If the teeth were sheared off and the shaft was not turning, there was no oil being delivered to any part of the engine, not just the top end. When you get the new shaft/gear, make sure the oil pump turns freely. It may have jammed and caused the teeth to shear.

Check the camshaft gear teeth for damage as well.

 

Alright. This is my first V8 Camaro so you guys are talking asian to me. Lol. Where can i find this Cam Bearing and how to get to it. Also what else do i need to adhere to while i have this intake off??? When the car was running before i shut her off to do this only thing knocking was the lifters so i will replace those. Any diagrams on the things you guys are telling me to do and instructions would be nice. You guys are like doctors on this and im like the intern. Lmao. Its my first z28 and i just want her golden. But anyways yeah bottom half should still be fine. No odd sounds. Just noisey *** lifters. But what else should be taken into account while the engine intake is off. Not just the oil issue but other things as well.

 

You can get a new drive assy from GM. Part #1103868. That one is toast. You can replace the lifters if you want, but they were probably only making noise because of the lack of oil. Injuneer was telling you to peek at the gear on the camshaft (you'll have to try to look into the hole at the back where the drive came out). Chances are it is ok. There is not much else to address in the lifter valley. You can try to turn the pump with a screwdriver or priming tool (through the hole) to see if the pump is moving ok.

 

Also as for the reinstalling of the intake and such be sure to go by torque specs because aluminum heads can strip really easy. Even being too tight with a little vibration in the engine can strip the threads out. I found out the hard way before.. and welcome aboard.

Brian

94 Z28 4l60e. Reworked heads ported and polished. Cam 3" catback flowmasters. And common bolt ons.

 

Thank you guys for your help. Really appericate it. Im actuqlly excited because ive had numerous camaros and they were all v6s. Anyways ill post progress here and let you guys know the outcome.

 

But just to ask and im hella curious.... What would cause the oil pump drive gear to become destroyed as so? The engine only has 141K miles. Trying to reach 300K+

 

What was the condition of the plastic retainer? If that was broken, it could allow vertical movement of the shaft, causing incorrect meshing of the drive stub gear to the camshaft gear. If the cam has ever been replaced, there might be a mismatch with the metallurgy. The oil pump may be difficult to turn, increasing stress on the gear teeth. A high volume oil pump would increase the load on the drive system.

 

Alright. Part will be in tomorrow and i finally ordered it. But id like you guys to view the picture and take a look at this cam bearing and. Is she still fine or....? Also the thing is when the oil pressure dropped to 0 the car was driven for about 30 - 35 miles but not continous. On and off to a rough estimate all together. As she was brought home, there was no knocking, no abnormal driving, no SES (Besides Check Gauges), or overheating besides the lifters taping. So given that.... how long do you believe the engine will last after reinstalling the new shaft and a tune up? I plan to replace the engine anyway within a year or so.

 

The fact that you kept starting the car and driving it with no oil pressure, I'm sure you have messed up the bearings and a complete engine rebuild is in your immediate future. Drain the oil and see if there is anything silver or bronze/copper colored in the oil, if so the bearings are toast and it's rebuild time.

 

Well i panned the oil yesterday and observed it thoroughly, i didnt see anything shiny or even gleaming in the sunlight as for shards or metal matter. I got a second opinion on it and was told the oil feels and looks normal and worn. I even pushed a magnet through the drain hole abd came up with nothing.

 

The metal from the stub shaft gear has to be in there somewhere. The cam gear (not a bearing) looks OK. Bump the engine to observe the rest of the teeth.

Cut the oil filter open and see what's in it.

 

Did this fix your issue? Just curious cause i cracked my drive when i installed it cause my tq wrench didnt click