or even types, but over time or as a habit it’s not recommended. Mobil 1 15/50 synthetic for me, though it might make seal leaks show up that may not show with 20/50 dino oil.

I very much doubt you hurt the engine so quickly. Once when I filled it above the top mark (for only the one time!!!!!), it *did* trigger a weak and flickering pressure light. Was it running really hot when it was loud?

I’m backing Sodo’s foaming oil theory. It makes great sense that could trigger the pressure light. When you drain it, please measure how much was in there as a knowledge base for us all. A compression test is also advised, but ONLY after replacing the oil and to the proper amount.

I pour in barely more than four quarts after a change, including a new filter, idle maybe 30 seconds, check stick after five minutes (it reads lower if done immediately), add about 6 oz. at a time, and redo the process to check again. I like 0.1 to 0.25 on the stick.

I also am totally sold on a quart of Lucas Oil Conditioner per change, the tappet silencing on startup is Uge. I like Marvel Mystery Oil, too, but mostly in the fuel from time to time.

Good Luck and let us know what’s up.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[zerotofifty]

[mikemtnbike]

[damagd]

Thanks for all of the responses...

[E1]

Change oil, clear breather hose, check compression, and I think likely you’ll be good to celebrate.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[MarkWard]

The fitting in the case is open to the oil galley. Worse case, you installed it too deep, but I doubt that.

Is your gauge and hose trustworthy? Maybe something is plugging the hose? Try blowing compressed air and see if you get some gauge movement.

If you had the flywheel off, did you check the endplay before and after? It could be possible to not have the shims seated properly. But that’s a stretch.

Bottom line, if the engine truly has no oil pressure, there is a restriction in the pickup, the oil pickup is not sealed to the case, or the oil pump drive has failed. It’s unlikely not a stuck open pressure piston.

All unrelated to the clutch job or the oil mixing. Assuming your gauge is correct, I’m afraid it’s serious and you should drop the oil into a clean pan as I suggested earlier.
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[tjet]

I've had the oil buzzer come on when mine was too full. Removed some oil (middle dipstick mark) all good.

BTW, I would not use 10 year old oil.

[Sodo]

[E1]

No idea if mixing oils can cause foaming, but that running too much oil can.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[Wildthings]

Sure we aren't looking at an early 1986 model with a dynamic oil pressure warning system? That would cause the light to come on at higher rpms and not lower ones. If your tapping is the hydraulic lifters bleeding down you may well be fine once your determine what is wrong, but if its the bearings, its likely going to be time for a replacement engine.

It would be hard to mess up the fairly simple thrust bearing shims on the crank of a 1.9L engine while reinstalling the flywheel, whereas with the 2.1L the one shim can fall out of place and cause problems, it needs to be held in place with grease when installing.

Trying to reset loose crank end play on a 1.9 would be a no no and if you did so you might have spun the thrust bearing, just like with a Type 1. Not very likely this would happen though.

[damagd]

Bench tested pressure gauge, and it works. Hooked up to engine and made sure it was in snug. Still zero pressure at idle or 2500 with engine warmed up. Waiting for oil to cool and will empty it to see what I got...

[damagd]

Drained the oil. Oil looks normal. Oil dripping out of the hose to my pressure gauge was very foamy after I disconnected it. Oil Breather tower hose was clear. I find it hard to believe that the oil pump went out coincidently while changing the clutch. Oil light came on after about 20 miles of driving since the change. I'm starting to lean towards something getting messed up with the rear main seal shim area since that's the only part of the engine that I messed with, replacing the rear main seal. Is this a possible area to cause some sort of clog?