Pontiac Repair: 92 pontiac Grand AM 2.3 sgl.ohc..., oil pressure gauge, pontiac grand am

Question
92 pontiac Grand AM 2.3 sgl.ohc .
lifters started making noise all of a sudden !
afterwards, car did not want to start . i was told that it was the oil pump . i don't think so ! any ideas, where to start ?

Answer
It could very well be the oil pump. Are you sure it was the lifters making noise and not the timing chain? Also this engine is known for cracked cylinder heads.
First check the condition and level of the oil. If it is milky looking you probably have a craced head and coolant got into the oil which would damage the oil pump and bearings.
If the oil looks OK, hook up an oil pressure gauge and check to see if you have pressure when cranking. If you do, it is probably not the pump.
Then you are going to need to check the timing chain.
All of this is assuming that you do have spark and fuel being delivered to EACH cylinder.