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Inactive by user's request
 
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada | Below is what some people recommend.
Please read it and share you opinions, experiences or suggestions?
For pre-oiling the engine for the initial start-up , should I do the following? People tell me it is the easiest way:
Mark the teeth on the distributor drive gear and cam gear where they meet and remove the gear. Then take several attached, long 3/8" socket extensions, lower the end into the distributor hole until it engages the oil pump. Then attach a drill to the outer end and spin the oil pump until I see oil feeding the rocker shafts. Then re-install the cam gear, distributor and valve covers and fire up the engine. Then follow the initial start-up procedure and break-in recommendations.
Of course, it is recommended that duct tape be tightly wound around the middle attaching points of the 3/8 extensions, so they all lift out together once the engine is pre-oiled!
I want to get this beast broken in and usuable. Thanks in advance for any help.
K. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 6203
Location: Big pimpin' | Good Advise so far Kenny, but I would add that an oil Press. gauge be plumbed at the rear just to be sure you have Press....Flow doesn't always mean pressure... |
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As I found out priming the oil pump is a must, if not you will have no oil pressure.... as for the 3/8 extensions, that does not work, they will fit down to the oil pump but the pump has a small hex hole in it and the 3/8 extension does not fit in there. What I did was use a very old curtain rod, I squeezed the end with pliers and made it a hex shape, tapped it in the oil pump then used a drill and primed the oil pump. It primed fast and easy. Now my engine is in my car and it has tons of oil pressure.
You must rotate the crank manually as you prime the oil pump so the oil can travel up through the rockers stands..... the oil will also come out the oil gauge fitting on the back of the block also. If all this happens you will have no problems when your engine is running and you are driving |
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Expert 5K+
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Location: WHEELING,WV.>>>HOME OF WWVA | good to go kenny as chaney suggested plumb in a gauge , light up the drill , should take about ten seconds of turning to get pressure , mine was 52lbs. at prime time-------------------------------------------------------------later
Edited by 60 dart 2009-12-23 2:47 PM
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Expert
Posts: 4533
Location: Ripon, WI | Be aware of the original equipment manufacturers recommendations on what to do with the oil pump for a fresh start up.... Can anyone remember what that is? I do.. and I hate doing it, but I do it every time I start up a big block fresh. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 5139
Location: cornpatch county, Southwest IOA | What that Mikey--pack with vasoline? Oil guage, good idea-- turn crank while pumping, good idea--curtain rod. weeelll don't know bout that one. Those pumps turning at 60-70 lbs take a lot of torque to drive. . BTW don't forget distributor- pump rotation direction so you aren't running the pump backward.....................MO |
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Location: Ripon, WI | yep... I usually use grease though.... |
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Location: Eastern Iowa | Don't forget to put the plug back in the port you use for the pressure guage!
Been there ....done that......
Very embarrassing 
Edited by finsruskw 2009-12-24 9:38 AM
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Posts: 2679
| Dont really need to pack the pump full of grease or vasoline, just spin the pump counter clockwise with a drill, my pump primed in like 10 seconds, then I rotated my crank so oil came up through the rocker shafts.... the rod I used is an old round curtain rod looking thing, I crimped the end so it was hex shaped and tapped it in.... it worked fine. You have to make a rod as the 3/8 extension end isnt a hex
Edited by 59CRL 2009-12-24 6:50 PM
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Posts: 3399
Location: Chestertown, NY ( near Lake George) | Priming rods are commonly available from any parts or speed shop for about 12.00 |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 6203
Location: Big pimpin' | Kenny, You can make your own from a piece of Allen stock, or Allen wrenches, welded to an old Pushrod....Works GREAT and it's cheap as well... |
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Expert 5K+
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Location: cornpatch county, Southwest IOA | dukeboy - 2009-12-24 4:37 PM
Kenny, You can make your own from a piece of Allen stock, or Allen wrenches, welded to an old Pushrod....Works GREAT and it's cheap as well... Thanks Duke, that is an idea I will use........................MO |
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Location: NorCal | 59CRL - 2009-12-24 11:48 AM
Dont really need to pack the pump full of grease or vasoline, just spin the pump counter clockwise with a drill, my pump primed in like 10 seconds,
Not everybody is so lucky, a friend of mine had the pump seize while waiting for it to prime, the inner rotor shaft galled in the pump body. Luckily I had a 39/64" reamer and we saved the pump. A little grease on both the shaft and rotors will avoid this plus it makes you take the pump apart to inspect for debris, etc.
BTW, the hex is 5/16" and many Ford V8's use a long straight 5/16" oil pump drive, ideal priming rod for Mopars. |
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Posts: 2679
| 57chizler - 2009-12-25 3:30 PM
59CRL - 2009-12-24 11:48 AM
Dont really need to pack the pump full of grease or vasoline, just spin the pump counter clockwise with a drill, my pump primed in like 10 seconds,
Not everybody is so lucky, a friend of mine had the pump seize while waiting for it to prime, the inner rotor shaft galled in the pump body. Luckily I had a 39/64" reamer and we saved the pump. A little grease on both the shaft and rotors will avoid this plus it makes you take the pump apart to inspect for debris, etc.
BTW, the hex is 5/16" and many Ford V8's use a long straight 5/16" oil pump drive, ideal priming rod for Mopars.
I did take my pump off and look at it before filling the engine with oil and priming, maybe just adding oil into the pump then bolting it to the engine will help. My pump had a little oil in it, not full though. I checked with every car parts store in the area and no one stock the priming tool, only O'Reilys knew what I was talking about, they said it is a 2 day order and $30.... oh boy.... just for a special tool..... good luck is all I can say, it has been a good learning experience for me. 
Smiley Face |
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Posts: 4533
Location: Ripon, WI | I had a 78 440 that I put together quite some time ago when I was in college... I spun the pump for almost a minute and it still had 0 on the pressure gauge. Ended up taking it apart, packing it like the book said (I didn't because I figured it would prime itself, why need to do that?) Well, it didn't, and I ended up having to go back and do it right, which meant the pump came off again, got reinspected, but this time packed with grease... I had oil pressure in seconds.... |
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Posts: 1812
Location: Slidell La. | The primer rod mentioned above works great , when I primed mine it literally took about 4-5 minutes before the oilpressure started reading on the gauge . |
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Pre-Oiling a 440 Before Initial Start-up
