I bought a series 2a. (my 3rd 88) no oil to head (runs fine) 40psi indicated at inlet to oil filter, with filter off it'll pump 3 qrts. out before you can shut the key off !!, with the filter on but about .150" from seating, i don't get hardly a pencil line of oil out of filter. obviously a plugged filter right? it does the same with another oil filter.
the prev. owner had a non rover shop work on it...... they'd forgotten to refill the case with oil. it was driven about half a mile and quit. bottom end sounds fine but despite blowing the pipe to the head and from the lower block back to filter....... i can't get any oil to head and I assume little to the mains.
with obvious pressure indicated on analog guage and the fact that the pump will blow a lot of oil (with filter off) what's going on? i've considered weak or intermittant pump operation (gears) plugged passages in block and others the but this inescapable observation of no oil making it out of the filter is something i have not cracked yet.
I've read these forums time to time and know there are a few sleuths out there!
I'm actually a retired marine chief engineer and have figured out some real mysteries before but this one just isn't making it...... i only had 2 days to work on this (in the driveway) and had to park it.