how to prime an engine???

[Wazzelby]

Does anyone have any options for priming my new engine for it's first start up? I Don't have an engine primer so I would like other options unless someone has one locally that can come by my house this week and help me prime it?

Thanks everyone!

A

[dsm_gsx97]

Spin the oil pump with a drill.

[Wazzelby]

Can this be done with everything allready installed? IE, timing belt, PS belt, etc? I don't want to remove this stuff.

[ba109296]

Usually you just want to unplug the igition coil and fuel pump circuit and let it crank for about 15 seconds one or two times. Then you should be good to go.

[Van]

Usually you just want to unplug the igition coil and fuel pump circuit and let it crank for about 15 seconds one or two times. Then you should be good to go.

If you choose this method, I'd highly recommend that you absolutely verify oil pressure at the turbo oil line feed port on the head before trying to actually start the engine.

A drill with a socket on the oil pump gear nut is the best method. IMHO.

[dsm_gsx97]

Can this be done with everything allready installed? IE, timing belt, PS belt, etc? I don't want to remove this stuff.

No since the oil pump sprocket is part of the timing belt assembly you will have to remove the timing belt. On a new motor I would pull all that off and spin the oil pump. You can pull the MPI fuse and coil and turn it over like somebody else mentioned (I'd take the valve cover off to verify pressure or some other way like Vern said), but why be lazy when your putting in a new motor. Spinning the oil pump puts oil in the engine without moving any of the other parts. Think about it...don't be lazy and ruin a new engine because of something simple. Timing belts take all of a few minutes to align and put on if it was already on right before. Just make sure you have the oil pump right and not 180 out by sticking a screw driver through the hole in the back of the block when your done.

[Jason]

Yup.

We do the drill method on new rebuilds too. If it's already in the car, that may be difficult at best. Maybe a 90 degree drill?

[Mr. Moose]

Preluber. (electric external oil pump).

Accusump.

Or take off the timing belt and do it with a drill.

Did you prime the pump with light grease, vaseline, or similar?

[Jason]

Generous amounts of assembly lube?

[JackM]

If the oil pump is not lubed up enough, you will never prime the system with the starter. It just doesn't seem to turn the oil pump sprocket fast enough. Sometimes, I use an old pump attached to one of the oil holes on the side of the filter housing (pull one of the plugs out and install a pump) to get oil in the engine oil pump and bearings so it will start priming itself on the starter easier.

Jack

[fivetodrive]

I found another way that works great! I took a bajo bolt fittingand 6" of hose off of a junkyard fuel line and connected it to the turbo feed bolt and then filled up my trusty napa hand held pump. It holds a full quart of oil and it is pretty neat watching the oil squirt out of the lifters as you push down on the handle. Watching the oil guage go up instantly after starting the car is a bonus as well!

Aaron

[Mr. Moose]

It would be even neater if you could watch oil squirt into the rod and main bearings, which is where the motor is damaged without oil pressure...

[ErikW]

...Just my version on this theme...
With my two ill attempts with the drill method. I've noticed that the main problem is the oil, vasoline, or assembly lube. It will not hold in place well enough for this proceedure.
So I've been simply taking off the oil filter and pumping oil into the center oil supply bolt on the housing. This way it will back-track into the whole front casing, oil pump and even the lifters on top. When the oil is comming out of the lifters for some time: I know that it has also back tracked through the oil pump and back into the oil pan. Not only is this highly affective for getting oil everywhere in the engine, there is no oil that comes out the other end of the oil filter housing while this is done.
I've never tried a manual pump. That would be interesting to see if it's just as affective as an electrical pump. If so, then that would be a very cheap and easy way as well.
Another way I've learned is to fill the oil up to a safe and full level. Pull the MPI fuse and crank over the engine a few revolutions while injecting the right amount of compressed air into the dip stick. However, the trick is the right amount of air and pressure while the engine is turned over so that you do not blow a seal. If you did a good job sealing up the engine and use no more than a few 3-5 second spray intervals with <80psi, you should be fine. You might not hear oil out of the lifters but it is doing it's job. Lastly, after a few cranking sessions, you do the same while the engine is starting. The lifters will definately be pumping some oil by then. All you hav to do is keep the oil cap off the cover to monitor this.
ew

[Toybreaker]

I like the drill method myself. It works every time. I usually leave the valve cover off and verify oil delivery at each rocker spit hole. You will need to cover the two air bleed holes in the lifter galley passages, (down by cyl #1), or you'll spray some oil everywhere. 30 seconds of oil delivered thru the motor gaurantees everything has seen oil before you put any kind of a load on the bearings, etc..

If'n you do use the crank method, please pull your spark plugs. It will increase the cranking speed, which will get oil moving much more quickly. It will also reduce the load on the bearings significantly.

Please be sure to disconnect your cas or you'll wash down the cylinder walls with fuel, potentially scratching/scoring them.

Also, when you're packing the pump during assembly, please use an assembly lube. I use lubriplate #105, or redline assembly lube. (I'm not sure you want vaseline or anything else in your lifters.) It will eventually work itself out, but why put anything except a premium lubricating agent in contact with the moving parts you've just spent all that time and money on....

[Sparetire]

My .02....

Like EW said, you dont need to have the valve cover off to verify pressure, just look through the 710 cap(wink wink) and you can see the oiling holes in there and see when oil comes out of them.

I just started up my new motor for the first time about a month ago. I actually used an air wrench to spin up the oil pump sprocket and oil came out of the holes up top fairly quickly. With nothing to hold the sproket in place your not really applying any torque to it, so it does not get over tightened. Just make sure you are spinning that sproket in the clockwise direction.

After doing that, I finished up the timing side and installed the motor. Then I pulled the coil pack connection and the MPI fuse and cranked it over a few times. Then I finnally started it. I had instant awesome oil pressure.

Basicly, I did both. I think using a generous but not absurd amount of assembly lube helped too. I basicly filled in every notch on both pump gears and got a bit all over that chamber.

Hope that helps....

[Mirage]

Drill Method 70+ times and counting.

Marcus