Ken,
I like Jim's advice, but I would first remove the vacuum pump and prime the
oil pump directly with a drill-driven slotted shaft such as this:
http://techtonicstuning.com/main/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=634&products_id=1614
(You could make a priming shaft from a piece of wooden dowel.)  You will
feel an increasing load on your hand-held drill if the oil pump is creating
oil pressure.
Mike

On Fri, May 8, 2015 at 4:18 PM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:

> 1. Head gasket on upside down, blocking oil access to the head. Make sure
> you can see OBEN on the head gasket near the notches.
>
> 2. Possibly the oil pump is not engaging the vacuum pump despite the fact
> that it seems to. The vacuum pump drives the oil pump.
>
> 3. Stuff sat around before the rebuild and mud daubers built a nest
> somewhere. It is easier to find another block than to find the blockage.
>
> 4. The main bearings were installed without the halves with the holes in
> them; or the holes are on the wrong journals, or they are installed upside
> down.
>
> Off the top of my head, that's about it.
>
> If you really want to know if oil, any oil, is getting to the head, pull
> the valve cover.
>
> Jim
>
> On Fri, May 8, 2015 at 5:49 PM, kenneth wilford (Van-Again) <
> kenwilfy@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> > I thought I would ask for advice/cry on everyone's shoulder.  I have been
> > working really hard the last two weeks installing a 1.9l TD conversion
> into
> > a customer's Vanagon.  Today was going to be the happy day of firing it
> up
> > and doing the break in.  Instead, I am sad because so far, I have no luck
> > getting the brand new engine to make any oil pressure whatsoever :-(
> >
> > Here is the story.  Brand new engine, filled with 15-40 oil.  Cranked the
> > engine for at least 5 minutes while we were getting the fuel system
> filled
> > up and bled.  The oil light was on the whole time, but because it is a
> > conversion I thought maybe it wasn't working properly.  We finally got
> the
> > engine to start and it ran sweet, sounded great and I was happy that all
> my
> > hard work was over.  All of the lights on the dash went out except for
> the
> > oil pressure.  I thought maybe it was an electrical glitch so I shut the
> > engine down after about 30 seconds of running and checked the wiring.
> > Seemed fine.  I installed a pressure gauge in the port in the head.
> > Started the van up again, ran for another 30 seconds or so and no oil
> > pressure at all.  Shut it down.  Check the vacuum pump and it seemed
> fine.
> > Pulled it out looked at the oil pump shaft.  Hooked up a rubber hose to
> the
> > pump shaft with an air tool to allow us to turn the pump itself at decent
> > speed.  Turned the pump clockwise for at least a minute, still no
> pressure
> > at the head.  Reinstalled the vacuum pump, making sure that it seated all
> > the way down (it drives the oil pump) and  cranked the engine over
> several
> > times.  Still nothing.  Cracked the oil filter, it was full of oil so
> that
> > just cracking it, it ran out.  I didn't put any oil in it because it was
> on
> > a decent angle and I figured it would just mostly spill out anyway.  So
> > something pumped oil into the filter, but I am not seeing any pressure at
> > the head port.
> >
> > At this point, I spoke with the engine builder.  They said maybe I just
> > haven't let it run long enough period of time to get the air to bleed out
> > of the system and that I should run it for another minute to be sure it
> > isn't still just trapped air.  My experience is that these motors make
> > great oil pressure, usually it is pretty quickly made (just a few
> > seconds).  I am going to try the longer run and see if anything good
> > happens but I am not hopeful.  If anyone has any thoughts or advice,
> please
> > let me know.
> >
> > --
> > Thanks,
> > Ken Wilford
> > John 3:16
> > www.vanagain.com
> >
>