The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 Oil Flow

I have spent over a year installing a rebuilt 235 in a 53 3100. The oil pump lost it's prime & it took several 30 second spins with the plugs out just to get oil to the port the gage connects to. Is it correct to expect to lose prime after several months ?

Also with no filter on the motor if I put the gage on the lower oil port & plug the one just above it ( that I assume would be the return port for a filter ) is that the correct way. I do not want mess up my oil flow or pressure.

Thanks, Kelly

If you had run the engine or spun the oil pump before setting it shouldn,t have lost its prime. The return from the filter is toward the front of the engine ahead of the exhaust pipe. If the outlet has a tee you can use it or the out let to the pressure gauge. You may want to spin your oil pump by takeing out the dist & using a drill with ascrewdriver blade or an old dist with the gear removed. I have a pressure cannister made from an old fire extinguiser that I put in the pressure outlet.

I primed the oil pump & spun it when it was first set in the truck last spring. Oil flowed at the outlet I am useing for the gage & flowed to the lifters very strong.

My two concerns are the motor losing oil pump prime setting for several months .

And the right ways to use the oil ports. I want to use an oil gage & no filter. Will It do any harm to the oil flow or presure to plug everything except the one hooked to a gage (It is low & to the rear of the block).

Thanks, Kelly

Yes that is the right way for the oil outlets. I suppose the oil was still in the engine while it set. I have no clue why it would lose it,s prime. You might think about an oil filter in the future. The bypass filter keeps the oil real clean on the dipstick.