How To Prime Oil Pump?

[rjdavis21]

Did a complete rebuild on engine and need to know how to prime oil pump. I just coated the gears and whole pump with STP engine treatment(real think stuff). Do yall think ill be able to get oil pressure? Any help? Thanks!

 

[jott5555]

im also in the middle of a rebuild and i was woundering this..

do you just not hook up the ignition and turn it over until it gets oil pressure?

it seems that how i did it on my chev engine i rebuild

let us know..

 

[BUCK]

You see guys just hook up a drill motor at the Oil Pump Sprocket - Prior to Timing Belt install of course.

 

[igopoopy]

put oil in it so you dont start dry

 

[rjdavis21]

could you explain the drill thing in more dept? i will try it. thanks

 

[BUCK]

Just chuck up a 1/4 inch extension in your Battery operated drill - Add the appropriate socket & spin the Oil Pump Sprocket at the retaining nut - You will get Oil Pressure - I've done it.

 

[rjdavis21]

alright thanx ill do that

 

[jott5555]

couldnt you just assamble everything well greased then unhook the ignition and turn it over till you have pressure also?

 

[tsunari]

couldnt you just assamble everything well greased then unhook the ignition and turn it over till you have pressure also?

Yeah, that's what I did- just use some thick grease that will stay put during the initial cranking. I've done this with my DSM and with VW beetle engines I've built and have yet to see any adverse side effects. However, I do kind of like the idea BUCK suggested

 

[b17tuner]

Dont you disconnect the ignition, then pull the fuel pump relay then turn it over till you got pressure then reconnect everything and wala?

 

[tsunari]

Actually . . . I just disconnect the Crank Angle Sensor and turn it over. When the 2g ECU doesn't get a signal from it, it does not deliver spark nor fuel. So this is a good way to get everything primed and only have to disconnect ONE thing. Only 'drawback', is you might get a CEL because of this. Not sure about the 1G though.

Dont you disconnect the ignition, then pull the fuel pump relay then turn it over till you got pressure then reconnect everything and wala?

 

[blue1]

Aussie cheats way is to block off your PCV valve and pump compressed air into your breather pipe in the back of the valve cover. Take off your oil filter and when oil starts to run out of your oil filter mount you have primed the pump. Best way is the drill but if the engine is already assembled and its a hassel to dissasseble the timing belt all again this will help!

 

[tsunari]

Aussie cheats way is to block off your PCV valve and pump compressed air into your breather pipe in the back of the valve cover. Take off your oil filter and when oil starts to run out of your oil filter mount you have primed the pump. Best way is the drill but if the engine is already assembled and its a hassel to dissasseble the timing belt all again this will help!

Another way that I thought of this past weekend when friend of mine forgot to pack his oil pump with grease/vaseline:

---------------------------------
Remove the big oil bypass nut on the oil filter bracket.
Pull out the spring and plunger
Insert a snug fitting tube into the oil bypass valve shaft until it stops ~ 3"-4"
Grab a bottle of manual tranny fluid (Penzoil Synchromesh, etc . . .)
(If the bottle is empty, put some engine oil in it, otherwise the gear oil should be fine too)
Attach the other end of the hose to the tapered fitting on the bottle, tip upside-down and squeeze!!!
---------------------------------

Pushing the snug fitting tube up the shaft effectively blocks off the return port where oil would just dump back into the pan. This way, when you begin to squeeze oil through the tube, it is back-fed straight to the oil pump gears.

After about 1/2 quart or so . . . re-assemble and you're done. . . just remember to pack the oil pump with grease next time

 

[toybreaker]

Someone has already posted the solution.

Priming the oil system just as it operates is the best way.

Complete your engine all the way to the timing belt stage. Get everything set up to #1 tdc. You can install the front balance shaft belt at this time.

Fill the oil system with a quality oil suitable for break in. Install a quality oil filter.

Then it's just a matter of putting a 14mm socket on the rear balance shaft/oil pump drive gear and spinning the oil pump up with a cordless drill. You can hear the load change as the oil is picked up and circulated. I would say a minute or two is all that's needed. You can moniter your progress on the oil pressure gauge inside the car. (key on)

I usually leave the valve cover off, to inspect oil delivery and purge the air at the lifter/rockers. HOWEVER, there are two oil/air breather holes at the #1 cylinder end of the lifter passages that will need to be covered with a finger...otherwise, you'll make a bit of a mess.

I'm always a little hesitant to put anything thick in the pump housing. I can visualise all kinds of trauma from blocked oil passages/clogged oil pressure relief valves due to thick greases/pastes/old home remedies. If you feel the need to use something thicker, use lubriplate engine assembly lube in the pump housing. It's thick enough to stay put, thin enough to circulate, and compatible/suitable for use with engine oils.

On some motors, there is no clever way to prime them, as their oil pumps are directly driven from the crank. My toyota 22re motor for example. On these engines, I make a slurry of redline assembly lube and oil and fill the pump housing with that. I will then fill the oil passages in the block with a syringe before assembling the head. On the intial start, leave the spark plugs out, (spins faster/no compression load on crank) and disable the fuel system to prevent washing down the cylinder walls with fuel. And then crank in 15 second bursts until the oil light goes out. Add oil to the full line, install plugs enable the fuel system and light it up...

Enjoy a frosty cold liquid beverage, and clean up, you're done.

 

[BUCK]

well done Toybreaker - driving my sons backup 81 shoebox Corolla S/W tonite - He's hauling a Sailboat up to Summer Camp with the Expedition... damn AC is colder in the 81 Corolla than than the 05 Expedition!

 

[keymaster]

Wow, you guys use the most convoluted and complicated methods ever... All you have to do is pack the oil pump gears and the case with vaseline. Disconnect the CAS when cranking until you see oil start to come out at the rockers through the oil cap. Bingo! All done.

 

[PSI NRG]

When I had my motor installed at a DSM shop they just pulled the vavle cover off poured oil on the cam shafts and everything under the valve cover filled her up with oil.. unhooked the ignition rely ( i think) and just cranked it for for 30 seconds 5 or 6 times, while watching the oil pressure gauge. Some people might say using the starter will hurt the motor but it really wont since theres no heat being created and its turning at such a low rpm. Good luck!

 

[tsunari]

Someone has already posted the solution. . .

I realize solutions had already been posted and this thread was quite old, but I figured I would post yet ANOTHER solution to prime the oil pump if for some reason the motor is already installed, belts are on, everything is ready to go except:

1) someone forgot to prime it
2) the motor has been sitting so long, all of the oil has most likely drained from the pump

 

[toybreaker]

If you filled any passages etc, that's a head start on building pressure, but you did not prime the pump.

There is no creative way to prime the pump once it's installed.

The oil pump is in the front case, and the pick up tube is in the pan and connects to the back of the front case. I don't believe you can fill the oil pump your way, the fit of the gears is too tight (I hope) and you certainly can't fill the pick up tube like that so your motor's going to swallow a bunch of air.

If you use the engines rotation to prime the system, during the time you're cranking all kinds of bad things are happening. Any air in the system/passages is pushed along, purging the oil/assembly lube as it goes... At the very least, the lifters will get full of air, and rattle something awfull.

I ALWAYS prime any motor that I can, every time, before the initial start.

If I forgot, (!?!) or there was extenuating circumstances preventing me from installing the motor right away, I will dissassemble things to where I can prime things the logical way.

But, that's just me. Ase master machinist, 20 years plus experience....

I machine and build all my own stuff, and I don't want all that time and money to end with scuffed bearings and unhappiness.

I have several motors machined and ready to go on the shelf. The last thing I do is to prime the system before assembling the timing components. Once it's been primed, some oil is bound to leak down and out of the works. I would think it would be no worse than the dry start after an oil change/extended rest from being out of service.

Your technique of disconnecting the cas is sound, and combined with removing the spark plugs to reduce the load on the crank, and increase the cranking speed, should be adequate for most circumstances....and most people...

Just not me...I'm rather particular...

PLEASE disconnect the clutch switch, otherwise you're forcing the dry crank against a dry thrust bearing....you 2g guys should most definately do all you can to prevent thrust bearing issues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John

 

[tsunari]

I concur

 

[Mr Peepers]

The simplest thing, and what I used after talking to a mechanic, is just overfill it. Put a couple extra quarts(1, at the most 2) in and when you see oil pressure after turning it over(with the MPI fuse out and coil unplugged) just drain the extra back out before firing it up.
Especially when the timing belt and cover are on and there is no way to spin the oil pump directly anymore.
If there is air lock it will raise the oil level closer to the oil pump assembly.

 

[mic]

Just had my 420a rebuilt by a reputable machine shop. ($1,500 )

I read all these postings and tried most of them. Still no oil pressure.

When I overfill the oil (by alot;+3 quarts), I can get the idiot light to go out, but as soon as I drop it down to the correct level, the light comes back on. (cranking with no plugs and fuel pump disabled)

Tore the valvepan off and changed the o-ring on the pickup tube, still get the same results.

I'm running out of options before having to pull the engine and take it back to the machine shop.

Could the brand new oil pump be bad, or are these things that hard to prime if you don't pack them full of "something" before assembly?

Also, when I had the pickup tube off, you could reach up into the pump and spin the outer impeller? housing with your finger. I didn't design the oil pump or anything, but that does not seem at all right.

Any ideas would be VERY, VERY much appreciated.

 

[mic]

Never mind. I found the problem. There is a fatigue crack in the oil pickup tube. They no longer make this part. Options are junk yard or weld up the old one I found some aftermarket ones, but they look even worse than the factory.

BTW, I pulled the engine, put it on the engine stand, turned it upside down and poured oil in the intake for the oil pump. I turned the engine over with a socket on the crank pulley until it pumped it out of the output port in the oil filter. Now it's PRIMED.

 

[JusMX141]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/151914170-post6.html

I've done this with the last two engines I've built and it works amazing.

You'll need someone in the car cranking while you're pushing the plunger in on the siphon gun....once you feel the plunger stop moving inward, the oiling system is full. Literally as soon as the engine fires there is oil squirting out of the rockers if you remove the oil cap.

 

[Boosted90TSIAWD]

Before firing it up I found it best to use the nipple on the back of the intake manifold to push 2 quarts of oil through the oil sending unit with a plunger pump