My car started heating(240 degrees)up on me and started being noisy.

I towed it home.

I thought the engine was toast.

It started the next day to my surprise.

I immiediatly shut it off.

The camshaft had hardly any oil on it.

Loss of oil pressure was one of the symptoms just previous to the break down.

My suspicions are the oil pump.

What do you think?

If not that clogged oil galleries or filter or pick up.

When you lose all oil pressure, a pressure switch closes(opens?) and it turns off the e.c.u., stopping the engine.

Originally posted by TomoHawk

When you lose all oil pressure, a pressure switch closes(opens?) and it turns off the e.c.u., stopping the engine.

Not sure, but if he has a carbed Z then there is no ECU. Not sure if one on a 280 would cut it off or not. Never heard of that:ermm:

My car is a 78 280z.

The oil pressure wasn't totally gone at one point is was.

I contined on for a bit before i pulled over and it was running really low. The engine did cut off though once it went to idle.

I wonder if it sensed loss of oil pressure and cut it off.

Tomohawk: Do you know where i could find that info?

I figured that out when I was looking at the wiring diagram. Might also be in the haynes book, or even the JTR book.

What happens when your oil pump goes out?

Nothing good!

Your car may have died at idle due to increased friction caused by lack of lubrication. The BHP at 700 rpm is not alot.

Please don't run anymore "tests" until you pull the pump (easy to get at from below) and turn input shaft by hand. Any "sticky" spots, grinding noise, or other than smoooooth and free movement should send you to the local parts counter pronto.

If you have an oil pressure gage, you should see AT LEAST 10 lbs at idle, and AT LEAST 30 lbs when you blip the throttle. If you haven't seen these figures there is something terribly wrong!

Drain your oil pan and replace your filter. Examine the waste oil for anything unusual. A clogged filter with a stuck bypass valve can also starve an engine.

After you have fixed or eliminated various problems, then pull your distibuter and use an old dis. shaft in a power drill to spin the oil pump. Have a friend verify that your oil pressure gage shows suitable pressure (turn ignition to run). Reassemble dist. and start engine. If oil gage doesn't read well kill engine immediately.

In worst case you may have an internal oil leak (bad rod bearing, bad gasket from pick up to block, or other) that requires a rebuild.

best wishes and good luck,

Pancho

My first guess being you are a 240 engine is remove the valve cover and check the oil rail across the camshaft.On each end there are little boxes ,thats where they split and kill 240's. 280's oil thru the cam and this was eliminated. While your there you may think about scrapping out that carbon/black sand looking crap. DO NOT!!!!!Loosening it WILL kill your motor.