New motor pre-start. Priming oil pump with single shaft on drill, it is going as fast as it can. 40 lbs on gauge , nothing on oil to rockers. Open for suggestions to remedy this, or not worry about it, start motor and watch oil gauge? Thanks
Priming oil pump: 40 lb pressure, no oil to rockers
dmday316
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New motor pre-start. Priming oil pump with single shaft on drill, it is going as fast as it can. 40 lbs on gauge , nothing on oil to rockers. Open for suggestions to remedy this, or not worry about it, start motor and watch oil gauge? Thanks
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8,362 Posts
Are the rockers adjusted already? If so try backing them off a half turn and see if the oil flows then? If not back off another half turn and try priming again.
If lash is too tight the oil wont flow to the rockers. I leave my rockers at zero lash to prime the engine, and then go 1/4 turn more before starting it.
Do not start the engine until you're sure oil is getting to the top end, or you could have terminal issues!
If lash is too tight the oil wont flow to the rockers. I leave my rockers at zero lash to prime the engine, and then go 1/4 turn more before starting it.
Do not start the engine until you're sure oil is getting to the top end, or you could have terminal issues!
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5,470 Posts
Turn the motor 180 degrees at the crank and re-prime
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3,420 Posts
Are you using a priming tool, or just turning the oil pump shaft with a drill? If you are not using a priming tool then 1/2 of your valve train will not get oiled. I would never start an engine that wasn't thoroughly prelubed including having oil flow through both sides of the valve train.
Steve
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Steve
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19,375 Posts
You MUST have the tool Steve mentioned. I learned this on his motor we installed some years ago. I had always just used a drill and a distrib
center shaft to make sure I had oil pressure before start up. Once started we had the valve covers off to check for oil at the top end. It works,
but this tool makes sure the top is oiled before start up.
center shaft to make sure I had oil pressure before start up. Once started we had the valve covers off to check for oil at the top end. It works,
but this tool makes sure the top is oiled before start up.
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2,442 Posts
You can rent the tool for free at AutoZone.
Todd
Todd
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19,066 Posts
been using one for many years----what can that tool do that a modified distributor can't? sits in hole, turns oil pump shaft same as your distributor when you get engine installed and fire it up.
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87 Posts
Correct, you need the tool and you must rotate the engine 180 deg, if you do this you will get oil to all the rockers, you should never need to back off rocker nuts ect. I would also have an oil pressure gauge attached so you can verify pressure the whole time as well.
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87 Posts
You are 100% correct, the "tool' I made was cutting the top section off an old HEI, I've seen guys just pull the shaft out and use it on a drill, that will "not" work properly.
If you are using something like this you won't get oil to the valve train.
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3,338 Posts
Correct. You need a tool with a cylindrical part attached that mimics the distributor housing, which is necessary to fed the oil up into the right side valve train.
If the pump produces enough volume to overcome the internal leak, the left side valve train should still be getting oil.
Or you can use an old distributor with the lower drive gear removed (or the teeth ground off) and the top end modified to allow a drill motor to drive the shaft.
Note that some priming tools have the cylinder grove too tall or placed to high or low to function correctly.
This article describes the issue:
Pit Stop: Chevy V8 Right-Hand Valvetrain Not Getting Oil
After extensive pre-priming, no oil reaches the right-hand rocker arms on a brand-new small-block Chevy. Likely, it’s a problem with the priming tool.
Since I'm not a car junkie, (not by choice), it was a lot easier and cheaper to buy the tool on ebay.
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19,066 Posts
mine's been built and installed for 3 months now but never fired yet. Using my gearless distributor and dewalt half inch drill got 65 lbs pressure and oil on all rockers in about 3 minutes. distributor still out so will prime again before firing it up hopefully within the next month.
Why do you have a high volume pump?
Melling says that they are for motors with worn bearings to keep the pressure up. With good bearings the extra volume just goes out the bypass if the pressure is up. Only time it would really make a difference is at idle or close to it.
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8,362 Posts
Not me. My priming tool was $17 at Summit new, and not worth the work, or losing a good distributor.
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8,362 Posts
There's high volume, and high pressure oil pumps, and they aren't the same. I always use high volume oil pumps on new builds, and like them. But I don't use high pressure oil pumps as when the engine is cold the pressures can go high enough to blow out seals in places.
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