It Cranks

[Don Coatney]

Don, is that gauge sold as an oil pressure gauge or does it have some generic name?

Generic name.... It is called a pressure gauge

[Joe Flanagan]

Would a tire gauge work for this purpose if you could adapt it to the threaded hole?

[Don Coatney]

Would a tire gauge work for this purpose if you could adapt it to the threaded hole?

Ten bucks at Lowes.

[Joe Flanagan]

Don, how did you make the transition from the threaded hole in your block to that gauge? The hole in my block takes a 3/16 brake line and I can't seem to come up with the hardware to make the transition to the gauge.

[Joe Flanagan]

I was just messing around with the oil line where it threads into the block and I discovered that even with the fitting tightened down, I can push the line into the block. This doesn't seem right to me and may be why my gauge is not reading any pressure. Shouldn't the flared end of the tube be pushed hard against some surface when the fitting is tightened? I tighten the fitting as far as it will go and then I can take my fingers and easily push the line into the block.

[Young Ed]

Joe I believe you are right and you are missing a fitting between the block and oil line or have a wrong one in the mix.

[aero3113]

Joe,can you post some pics? Maybe someone can come up with the correct fitting for you.

[Joe Flanagan]

What I have is the 3/16 metal line threaded directly into a hole in the block with no transition. I will look through my collection of extra pieces and see if there is anything that looks like it's supposed to go between them.

[Young Ed]

You are certainly missing a fitting then. If I recall its a special one with a very small hole in the center.

[Joe Flanagan]

OK then maybe we got a solution to this problem. I just checked the line from the block to the oil filter and that has a fitting between the block and the line itself, so I think that's my problem. I just hope I didn't damage my engine and I guess I won't know until I start seeing blue smoke. Or not.

[Joe Flanagan]

I found it.

[P-12 Tommy]

Yeah it's a brass 90 and it has an offset tiny hole inside just like Ed says.

Tom

[Don Coatney]

I believe the correct term is a reverse flare fitting.

[kencombs]

I pack the pump on every engine I work on, with Vaseline. Works great.. Also, on engines with bypass oil filters I also plug the supply fitting at the block. After starting the engine and confirming pressure, then attach the line AND prefill the cannister. Just don't like having that big pressure/volume bleed in the circuit on a new start up.

[blueskies]

OK then maybe we got a solution to this problem. I just checked the line from the block to the oil filter and that has a fitting between the block and the line itself, so I think that's my problem. I just hope I didn't damage my engine and I guess I won't know until I start seeing blue smoke. Or not.

Joe-

The fitting should have pipe thread to go into the block, and a flare fitting for the oil line.

If this was missing, the pressure would have escaped and given you a false reading.

If you want to pre-pressurize the oil system, you can use a garden sprayer adapted to fit the oil galley with a pipe fitting nipple on the sprayer hose. Then fill the sprayer with oil, and pump it up. This will force oil into the oil galley, and the bearings.

Since the oil pump can't be easily removed from the engine because of the frame interference, using a spare pump without the gear to pressurize the system won't work without lots of trouble. And, as has already been mentioned, you can't spin the oil pump with a drill if it has the gear in place as it is connected to the cam.

I didn't pre-pressurize my engine before startup, and did not have any issues...

Pete

[Joe Flanagan]

I found the correct fitting and installed it. Hooked everything up and cranked but still have no pressure. I have oil coming up into the filter so, according to the manual, it would also be in the galley. I have to assume at this point that my gauge is bad. I got the pressure gauge Don C. recommended but have not been able to locate the hardware to make the transition from the fitting to the gauge. I think that has to be my priority now so I know what's happening.

In the meantime, I decided to install the plugs and see if I could get it to fire in the hopes that would get the pressure up. And that is how I discovered that my coil seems to be dead. I have power to the coil but no spark. First I checked a plug at random and had no spark. Went back to the coil, pulled the wire at the distributor checked for a spark and nothing. So that's something else I have to address. The coil is about 8 years old but it's never been out of the box. I've tested the coil on my daily driver with an ohm meter. Has anyone done this with a 6 volt coil?

[aero3113]

Are you cranking with the key or a remote button under the hood. I have a button on top of my solenoid and was cranking and had no spark.Turned out I forgot to turn the key to the on position .

[Don Coatney]

If you want to pre-pressurize the oil system, you can use a garden sprayer adapted to fit the oil galley with a pipe fitting nipple on the sprayer hose. Then fill the sprayer with oil, and pump it up. This will force oil into the oil galley, and the bearings.

Pete

Pete;

Excellent idea! This should work exactly as you described. I should have though of this.

Guess it dont matter as I still won the BIG RACE:D

[Joe Flanagan]

I've got a remote button under the hood I'm using. I managed to get the hardware to attach Don's pressure gauge but the steering gear box is in the way and I have to find a 90, which shouldn't be any problem. By the way, I'm using the wiring schematic that Greg posted a while back on a thread about how to start your engine for the first time. I have the switch installed on a jumper wire between the negative battery terminal and the solenoid.

[aero3113]

Do you have the ignition on?

[Joe Flanagan]

The ignition switch is inoperative. I believe the diagram Greg posted has a wire going from the solenoid to the coil that serves the same function but I could be totally wrong.

[JerseyHarold]

Just run a jumper wire from 'ungrounded' on the battery to the low voltage coil terminal that does NOT go to the distributor. That will power the coil. Disconnect your ignition switch to prevent any shorts from happening there. Make sure the coil is connected properly: the 'positive' low voltage terminal goes to the distributor, and the negative terminal comes from the battery. This assumes you're still 6-volt positive ground.

[aero3113]

Joe,look how long it took DutchEdwin to get oil pressure.

http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/showthread.php?t=20346

[Joe Flanagan]

Harold,

The way I had it hooked up was a jumper from the battery side of the solenoid to the negative terminal on the coil. The positive terminal of the coil was connected to the distributor. It is a 6 volt system. Ignition switch is disconnected. Am I missing anything?

[martybose]

I believe the correct term is a reverse flare fitting.

Close, Don. IFF - Inverse Flare Fitting.

There are pipe thread to IFF adapters and IFF to AN adapters if you don't feel like messing with the stock oil pressure hose.

Marty