Opinions on oil pressure/oil pickup

[staninlowerAL]

My LoBoy engine has not been started for about 3 months due to a fuel leak. After repairing the fuel leak and starting the engine for the first time I noticed that the oil pressure gauge did not register. I shut down the engine, begin checking and found the oil level was about 1.5 quarts low. I knew the oil was somewhat low but there has never been a problem with the oil pressure. I added enough to almost reach the FULL mark and restarted the engine and running at medium idle rpm, the oil pressure immediately came up to above 30 psi cold, after warming up it still holds about 20 psi. I did not prime the oil pump, move the tractor or do anything else except add oil. The question for opinions is: (1) is it possible that the oil level was low enough to be below the pickup point or (2) possibly a hole in the pickup line that allowed the pump to not pull the oil from the pan? Anyone experienced a similar problem? Thanks, Stan

[Scrivet]

Sorry, don't have any experience with your question. I make it a habit, unless I've used it already that day, to always check the oil and coolant levels before starting, especially one that's been sitting three months. It's part of my starting routine just like turning on the gas, shaking hands with the shifter, increasing the throttle or pulling out the kill switch. At least you were watching the oil pressure, which should also be done on every startup.

OK, for some reason "turning on the gas" isn't part of my startup routine every time . Of course when that happens, it's not really the startup routine but the beginning of the troubleshooting routine, which turns into the Homer Simpson routine (DOOOOOOH!), which then returns to the startup routine.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

On a cub the oil pump is behind the upper left edge of the flywheel, rather than in the oil pan as most engines are. It has to suck the oil up through passages in the block, then fill the oil galleries and oil filter housing before any pressure shows. Since it was 1 1/2 quarts low, and only holds 3 quarts, It may not have had enough oil to prime and build pressure.