4a032 Oil Pump

[6x6TRex]

Why you should always have a oil pressure gauge on your 4a032!

Installed an oil pressure gauge into the slave plug bracket after reading about oil problems with the 4a032. Never got any pressure to show on the gauge. Removed the governor oil line, no oil, removed oil filter, still no oil! wtf!?!

Pulled the cover off the oil pump and this is what I found! Engine ran fine with no odd noises for 10-15 min like this! Still need to pull 3 more heads and the cam, but no scoring anywhere yet!

 

[6x6TRex]

Pictures of the gauge/oil line and the cracked oil pump gear.

Any ideas as to why the gear would crack and shear the end of the cam off?

 

[jbk]

put a gauge on mine when i installed a new engine. what do you think shered the gear, maybe oil to thick?

 

[doghead]

Maybe a backfire?

 

[Recovry4x4]

I need to go back to the FL Rally grounds and get mine so I can bring it home and service it (add gauge). Been great for the last decade, hate the thought of losing it.

 

[6x6TRex]

What do you think shered the gear, maybe oil to thick?

To my knowledge it only had 10w30 and 15w40 (current oil) in it.

Maybe a backfire?

Engine ran great and never backfired when I ran it.

Going to remove the heads and cam tonight. Hoping for no more damage!

List of parts to buy:
Cam
Oil Pump
Air filter
Air Hoses
Starter solenoid
Fuel pump w/prime lever

Saturn here I come!

 

[doghead]

Are the pump gear teeth damaged? Maybe it was misaligned and stress cause it's failure?

 

[Recovry4x4]

Forgive this slight hijack, has anyone seen any dealers offering mufflers for the 4A032 engines?

 

[6x6TRex]

Forgive this slight hijack, has anyone seen any dealers offering mufflers for the 4A032 engines?

I called Saturn Surplus ~4 weeks ago and they didnt have any. Didnt try any other places, got another Mep instead.

 

[doghead]

Maybe Delks?

 

[coyote62ny]

for the mufflers i would try colmans surplus1-888-478-7758 and ask for john he is there generator guy they would most likly be used parts but in good condition. colmans would most likly have the oil pump parts as well. that shaft twisting off looks like mabe somthing got into the oil pump. i dought that to thick of oil would cause that i run 15-40 oil in my 4ao32 winter and summer carries 40 psi oil pressure when hot. hope this helps.

 

[Kora]

On your oil pressure gage installation, where did you tap in?
Thanks.

 

[6x6TRex]

I'll try to get a picture of it to show it but I put a tee in the oil feed line for the governor at the block

 

[Ratch]

I remember one of my 4a032's having a low oil psi shutoff switch. I forget what it was on, compressor or genset.
Meps should have the electric oil psi gauge already. That's no help if you use the engine for something else, but on the genset, the electric unit should work.

 

[Kora]

6x6Trex, thank you for your prompt reply. Appreciated.
Kora