The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop priming oil pump

hey guys,
getting ready to fire up my 1958 235 for the first time and i definitely want to prime the motor since i hand cranked it quite a bit probably wiping off the majority of the lube on the cam. i got a moroso priming tool for chevy motors but it is about .005 too thick in diameter...kinda rediculous. does anyone recommend a specific priming tool? and what kind of drill should i use?

looks like he chucked up an old distributor shaft, I guess an old long cutoff flatblade screwdriver would work also

I just use a long flat blade screwdriver with the handle cut off,I made it when I was a teen and have been using it ever since.Back in the day I would use a small 1/4 inch 110 volt drill but now I use a battery drill.Good idea to grind the blade wide and flat so it fits the oil pump better.

Pete

I use a spade bit with the point cut off, I was too cheap to cut down a screwdriver, the bit had met its demise when it got a little too close to a nail.

I bought an old distributor for $10 and took off the cam-drive gear. A hex socket fits the top post, and I can spin it quite fast with an electric or air drill.

you guys are awesome thanks for the input. Ya after i saw the tool i figured any thick flathead would work, i might even just keep this tool and grind it down a bit so it fits, a lathe would be nice if i had one.

keep in mind that priming the system will ensures you get oil pressure quicker (or getting oil pressure at all, and that it is reaching everything you can see) and that there is no oil passages that go to the actual cam lobes, they only get oil from flinging off the crankshaft mostly, which is why you want to keep RPMs up at first. So don't think priming the system is doing much towards re-lubing the cam lobes. Only in the respect that you will be getting oil pressure quick, and consequently you will be getting your oil flinging straight away. Be certain to follow the break in procedures exactly....There has been a couple of posts lately where the person missed a step, and then they were never heard from again, still wondering how those worked out. Also make certain your distributor is fully engaged in the oil pump when you install it. It is possible to get it in far enough to engage the distributor gear and the engine will run, just not have oil pressure.

This is a good time to install a cheap-o oil pressure gauge out under the hood so you can watch the pressure and stay close to the engine. Keep a water hose close incase the radiator is not up to parr, you don't want to overheat it or shut it down till the 15 minutes are up. Any old distributor shaft will work as long as it reaches the pump, having a housing to center it works even better. Be sure to spin it the right direction!

Joe

I completely agree with the warnings and suggested precautions; however, is it an exaggeration (or simply incorrect) to state "there is no oil passages that go to the actual cam lobes"?

There is no oil passage that goes to the cam lobes.

there is most definitely no oil passages that go to the actual cam lobe. Unless you have a specially drilled cam. It is neither an exageration or incorrect.

Sorry, guys. I should know better than to quickly respond while at work.

what also works is a basic garden sprayer filled with oil. tee it into the oil pressure gauge fitting and just pump up the system to the desired pressure. that way everything in the system gets lube also you can pack your oil pump with vaseline to ensure a quick build of pressure when first starting the engine. this will prime the pump faster than just cranking. just my two cents MO

no problem, I just didn't want to confuse the fella. I HAVE seen cams that have oil holes but they were for 7500 horsepower diesels that drove a semi-large oil tanker. (only held around 10 million gallons of cargo) you didn't add oil until it was 350 gallons low. you could also replace a single lobe. Those are the engines I used to work on. I kind of miss the ships....I like the teeing in idea.

...the reference Tim gave us indicated to align the holes for the BEARINGS..not lobes.

Tim, we forgive you "this time" Gosh, thank you for all you contibute here. Some folks think I'm lost anyway but I for sure would be lost sometime without you.
Thanks for your contributions and helping to keep me straight.

That ship must have one heck of a dipstick!

no a sounding tape. including three feet of sounding tube the sump was only about 8 feet deep. I think 3 1/2 feet was running level. (its been 9 years, its getting kind of foggy) and yes I know this is off topic, but I'm done now.

so what do you guys think, am i ok knowing that the lifters are heavily lubed even though ive cranked it by hand several times? Also doesnt the oil that oils the lifters, oil the cam lobes?

the correct direction to turn the oil pump is clockwise im guessing?

you may get a drop now and then from the lifters, but no, the only real lubrication you get is from the oil flinging off the cranshaft and whatever is splashing around in there. That is what I have been trying to tell you. There is virtually nothing other than crankshaft spray that lubes the cam, which is the reason behind the 2500 RPM break-in period. One or two of the lobes in the middle may benefit from the oil drainback hole in the lifter gallery, but that is about it. Did you read the break-in procedures published by the cam manufacturers? They are are for all practical purposes identical, but read a few of them anyway. As far as lubing the cam, one single solitary revolution will wipe it smooth clean, anything after that is nearly on the microscopic level, I know, I turned my engine one revolution, 1/2 cam revolution, to set the valve clearance, and since I had the pan off I looked up in there. And I was using crane cams special cam breakin lube. You may be alright, as these engines don't have a lot of spring pressure. But make sure you will get a fire built straight away, and don't sit there and grind away with the starter. Check and double check your fuel, timing, etc. And for goodness sakes don't try and run it with no water in it. And yes the distributor turns clockwise looking down from the top. You may have said previously, but do you have the manual? This is probably the most useful tool you can get for your truck. because guessing and divine intervention are not good methods of building any machine. They did things back then, that can be very confusing now days.

I always just used an old electric fence post. I would heat it up with a torch and beat it until it was an oversized screwdriver. I have primed many an oil pump with this method.

I do have the manual, its been extremely helpful until now. I don't understand how your suppose to build a motor without turning it over (which wipes the lube off the cam) whats the point of even lubing the cam. This is clearly my first engine build. Im trying to be very careful and precise but this is really worrying me..i really would be discouraged if i lost the cam. Ive turned the motor over (to get the timing, put on the flywheel, and put the cluth on) about 40 times...clearly i have wiped the lube off the lobes. what now? relube the cam? could i overfill my oilpan so it oils the cam and then drain the excess oil?

don't install the rocker arms until the last thing before you start it. you don't need them to turn over the engine, or set the timing, you only need them to set the valve lash, you can do everything else without them. I suppose you could pull the lifters out and get some lube on the lobes that way, there isn't a whole lot of room though. You only have to make one engine revolution with the rockers in place. I would at least pull the lifters to inspect them and the cam lobes, you can put the lube on the lifters and roll the engine with only the lifters in place, a few times I guess. What ever the case before you spend a lot time on other things I would check this out. I had to pull my cam after about 300 miles when half of my exhaust valves stuck and ruined my cam in the process. I still don't know if it was the positive seal valve seals I had installed or the machine shop didn't get the clearance right. Either way I was very glad I tapped the gear cover to remove the bolts from the front.

There is no way of building a engine with out turning it over, the trick is to minimize the revolutions once the rockers are on. On V8's its not as critical as you can dump a bottle of break-in oil over the whole cam assembly when you are done, on our inlines, thats very hard to do. Just use the best good oil made for break-in. Once the engine starts and the pump starts working, all the grease and additives will be blended together and splashed up on the lobes where its needed. As long as the engine is running and its not getting hot, leave it alone, even slight lifter noise is OK. I let them run till the 15 to 20 minutes has passed, then I start setting the timing and carb.

On the engines I build, I won't install the lifters till I know I don't have to turn the engine over any more. And I won't set the rocker arms till its ready to be installed and run. I don't like the valve springs loaded if its not going to be run for a while. And if I know its going to set for a year while the body work is being done, I grease the heck out of everything and insist on being there when its going to be started so I can see thats its primed proper.

You have done all you can and have done it right. Like I said above, use the best oil you can ( VR1 racing oil, Brad Penn break -in oil, Comp Cams break-in oil ) are some of the best out there. GM EOS is also a good choice. Have a known working carb on and adjusted, have the timing close and wires on right, have the valves adjust close, install the exhaust system ( you need to hear the engine), and most important of all, have a fully charged battery and new cables.

Don't forget the fire extinguisher, water hose, rags, screw driver, and helper. Be prepared before you start, keep the area clean so you can move about. If you have a extra oil pressure gauge, " T " it into the stock oil line so you can watch it from under the hood. And the most import thing, don't leave it alone !

Joe

Thanks so much Joe, this is an excellent response. My machine shop recommened John Deere break-in oil believe it or not haha they said some guy used it on his motor after messing up (i think the cam) and it fixed everything. something like that...haha anyways i might go with the VR1 oil or brad penn. thanks again

Break-in oil is designed to help with initial part wear, lifter to cam break-in and piston ring seating.

Usually there is enough slop in the lifter to block fit that some oil will seep past. A shot of oil around the lifters before bolting on the cover doesn't hurt.

If your engine has hydraulic lifters priming them before starting is a must. With solid lifters it's not a requirement, but is good practice.

the best oil in the world won't repair damaged metal parts. They try that at work all the time, trying to change the oil or greasing bearings after the damage has been done. You can just try starting it if you want. I wouldn't, but that is just me. I would make sure there is no damage before I dumped in $60 worth of break-in oil. (I bought 6 quarts of brad penn, a filter and some little doodad, came to $83) Perhaps you are independently wealthy and don't care about the money part. Whatever you decide to do, I hope the best for you. By the way did you read the break-in procedures from the cam manufacturers? You really, really need to do this.