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Priming oil pump in motor

mrk5

mrk5

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Curious on other's thoughts. I'm putting a 454 in the crew cab. I installed new oil pan, pump, and pick-up. The motor has been flipped over on the stand several times so most all oil is drained out. It has been almost 6 months since last ran.

I'm thinking I should prime the oil system. I have the tool to do it. I'm debating about whether before or after the motor is in the truck would be better.

Doing it before gives me the advantage of more easily fixing something if there is a problem plus easier access to the distributor hole. Also I can more easily line up the distributor to the oil pump.

Doing it after would allow me to connect the oil pressure gauge. Also wondering if there could be any pitfalls to having oil in the motor during the reinstall.

I feel like priming it on the stand is the best way but then I wonder if I'm overlooking something. I'm sure I'm over thinking this but I want to do it right with this motor.
 
Is it even possible to prime the engine with it in the truck? Would seem pretty tough even with the hood off. I'd have to look, but pretty sure the centerline of the distributor is "under" the cowl. Or at least real close.

I did mine on the stand. I figured if there was oil coming out the rockers, oil was circulating, and at drill motor RPM, could not have a catastrophic oil problem.

What kind of gauges? If electric, all you need to do is extend the wiring and provide the gauge with power and a ground, plus the sender. Three wires.
 
sweetk30 said:
your going to know if its pumping with a drill . . . so you will know it has pressure .

if me I would do it out of the vehicle as said for easy of the job and easy to fix anything .
Click to expand...

this ^

and it's easier with the engine mounted and the cab off the frame.
 
I'd prime it on the stand. If something isn't right you won't have to pull it back out.
 
Smokinthehippies said:
Why not just plug in a $15 pressure gauge on the stand
Click to expand...
I see Harbor Freight has one.

dyeager535 said:
Is it even possible to prime the engine with it in the truck? Would seem pretty tough even with the hood off. I'd have to look, but pretty sure the centerline of the distributor is "under" the cowl. Or at least real close.

I did mine on the stand. I figured if there was oil coming out the rockers, oil was circulating, and at drill motor RPM, could not have a catastrophic oil problem.

What kind of gauges? If electric, all you need to do is extend the wiring and provide the gauge with power and a ground, plus the sender. Three wires.
Click to expand...
I did wonder if there would be room to get a drill on the primer next to the firewall. It would be easy to run an length of wire from the existing sender wire.

skunked said:
this ^

and it's easier with the engine mounted and the cab off the frame.
Click to expand...
Lots of things are easier. LOL

bent72 said:
I have a gauge and primer
Click to expand...
You have too much painting and packing to do. I'm dropping the motor in first thing Saturday morning.
 
Prime it in the stand, and you can use a mechanical oil pressure gauge from your favorite parts store doesn't have to be a special tool.
 
As Brett said when the pump starts pumping it will put a noticeable load on the drill. It would be beneficial to turn the engine over by hand a revolution or two between priming cycles to fully lube the bearings.
If on a stand it wouldn't hurt to give a squirt of trans fluid on the cylinder walls either.
Remember the cylinders/rings don't get any oil until the engine is running and the rods are throwing oil.
 
Years ago they used to sell a pressurized aresol can of "pre-lube" ,it had a hose with a 1/8" NPT fitting you would screw into the oil sending unit hole,it would pre-lube all the oil passages and lifters,etc..never used it myself,the few engines I had apart I just put a good blob of STP or Motor Medic type stuff on the bearings and cylinders and the other parts to avoid a "dry start"...

It was popular at oil change lube joints back when the 231 V6 Buicks used to get air locked after the oil was drained out--lots of those engines wouldn't prime after being drained,or not soon enough to prevent damage..

I'm not sure if that pre-lube stuff in the can is still around or not..
 
76zimmer said:
If on a stand it wouldn't hurt to give a squirt of trans fluid on the cylinder walls either.
Remember the cylinders/rings don't get any oil until the engine is running and the rods are throwing oil.
Click to expand...
Why transmission fluid?
 
You can prime a BB in the engine compartment. I primed mine with the guts of a dizzy and a standard 18v big battery DeWalt drill. It's tight though.

In reality the only advantage you will see to priming it on a stand is catching a missing galley plug and being able to plug it. Other than that you won't know till you fire it. It would take a pretty nice drill to get 50 psi out of it I imagine.
 
It's way easier to prime it and turn the crank on the stand. As Brett said, you will feel the pressure build. We just get used to having to see a gauge reading.
 
mrk5 said:
Curious on other's thoughts. I'm putting a 454 in the crew cab. I installed new oil pan, pump, and pick-up. The motor has been flipped over on the stand several times so most all oil is drained out. It has been almost 6 months since last ran.

I'm thinking I should prime the oil system. I have the tool to do it. I'm debating about whether before or after the motor is in the truck would be better.

Doing it before gives me the advantage of more easily fixing something if there is a problem plus easier access to the distributor hole. Also I can more easily line up the distributor to the oil pump.

Doing it after would allow me to connect the oil pressure gauge. Also wondering if there could be any pitfalls to having oil in the motor during the reinstall.

I feel like priming it on the stand is the best way but then I wonder if I'm overlooking something. I'm sure I'm over thinking this but I want to do it right with this motor.
Click to expand...

Did you tack weld the pick-up screen to the oil pump? If not right now is the time to drop the pan and do so, they are welded from the factory for a reason and that reason is on BBC's the pick-up screen likes to come off the pump if not tack welded on.

When I was building engines I always used Michigan bearing lube on all bearings when assembling and also put it in the oil pump and it is thick enough that it won't drain away so no need for priming with one of my engine builds, not all people use this though and not knowing what you/someone used I would prime engine before installing and DO NOT install the engine with the distributor installed as it's too easy to accidently break.
 
Looks like I am late.

Another approach: Pull the plugs and disconnect the power from the distributor ( I have a flip switch on my ignition). Then turn over until you have pressure. Put the plugs in and connect the power. Fire up.

Without the plugs there is almost no load on the bearings -- it spins easily.

This is what I do if the truck has sat for awhile.
 
I pre-oiled my small block engine in the engine compartment. It was a tight fit though to get the pre-oiler into the distributor hole, and then get a drill hooked to it. The only draw back to pre-oiling it on the engine stand is having oil in the engine while trying to get the engine into the engine bay. You would have the oil filter on it, and if you tilted the engine too much trying to get it in, you could spill oil all over the place.
 
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