The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Oil Pump Prime

What the big secret with getting the oil pump to pick up the prime?

I need to see if everythings alright before I close the motor up. I have the correct tool to reach and turn the rod, but after several minutes on several speeds I cannot see any oil flowing through and out of the rocker assem. Does it take awhile for the oil filter to become saturated?

hello modelman. which engine are you working on? i ask because some engines have a different procedure to get the oil from the pump to the top of the engine. for example , some v8 engines have to have the distributor housings or a blank housing to complete what would otherwise be an open passage.

If you changed the oil filter and didn't fill it before you installed the new one it will take quiet awhile to get oil to pump anywhere else first. It will try to fill the filter up.

GaryG,

I have a 305 V-6, I pulled the filter cartridge and it was well saturated and full. If I am not mistaken the firing order on my truck will have the distributor running counter clockwise.

I removed the oil cart. holder and put a LARGE pan under the holder and spun the pump shaft with a drill and the oil flowed out like a faucet, no problem with the pump. Closed everything up and pumped for 3-4 minutes still nothing can be seen "lubricating the rocker arms assemb." I though I would at least see a drip or two!

Next thing I will try to do and it will cost me a gasket it to remove the cam shaft and lifter cover to see if there is any oil going in there.

There has to be a reason for this. Do you think that I have to trun the crank a few revolutions to check that. It turns great, I don't know what to check next.

Any ideas would be great.

Model....One thing for sure...don't start the motor til you know you have oil flow

I've seen what happens when people say oh hell I'll start it!!

Off to Italy in the morning!!

Yes, turn the crank. Turn it 90 degrees or so and prime it. Continue for at least one revolution. I'm not familar with your V6, but usually some of the oil passages see pressure only at certain points of the rotation.

Yup, don't fire it till you see oil at the right places. I don't know the oil flow pattern in a 305-V6. On some motors, lack of oil to the rocker assm can mean a misaligned bearing shell or a loose/missing oil galley plug somewhere.

good luck

chip

hello modelman.i went way back in the lounge section to look at the pictures of your engine and see what kind of rocker arms it has. i would loosen up those rocker shaft supports and lift them up a little to see if there is oil supply holes in them to feed the shafts. some times oil is delivered through the supports to the shafts, sometimes the supports that supply oil have special skinny bolts to allow oil to flow.try turning the oil pump with these supports lifted a little. you'll have to readjust the valves later , but i think it's worth a look. maybe a bolt is in the wrong place,or the supports are a little clogged. you mentioned media blasting some parts, is it possible a little media got trapped inside? just a few more ideas. hope this helps. good luck.

On my 228 GMC I had to run the drill a long time before I started to see oil running of the rocker arms. It was like 5 minutes or so. I also agree, don't start it until you are sure everything is getting oil.

I'll pull the rockers arms later this evening and then run a micro brush through all ot the openings. According to the Shop Manual, the oil does push up to the RA shaft and then flows toward the rear off the motor then downward to the pan., Push come to trample, i'll pull the cam shaft cover and check that area.

Jake

As you are turning the oil pump look down in the hole where the distrebutor should be and see if the oil is flowing into this hole and returning to the pan. If it is, then it is the same as a 350 chev. On the 350 you have to either, use an old distributor with the gear removed and turn the oil pump with it, or machine a piece of pipe with a groove cut around for the oil to flow by. It is by far easier to find an old distributor and remove the gear. You have to do this to get the rocker arms to oil.

NEWS FLASH I THINK I HAVE IT LICKED, Here is the secret!!! I was only using two quarts oof oil and althought the filter was becoming saturated it just was not enought to keep it fill and move oil throught the motor, I was following the Haynes manual on rebuilding the Ch**y 350 motor to learn a thing or two as well as the terms and it said to use two quarts. After pulling the filter apart and turning the shaft clockwise (The correct way, I was wrong) I hope my wife did not here me type that!! oil shot out like a faucet. I added another quart and wham-o oil shot out the (removed) rocker arm shaft hole, It's ALIVE, IT'S ALIVE.

I'm grateful to everyone who helped with an idea, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I was willing to pull the heads off to see if by WAG if i had put the head gaskets on upadie down and backwards.

OH HAPPY DAY

modelman, that is great news! good luck with the project.