How can I tell if my oil pump is bad. 5.4 Triton engine.

 

There must be some reason you are asking this. One way is to hook up a mechanical gauge to the oil galley or where the sending unit is located. You don't provide any addl info regarding the vehicle and there could be other reasons for low oil pressure.

 

I replaced head gaskets, timing chains, tensioners, gaskets, water pump, power steering pump. put new oil in and filter and plug. Fired it up and hear ticking. Checked the dip stick and no visible sign of oil - the dip stick is short not the original. i check the oil fill cap. nothing on the cap. I then look inside and can see the cams move and no oil.

 

If you disabled the fuel pump(pull fuse) and disabled the ignition system so no spark, Remove the oil filter and crank the engine over to see if you can get the pump to push oil at least up to the oil filter housing. If you can get it to there you might be able to get it to fill the filter and oil galley.

 

I have oil pressure in the gauge

 

How much oil did you put in compared to the amount you drained out?
What year is the vehicle?

 

If the tensioners were destroyed the shavings could have blocked the pick-up screen for the oil pump.

 

Its a 2003 Expedition.

The tensioners were intact but replaced them with new ones

 

The path of oil flow is up through the heads to the cam brgs.If you have oil pressure it just may take a while for the air to get out of the system. Just one little question, did you match the head gaskets exactly with the ones removed? If you got this far, just double check in your mind everything you installed and there may be nothing wrong at all.

 

That makes me feel better. So how long should I let it run to purge the air? I am 99% sure that we got the correct gaskets in.