Priminmg Oil Pump After Sitting Idle For Years

[Bingster]

I stumbled upon an old thread that mentioned priming the oil pump on a '47 flat head six before starting it up after sitting a few years.  I've tried to get to the archives again, but am having trouble finding how to get there.  Anyway, one fella said to fill the oil pan with 12 quarts of oil, drain it and then add the usual five. Does this sound right?

[P15-D24]

12 quarts of oil, never heard that one before. Shop manuals make no mention of priming the pump when installing a new one. They do recommend on first start up using an external  oil pressure tank to pre-pressurize the oil system before starting. Just hook it up to one of the oil gallery plugs and pressurize it at 10-20 lbs. That way the bearing are fully lubricated and protected until the oil pump starts delivering oil from the pan.  

[Bingster]

The pump is not new. It's the old one that was in the engine.  When you say "external oil pressure tank" I need a bit of clarification on that one. Is it a tool or something you can make up?

Oil gallery plugs?

 

[Don Coatney]

Suggest you remove the spark plugs and spin the engine in short 7-8 second cycles with a 15-20 second pause between cycles until you see pressure on the gauge. By doing this the engine bearings and starter motor are less stressed. Once you see oil pressure re-install the spark plugs and start the engine. Remember three things are required for the engine to run. Compression, fuel, and spark delivered at the correct time.

[Bingster]

Thanks Don.  Now, is it okay to crank the motor by touching the battery cable to the starter?  I don't have all the electricals installed yet. 

[P15-D24]

3 hours ago, Bingster said:

The pump is not new. It's the old one that was in the engine.  When you say "external oil pressure tank" I need a bit of clarification on that one. Is it a tool or something you can make up?

Oil gallery plugs?

 

http://www.melling.com/Aftermarket/High-Performance/Pre-Lube-Tank  or search google for engine pre lube or pre oil. Lots of home built versions.

Oil gallery if the horizontal row about 2/3 way up on the drivers side. Your oil pressure gauge is plumbed to it, so is you oil filter if you have a bypass filter installed. Back toward the front are typically just plugs. The row of holes correspond with the oil holes that supply oil to the crank shaft main bearings. 

[Don Coatney]

2 hours ago, Bingster said:

Thanks Don.  Now, is it okay to crank the motor by touching the battery cable to the starter?  I don't have all the electricals installed yet. 

Yes you can do that but a lot of sparks will fly and most likely the end of the cable and the post on the starter will melt down. If it were me I would make or buy a remote starter button. Think about it. The starter requires high amperage to spin. The starter solenoid requires low amperage.

 

[Bingster]

That sounds like a better idea. That looks like one in your photo. Where can I get one?

[Don Coatney]

Try the dollar store, the liquor store, or google. Good luck

[Bingster]

Gee, I never would have thought of a liquor store.  I went down there and they had a special for one day only. With every bottle of scotch you got a free remote starter button. I guess  just lucked out, that's all.

[Bingster]

Okay, I got these instructions of H.A.M.B for installing the Remote Starter Switch.  Are the correct?

 

"Just make a on/off switch (toggle is fine) with 2 leads and alligator clips on each end.

Hook up your starter switch from battery to solinoid.

Hook up your new "run" switch from pos on battery to the power side of tour resistor on your coil. Turn on your toggle "run" switch, then crank your starter switch. Whe you flip off your toggle "run" switch, the engine will quit.

[Young Ed]

7 hours ago, Bingster said:

The pump is not new. It's the old one that was in the engine.  When you say "external oil pressure tank" I need a bit of clarification on that one. Is it a tool or something you can make up?

Oil gallery plugs?

 

Was this pump removed from the engine? If not I would just crank it over with the plugs removed until you get some oil pressure and call it good. 

[Bingster]

No, the pump is still on the engine.

[Don Coatney]

32 minutes ago, Bingster said:

Okay, I got these instructions of H.A.M.B for installing the Remote Starter Switch.  Are the correct?

 

"Just make a on/off switch (toggle is fine) with 2 leads and alligator clips on each end.

Hook up your starter switch from battery to solinoid.

Hook up your new "run" switch from pos on battery to the power side of tour resistor on your coil. Turn on your toggle "run" switch, then crank your starter switch. Whe you flip off your toggle "run" switch, the engine will quit.

For the starter switch you need a momentary contact switch. Push the button and it closes the circuit as long as you keep it pushed, release the button and the circuit opens. A toggle switch is a latching switch. Turn it on and it stays on until you turn it off. If you use a toggle switch to energize the starter and you faint from fright when the toggle switch is turned on the starter motor will continue to run until you come back to your senses. A momentary contact push button switch will open the circuit every time you faint. and fall to the ground releasing the switch and stopping the starter motor from running. Notice on my live run dash board I have a push button starter switch and a run toggle switch.I also have a vacuum gauge, water temperature gauge, and an oil pressure gauge. I ran m y engine about 10 hours on this stand to break it in prior to installing it in the car.

 

 

[Bingster]

That's a pretty engine! Where does the coolant come from?

[Don Coatney]

The radiator.

 

[Bingster]

Ah, yes. I didn't see the radiator in the first photo, and I thought you just ran the engine ten hours on the stand with no radiator. I couldn't see how that would be very good for the motor.

[50fordtruck]

Don I like your explanation as to why you should use a momentary switch vs a toggle switch. If your engine is still in the car make sure your out of gear, I saw a car run through a plate glass window last year at the school auto lab because someone had disabled the start switch under the clutch peddle. 

[BigDaddyO]

On the Vintage Power Wagons web site, in the Group 1; Engine section, there is a Quick Tip #2 fora method of priming the oil pump when replacing the oil pump. This may work for you. Or maybe not.

[BigDaddyO]

16 hours ago, Bingster said:

Ah, yes. I didn't see the radiator in the first photo, and I thought you just ran the engine ten hours on the stand with no radiator. I couldn't see how that would be very good for the motor.

There was no radiator in the first photo.

I think this was some sort of 'Coatney Magic'.

[Don Coatney]

Much like rebuilding an engine the radiator is one of the last things to install. Notice the engine is on the work bench in the first photo and it is on the floor in the last photo.

[_shel_ny]

If the oil pump has not been removed it should be full of oil. The oil does not run out of the pump when it is it its normal operating position. If the engine has been out of the vehicle, and positioned other than normal, the oil could be out of the pump. One simple thing to do is to remove the pump, fill it with fresh oil, and reinstall. Follow shop manual instructions for proper indexing of the oil pump/distributor if doing this.