We have a 2001 Dodge Dakota 4.7 that is draining us dry.....We had a valve seat drop out of the motor so we had both heads machined and cleaned, new lifters, valves, seals, new timing chain and replaced a million parts only to get it back together and have it running and sounding great but getting low- no oil pressure. We replaced the oil sending unit- didn't fix it, replaced oil pump....thought it was fixed because the oil pressure jumped up and stayed until we drove it and it fell again....any ideas of what to try next??? We put a pressure gauge on it at first reading no pressure....changed oil Filter (for the second time in two days) and it is now reading between 12-20 when just sitting running.....just drove it and dropped to zero pressure before we even got to the end of the street. We are at our wits end the stress and cost are becoming too much...Thanks

 

Welcome to DF

Read this article on oil problems and trouble shooting. Are you losing oil?

http://www.aa1car.com/library/us1097.htm

 

Thanks we read that and had already decided that it may be the pick up tube screen being clogged.....so the next step is to remove the oil pan and try cleaning it out....crossing our fingers that it works!!!!

 

No we are not losing oil and there are no noises coming from motor.....so we are hoping that means the main bearings and cams are ok....since the top part of the motor is basically new and there were no metal shavings in the oil we drained else so far

 

Just throwing this out there.. I have the same problem... Tested actual oil pressure and it was good.. My brother had a dodge, and also his father in law.. all had these problems.. they ate oil.. they all had transmission problems..

Just kinda throwing it out there..Get a mechanical gauge and put on there and see what its actually giving you... now this is gonna throw a check gauges light.. but it will actually tell you what is going on with the oil pressure.

These trucks are plagued with faulty and poorly designed components..