Ive got a 95 dakota 4x4 with the 3.9 in it. I changed the oil yesterday, and everything seemed to be fine. I was driving, and all of a sudden the oil light came on, and the pressure dropped to nothing. I pulled over and shut the truck off for a few minutes, and when I re-started it, everything was fine. Now today it's doing it again. It seems to be fine until I really step on the gas, and then the light comes on. Does this sound like a bad oil pump to you guys? Thanks

Matt Poker

 

It could be a bad oil pressure sending unit.

 

what oil did you use? Also you can pull the oil cap and the oil well truck is running and you should see the oil ogg on the valves. I would try the Oil Pressure sencer* first. That should be about 20$ or less and it changes like a spark plug that is right behinf the air fillter.


If it is the oil pump you may as well just do a motor swap, as to just get to the oil pan the front axle,starter,cross member and top of the motor mounts, and front skid plate need to be pulled.

With air and two guys I would say it will take you 4 to 6 hours.
With out air and two guys about 9. That is if you get the first oil pan gasket in with out any problems. I just got mine back together today.

 

I'm sorry, but your advice is terrible dude. I don't know if you've ever changed an oil pump on one of these trucks, but its not that bad. There is no crossmember to remove that can be removed. The only crossmember under the engine is very much welded to the frame rails. Also, the engine mounts are definatley not in the way, nor is the starter. Also, you're recommending to him that he spend hundereds of dollars on an engine swap compared to $60 on a new HV oil pump?!?!?!? Especially considering it takes MORE work and MORE time to pull an engine than drop an oil pan!!!

Here is how to remove the oil pan...

Put the front of the truck as high as you can on jack stands and remove the front axle. To do this, remove these the 6 bolts holding each CV axle on:

DSCN0224.jpg?t=1248056871

Next, remove the two bolts holding the front axle center section to the frame:
(drivers side)
DSCN0227.jpg?t=1248056484

(pass. side)

DSCN0225.jpg?t=1248056933

Next, remove the center link from the steering assembly:

DSCN0226.jpg?t=1248056981

To do this, remove the idler arm, pitman arm, and tie rod end joints from the bar.

Next, there is a bracket on each side of the engine that needs to come out. They are black brackets that connects to the engine, transmission, and front axle/frame.

Next, remove all the oil pan bolts, drop the oil pan, and replace the pump. I would strongly recommend that you put in a rear main seal while your at it.

This is the oil pump:

DSCN0223.jpg?t=1248057374

I would also recommend you take the time to remove the inner fender wells, because this will give you room to reach some of the bolts.

But before you go through all that, like I said before, replace the sender unit:

DSCN0222.jpg?t=1248057443

oilpressuresendingunit.jpg?t=1248057454

 

9 hours? Wow that's a little extreme. I guess if you don't work on cars/trucks much perhaps. I did mine not too long ago and it only took me, by myself a few hours. The hardest part was raising the front differential back into place with my crappy floor jack. Other than that what 95_318SLT said.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone. I just took a look at it, and everything looked pretty simple. I'm gonna go start tearing into it now.

 

Lol, that brings back memories from me doing mine. I would have to agree that that part sucks. I have a fairly nice floor jack, but that axle is just such an odd shape that its impossible to find the center of mass to balance it.

One more thing to add... either replace or clean the oil pump pickup screen like seen in my above picture.

 

Yeah, it wouldn't be so bad, I don't think with a tranny jack because it has tie downs at least. As far as the pickup screen, ABSOLUTELY clean or replace. Mine was almost 2/3's clogged with hard almost baked on sludge. When I saw it I figured maybe it was just that but, since I had it apart already it seemed silly not to replace the pump. Six of one half dozen of the other...

 

your right a $60 HP oil pump is not as much as a motor swap. all I was saying was it took a long time for me to do it. Your photos are very heplful. & 9 hours was parts running, lunch, and finding a jack that would work.