V8 oil pump priming

[hattymender]

Recent post on priming have got me thinking. Been doing some searches on V8s and got myself worried with all the things that can go wrong. Current paranoia is the oil pump.

Engine's currently on garage floor. Not taken oil out and not disturbed oil pump, but by the time I get it fitted it'll have been a couple of months since it was last run. I was planning on getting it fitted and started to make sure all's well before doing a service.

Will the oil pump still be primed or should I be making a tool to prime it? Worried that the oil will have drained back into sump due to standing so long.

What's the priming routine? From reading past posts it looks as if you mark off the dizzy, out it, then turn the pump with hand drill via suitable adaptor. Fair enough. But for how long? And how fast?

All answers which reassure the neurotic gratefully received

Rich

[pat_pending]

If the filter's not been off and the oil's still in the sump, it shouldn't need to be primed. If however you want/need to, the easiest way is to pop the filter off, unbolt the bottom of the pump and pack the gears with vaseline (NOT grease, cos it blocks the lifters, vaseline just dissolves) bolt back up and if it's a new filter make sure it's full of oil before you fit it.

Fire up and you should have near instant oil pressure.

[paintman]

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you......

But....

After refitting, remove the plugs & with a well charged battery turn the engine on the starter until the oil light goes out.

If it doesn't, you have two choices.

1. LR manual method. Strip pump, pack with petroleum jelly (vaseline), reassemble. Refill engine with oil & start engine. Watch for oil light to go out.

2. Remove dizzy, make up rod with same profile as bottom of dizzy drive & use electric drill to spin oil pump until oil light goes out.

[tacr2man]

When you rebuild the engine pack the pump with vaseline petroleum jelly, give all bearing surfaces a liberal coat of oil, and coat cam with assembly grease. leave out spark plugs partly fill oil filter with oil and fill sump , crank over engine , it will presurize within about 30 secs . Never had any probs myself HTSH

[Boothy]

Hattymender,

I've never primed as such, a V8 yet and I've built loads of em, with no problems,

The normal method is when seperating both halves of the pump is to pack the gears with vasolene or similar petroleum based jellys, which helps oil pump prime up quicker, and being petrol based the vasolene soons disperses into the system with no harm done.

I have a 3.5litre engine in storage with about 1500miles on it since a full rebuild, which if I have the time I may spit the pump to do the above , but if I didn't I would disconnect the positve lead of the coil to inhibit from sparking and let it turn over for a few minutes first and not overrev it for a few minutes to let the oil move around the engine after it started.

Watch your oil light or pressure gauge it should go out or show a reading of 10psi or more simply on the starter motor when its cold.

Don't panic, your approach about fitting it sounds good but do make sure you check the oil first and service it before to long.

Boothy

[hattymender]

Many thanks for the replies.

Now that's sorted I can get on with worrying about:

Worn cams, lifters, rockers, bores, pistons, head gaskets, dropped liners, cracked blocks, fretting crank journals, etc., etc.

Can you put a 'good news only' filter on a search?

[FridgeFreezer]

If you have a remote filter you can throw the vaseline away and just undo a hose, tip some oil down and reconnect - no need to strip the pump. My uncle once successfully primed his by pouring oil in through the oil pressure switch hole.

[Fatboy]

I prime mine using a bit of pipe with one flattened end and the other bent like a walking stick. Twiddle it round by hand for a few minutes and Bobs your uncle. (Pump also filled with Vaseline while rebuilding) I also plug another light between the battery and the oil pressure sensor so I can clearly see it while turning.

I do it by hand so I can feel the resistance / build up. If you prefer to use the drill, Difflock sell a funky little crossover.

Although you can prime by removing the plugs and winding the starter, you are still rotating all of the engine components and if you don't get oil pressure, risk damage in the cam or mains... How long would you crank it before getting worried....

[Coastcard]

For the sake of around £10 for the priming tool off ebay, removing the dizzy, and a few seconds priming with an electric drill, is it worth not doing it? 1,000 rpm on the drill will do it (IIRC clockwise - please confirm someone), for about 30 seconds. For obvious reasons make sure you have the adaptor shaft properly seated on the pump drive and the drill reasonably straight. One of those drills that you can start slowly and build up the speed is much better than an on/off switch drill.