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oil priming?

11K views 21 replies 10 participants last post by  cliff tate 
#1 ·
I have a newly rebuilt motor (350). I have the dist out ready to prime. I filled my oil filter and my other 4 qrts of oil, it wouldn't be a problem pouring it down the dist hole would it? Also how long should I wait till I start with my drill to prime? TIA, Dana
 
#2 ·
Yes, pouring it down the distributor "hole" is okay.

You can begin priming immediately. Make sure you have the correct priming tool. A Chevy needs a distributor housing "in place" to be sure both lifter galleries are primed. "Real" priming tools have the sleeve that simulates this.

Jim
 
#3 ·
pre lube


take a old chev distributor. and cut off the lower portion,slid it over your tool,or use the shaft from the old dist,cut it off just below the advanc unit. grind the gear teeth off so it turns free of cam gear. be sure to clean you new tool be for use now you have a primer thatworks and lend to your frends,for a beer or other favour.we retirees have lots of tim short of cash cliff
 
#6 ·
pre lube


pre lube when you are ready to fire up,at that time pre lube until tou get oil pressure and feal the releaf vave and see oil toall rockers,then lite her up,i use no grease or heavey oil on brgs just cover cam lobes with what is supplyed with new cam,it wont wash off till engine is running and warm,as cam lobes get lub from splash so prelube never reaches the cam lobes
 
#9 ·
Don't what kind of oil you're using but you must have one helluva cordless 3/8 drill. I can sure feel my 1/2" corded drill slow down and start working when the oil pump primes and starts pumping. Every engine I've done feels the same way, takes a lot of torque to pump cold 30 wt. through an engine.
 
#10 ·
Same here- the drill torques over in your hand as soon as the pump primes, like within 5 seconds of starting the drill. Definitely noticeable although nowhere near stalling it or anything like that, even w/a 3/8" drill.

BTW, the priming tool from Summit? ~ $26 to my door. Takes a few days to reach you, as opposed to taking an old distributor and converting it for $0.00 and 15 minutes. Just sayin'.:)
 
#14 ·
I found that filling the oil filter and oil sump is plenty good enough. My 454 has seen 5 cams so far, and not because of them wearing out. There should be good pre lube on everything that moves anyhow, especially the cam, lifters, rockers, bearings, pistons, pushrod tips, etc. After the first 5 seconds oil pressure will jump to life anyhow and read 70 or more. I know, priming cant hurt, but Ive never seen a part covered in thick lube already, fail because it went 5 seconds without pressurized oil.:thumbup:
 
#17 ·
prelube



toured the cat engine plant wher they build and test 200 engines pr shift,they pump in warm engine oil warm watter (30wt oil) start up give 1 or 2 min then take full power for 10 min, remove and paint .send to customer. along the assembly line i saw only standerd engine oil aplied to brgs etc as *** line moved. so in my opinion,put it together corectly,prelube and run. cliff
 
#18 ·
IMO the benefit in using a bearing assembly lube is when the engine won't be started right away. The thicker viscosity of the assembly lube keeps the lube in place longer than motor oil.

But I agree w/cliff that there have been a ton of engines started up w/o any damage after priming using nothing more than motor oil on the bearings at assembly.
 
#22 ·
pre lube


think about what happens,you pre lube try starting your engine,it will have full oil supply even on the starter,so even if timeing is out stop correct ,you have full oilpresure within several revolutions.there is nothing wrong with assem lube,but i have witnesed to much of gresy over lay and no prelube the oil pump has to pump oil past the heavey greaslike material.which can delay it from primeing,oil pump must push air out of galleries be for it can pick up oil.any ways we are beating this to death,we wind up doing what we think works best. cliff
 
#19 ·
Honestly the first option for priming oil in a engine is to pressure fill it.They aren't that hard to build.If you build enough engines it is well worth it. We haven't built one yet,but do need to go that route.The test stands at the Chevy engine plant fills the engines that way.
 
#20 ·
priming

I was priming and I got it up to 55, 60lbs of oil pressure after about 45 seconds. I heard I should do it for at least 2 minutes? I don't want to go to long because of wash off of bearings etc. Just like some of u talked about. Advise, thanks as always, Dana
 
#21 ·
That sounds right on for oil pressure. Over priming would wash away the pre lube but not unless you really go to town pumping oil. If you immediately put in the distributor and fire it after priming, oil will be there and it should establish pressure instantly when started. Without priming it takes a few nerve wracking seconds to register. Then rev it between 2000 and 2500 for about 25 minutes. Change oil, run softly for a whole tank of gas, dont let it low idle or drop below 20psi oil. If it does, oil is too thin or clearances are too big, or pump is going bad. After this nice long cruise, change oil again. Now it is fully broke in and ready for anything, but I still go soft for atliest another tank. This is coming from the hillbilly who dosnt prime oil but this procedure worked for me every build though. Lucas additive and stp zinc are youre friends.
 
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