Oil Pumps

An oil pump is an integral part of your engine's lubrication system, and this pressurized system is designed to circulate oil to lubricate and cool engine components.

From the oil pump outlet, oil passes through your oil filter to remove impurities and then moves through oil galleries to deliver pressurized oil to the moving engine parts. Once lubricated, the oil drops into the sump, and from there, it is sucked back towards the oil pump by the motion of the pump.

Driven by either crankshaft or camshaft, your oil pump can reside at a number of places on your engine. Your oil pump works in conjunction with a pressure relief valve which works to detect any oil pressure build-up. Once detected, the valve will open and direct oil back to the sump. These relief valves are normally a spring-loaded pressure sensor that opens when the pressure exceeds a certain spring tension. The design must have enough relief valve capacity to reduce the pressure sufficiently so no damage is done to the engine.

When the car is started, the oil pump will start working, driving oil pressure around the vehicle. When you have a cold engine, the colder oil temperature means the oil pump will have a high oil pressure as the oil viscosity will be thicker. Once the engine is up to normal operating temperatures, hot oil has a thinner viscosity. If the oil pump fails, it can provide too much oil pressure or the opposite of too little oil pressure. Higher oil pressure can cause the oil filter to fail or blow out oil gallery plugs in the engine block.

Things that greatly reduce oil pressure are engine oil that has been left in your vehicle for far too long, which can partially block the oil filter or using too lower weight oil (too thin) for the design of the engine. High-mileage engines with normal engine wear will have excess bearing clearance that will cause oil pressure to bleed through the larger gaps. They will also be burning oil through worn valve seals and cylinder walls.

As stated, an oil pump provides oil under pressure to internal engine components, and this pressurized oil ensures no metal-on-metal contact. Take note of the below signs, as oil pump failure is usually catastrophic if not caught in time.

• Oil pump noise - this is an uncommon symptom but can occur if you hear a whining or whirring noise whilst the car is idling. This may indicate the oil pump bearings are worn or scored.
• Oil pressure light comes on, even if only dimly lit means there is low oil pressure in the engine. Likewise, if your oil gauge is not reading at all or not at the acceptable gauge pressure, you have a problem. This is due to your engine oil pump not being able to move its normal oil volume through your engine. The light is turned on when it is triggered by the oil pressure sender unit not having enough oil pressure. This means a reduced oil flow or, worse, none at all. Same as the oil pressure gauge, the electronic pressure sensor is experiencing the same issue as the light. If you notice these abnormal oil pressure readings, you should take action immediately, as an oil-starved engine can lead to major internal damage or complete engine failure.
• Increased temperature within the engine - if you are no longer getting normal oil pressure in your engine, it can create overheating. As engine oil lubricates and cools, metal-on-metal contact generates heat if not sufficiently coated with oil.
• Hydraulic lifter noise - lifters need enough oil pressure to pump up so they can maintain the correct valve actuation between the cam and rockers on a pushrod engine. If there is low oil pressure coming from the oil pump, it prevents enough pressurized oil from getting to the lifters, and they become noisy as the clearance between the valve and rocker has increased.

This is a difficult question to answer as it depends on the vehicle you drive, what brand you get, and more. To get an accurate price on a replacement engine oil pump for your vehicle, contact your local store, and they will be able to provide you with a price and availability.

When it comes time to replace your oil pump, quality and reliability are crucial to ensure oil is being pumped around your engines at the normal oil pressure. After 100 years in the automotive industry, we know which brands offer long-lasting, unparalleled solutions.

Repco provide quality oil pumps:

• Constructed from the finest materials to provide longer life.
• Designed and engineered to deliver OE performance
• Manufactured to meet and exceed the OEM specifications and guidelines.