Problem - engine break in

[Corwin]

I've finally finished my engine/tranny install and am ready to start it up for the first time (brand new engine). I'm following the break-in instructions on aircooled.net but I'm having a problem.

I'm supposed to be able to crank the engine over until oil squirts out of the oil pressure switch hole, but I've been cranking it until my brand new battery is nearly dead and nothing is happening. There's not even any oil getting to the filter...

Somoene please help! This is pissing me off.

[zerotofifty]

try to prime the pump. since you have afilter, sqirt lots of oil into the filter lines, back to the pump, this should help. also pre-fill the filter with oil. i thnk you also can get oil inoto the pump by forcing it down the oil pressure sendor hole.. once you get it primed, it should be ok. if you do not see pressure, dont crak it too much , else damage can happen if no oil.

besure spark plugs are out makes less wear on engine. some folk even remove the rockers to prevent cam wear unti oil pressure comes up.

besure teh oil gage is working also,

good luck

[Corwin]

Thanks, I've tried all that but maybe I just need to crank it more. I've got the plugs out and even taken the rocker arms off (dual springs). Argh.

[73stroker]

This is what I did and it worked great.

Pulled the plugs, pulled the rockers, connected up my stock oil sending unit. Made sure the oil light came on when I switch the ignition to on. Then I kept cranking until the light went off. That is pressure because the light will go off when the sending unit gets oil between the ground and the pin (I think that's how it works inside of the sender) to "break" the circuit to shut the light off. It took a goo 5 - 10 minutes for sure.

Replaced everything and fired her up and ran it for 20 minutes at 2200 - 2500 rpms.

I've put over 500 miles on the engine and 2 times down the quarter and she runns great.

my .02

[74 Thing]

There is air between the pick up tube and the oil pump. Pull the hose that runs from your full flow cover to the oil filter and take a funnel and pour some oil into the hose-then turn the engine backwards using the crank pulley or alt pulley nut. Do this a few times. Then hook up the hose again and cran with the pusrods and spark plugs out-you should buil pressure then.

[Corwin]

I eventually got it, thanks. I just took one of those gear oil pumps you can buy at Napa or Autozone or wherever and pumped the oil into the oil pressure switch hole until it seemed full and cranked it over a few times and presto.

Glad I had a spare battery.