You are hearing a knocking sound from your engine; can the oil pump cause engine knock?
The answer is yes. A failed oil pump will cause friction between the rotating engine components, knocking your engine.
When my engine began to make a knocking sound, It was when I troubleshot before I realized an oil pump caused it.
Initially, I thought it was injectors, but the knocking disappeared as soon as I replaced the oil pump.
Click here to read how to open oil pump for repair.
For more details on the subject, please read below.
Can the Oil Pump Cause Engine Making a Knocking Sound
In most engines, fluid from the oil pump inside the oil pan lubricates the internal moving parts.
The engine may sustain damage or wear excessively if one system is improperly maintained. The engine’s bearings and piston rings will wear out if the oil and filter are not replaced frequently enough.
There are numerous types of engine knocking. The valve train and camshafts not receiving adequate lubrication would likely cause a light knock or tapping noise.
This region is the first to encounter lubrication-related concerns. The rod bearing or piston wrist pin makes a medium knocking noise.
As you accelerate, the pressure on the bearings may increase, making the noise greater. If the bearings spin, it will produce louder knocks as the engine speed rises.
This engine area will be the next area to start getting damaged from lack of lubrication after the valve train and camshafts.
The last knocking noise will be heard in the lower part of the motor and may even sound like a thumping sound. The noise will mostly stay the same with a little volume increase as the engine increases speed.
Failed crankshaft bearings cause it and are mostly caused by loss of oil pressure or running the engine without enough oil.
The most common cause of these knocking problems is loss of oil pressure from a clogged filter and oil pickup screen, causing oil pump failure or running the engine low on oil from oil loss through oil burning, leaks, and lack of oil maintenance oil and filter changes.
Few knocking noises may not be from the internal engine parts and oil lubrication system. The front crankshaft damper can also be noisy
Is An Oil Pump Expensive To Fix
The function of the oil pump is to deliver engine oil for engine lubrication and to build up the oil pressure in the lubrication system.
The Crankshaft usually drives oil pumps via auxiliary drives. The delivery rate of the oil pump depends on the size, speed, and type of pump.
The lubrication of an engine has several essential tasks:
- Supply all sliding components with sufficient amounts of oil to reduce friction and wear
- Cooling of engine components to protect them from overheating
- Corrosion protection
- Reduction of noise and vibrations via lubrication
Different Systems Of Oil Pumps Or Types Of Oil Pumps
The following different oil pump systems exist:
Gear pumps; pumps are usually designed as plug-in pumps or pumps with a gear or chain drive. The delivery rate depends on the gears’ speed and tooth gaps. The manufacturing costs of gear pumps are relatively low.
Sickle oil pumps; sit on the control side of the Crankshaft to save space. Because the Crankshaft directly drives them, their pump speed equals the crankshaft speed.
Rotor pumps; like the sickle oil pumps, rotor pumps are located on the control side of the Crankshaft and are driven directly by it. You achieve high oil pressures and high delivery rates. In addition, they work very quietly.
These are the oil pump system or types of oil pumps available in internal combustion
What Happens To Engine When Oil Pump Fails
Could you permit me to use the word destruction?
When the oil pump finally fails, the engine will have:
1. Seizure: This means the engine can no longer rotate anymore. It cannot go front or back. It stuck at a point.
2. Engine block burst: Another thing that happens to most engines when the oil pump fails is bursting the engine. Mostly the piston usually bursts the block.
3. Broken Crankshaft: Some engine experience broken Crankshaft due to oil pump failure when the friction becomes unbearable.
4. Thick black smoke: Before the seizure, the engine will emit heavy black smoke from the exhaust tailpipe.
5. Banging noise: When you hear the noise as if two metals are hitting each other, it is a sign of friction due to oil pump failure.
With these 5 things, you should know that your engine oil pump has failed.
What Causes The Oil Pump To Fail
These are the factors that are responsible for failed oil pumps.
1. Tear and Wear: An oil pump can fail after working for some years without replacement. However, it can work for a very long time, not forever.
2. Wrong engine oil: Every oil pump has matchable SAE oil. If the wrong engine oil has been used, it is either too thick or too watery for the pump to pump. So before you buy oil, check the owner’s manual.
3. Foreign particles: if foreign particles enter the oil pump through a broken oil strainer, then they can cause damage to the oil pump.
4. Low oil level: if the oil in the sump is too low for the oil pump to suck, it may have friction and damage.
5. Poor engine maintenance: For example, if the oil is not changed as when due, and the oil from sludge, then it can cause oil pump failure.
Will A Car Start If The Oil Pump Fails
A failed oil pump will prevent the engine from starting. How? Read below.
1. Oil switch: in a modern car, there is an oil switch that will prevent the engine from starting due to no oil supply. If the switch does not receive oil, it will not pass a positive signal to the ECU for the engine to start.
2. Seizure: If the oil pump fails, the engine will seize due to friction. Then the starter motor will not be able to rotate the engine enough or at all to start.
If your oil pump fails, your car may not start, except if the oil switch has been removed.
But if the oil sensor remains, it will keep passing a shutdown message to the ECU.
Conclusion
You have learned that the oil pump can cause engine knocking.
You also have to understand what will happen if the oil pump fails. Don’t forget to note the causes of oil Pump failure.
You also understand the role of an oil pump for maximum engine power.
It would be best to remember that your engine might not start due to a faulty oil pump.
Click here to read causes of oil pump failure.