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Fri May 23, 2008 9:57 am

Anyone have a pic of how they have packed their oil pump with light weight grease or vaseline prior to starting. Yesterday I tried starting my engine after a rebuild and immdeiately heard a clicking. Fixed that problem (rocker arm was loose on the shaft and slid off the valve, the clip that holds it in place wasn't properly seated, stupid mistake :oops: ).

I also checked my full flow oil line and noticed it was still dry which bothered me. (I only cranked it for 10 - 20 seconds before I stopped to fix the rocker.) I pulled it apart today and confirmed the correct pump and that it was engaged with the cam. Even turned the engine by hand and watch the gears turn. Before I put the plate back on I want to "prime" the pump but want to make sure I do it right for quick oil pressure. Thanks

Fri May 23, 2008 10:08 am

If no one has a pic maybe someone can clear this for me. When they say "pack your oil pump with vasoline" do they mean actually pack it full. Fill all voids? Or just pack it in so the gears are coated. IT seems that if it pack it full the oil will be blocked from entering the pump?

Fri May 23, 2008 10:19 am

I generally pull gears, partially fill voids between teeth with "white engine assembly grease"... Put gears in place, button up motor.... Usually spin up motor with plugs out, you can HEAR when oil pressure builds in motor, as it will speed up some and starter will not labor as hard to spin motor... May take some time to fill FF system, you may want to prefill filter and cooler, before spinning up motor.... Does not hurt to have a idiot ligh or oil pressure gauge connected up to "see" when pressure is up....

Also if motor is still on floor you may want to tilt up crankshaft end some and spin it some, this makes oils pretty much go to real of motor and flood oil pump/pick up area, sometimes it seems to help...

Dale

Fri May 23, 2008 10:22 am

I use a white grease and pack between and around the gears real well. White grease is thin and gets pushed out by the oil. I have the plugs out and the rocker shafts off the engine for the initial spin over for oil pressure.

HTH

Fri May 23, 2008 10:23 am

Thanks ...I was also thinking of just removing the full flow lines and just running a line from the pump cover straight to the inlet fitting on the case until I get the oil issue resolved...Any thoughts?

Fri May 23, 2008 10:24 am

What ever works....

Dale

Fri May 23, 2008 10:26 am

Eric H wrote: Thanks ...I was also thinking of just removing the full flow lines and just running a line from the pump cover straight to the inlet fitting on the case until I get the oil issue resolved...Any thoughts?

I would at least filter it.
Any machining debris that might be present will go straight to the oil galley if it isn't filtered.

Fri May 23, 2008 11:06 am

Fri May 23, 2008 4:42 pm

I push something through one of the small holes in the oil filter to open the anti-drainback flap, then fill the oil filter with oil. When full I remove what I inserted to hold the flap open and install the oil filter.

I have an old oil pump with hose fittings on the inlet and outlet. I hook the outlet hose of the old external oil pump to the oil filter holder inlet. I turn the oil pump shaft with an electric drill and pump a couple of quarts of oil into the engine.

Without the rocker arms installed, I pour oil into the oil hose coming from the oil pump cover and back crank the engine by hand. This pumps the oil back into the sump and primes the pump.

I hook the oil hose from the oil pump cover back to the oil filter housing.

I crank the engine until I see oil pressure. Then I install the rocker arms, adjust the valves, squirt oil on the valve train, install the valve covers and start the engine.

Scott Novak

Fri May 23, 2008 4:57 pm

Good pic by akokarski above... Be sure to pack the hole leading to the oil sump pickup well so you get the best suction...

I broke in an engine last Saturday and it wouldn't build oil pressure for anything. Pulled the oil pump apart and while the gears were packed well, the inlet side of the pump wasn't. After pumping some oil down into pickup tube and packing the rest with petroleum jelly it built oil pressure almost instantly.

Thu Dec 11, 2008 4:52 pm

This happened to me: starting up newly rebuilt motor with full-flow filter mod. No oil pressure. Back filled lines..no pressure. No oil at the sender boss. 4.5 quarts of startup oil in the sump, lines and filter. Removed pump cover....bumped motor and pump turned (no dished cam). Checked the left side hole for the plug that should be there for full flow...it was in. Checked the right side hole where oil comes up from the pickup tube.......plugged too!
I raked the rebuilder over the coals....he swears he didn't do it...no mod he's ever done involved pluggng the "IN" port.
Whattya think?

Thu Dec 11, 2008 5:34 pm

Who built the engine? If you did, you're an idiot. If the other guy built it, he;s an idiot and liable.

Thu Dec 11, 2008 6:19 pm

Eric, you can prime the pump by feeding oil into the output line and turning the engine backwards.

Max

Thu Dec 11, 2008 6:32 pm

The only reason why you'd need to do any of this stuff is because you're not getting good enough cranking speed, or because the pump has too much gear play. If it is right, none of this is necessary. When you fill the case, with the galleys dry, you can add a little extra oil too.. it'll get used up once the engine is filled up, and will raise the height enough to almost force oil into the pump anyway. If you fill the engine sump with the rated amount, it will be higher than the dipstick line anyway until it gets pumped through.

Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:11 pm

A method that I've done for years involves a little plastic bottle filled with new oil. I may post a pic if folks don't follow what I'm suggesting...

Its a plastic bottle with a tappered top. Right before I'm ready to crank it over to build oil pressure, I simply remove the "out" line from the pump cover AN fitting and stick the tappered end of the bottle up tight to the AN fitting. I squeeze the bottle to fill the pump up with oil. I do this a couple of times. I reinstall the oil like onto the AN fitting, and crank it over.

It almost instantly produces oil pressure.

I also like to pour some new oil into the oil filter to reduce the amount of oil the pump must push through the filter to build pressure.

Works every time. :wink:

Sat Oct 20, 2012 11:09 am

you can get a drill driven pump from harbor freight, orange color, put some fittings on it and oil hose. connect it to the inlet port on the engine, stick the other end into oil bottle till empty, then the next etc. I do that in a clean 5 gal pail to minimize mess. :) takes a little time but works. There is a company that sells that as a kit, but its much cheaper do to yourself. prime the orange pump first. just pour some oil in it.

Sat Oct 20, 2012 11:43 am

I use Lucus Racing assembly lube, it has a high zinc content. Pulled the plugs, spun the engine over and in no time had oil pressure....

Sat Oct 20, 2012 12:55 pm

When cranking for pressure on the stand, I just leave output line disconnected from the filter and pointing down into a can till oil flows then hook up to pre filled filter.... of course plugs out and rockers off. Never have packed a pump, just light oiling, striving to maintain dry mating surfaces.

Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:36 pm

:idea: I always used a dab of white assembly grease in the oil pump gears....same with main and rod bearings. It will desolve in the engine oil after running.

Sat Oct 20, 2012 6:26 pm

JPM sells an oil pump primer kit. I haven't used it, but I have other JPM parts and the quality is top notch:

http://www.jpmotorsports.se/products