Starting engine for the first time...oil pressure

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71_Demon

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I am ready to start my new 318 for the first time but I am having a few issues with oil pressure. I had everything ready to go and used the starter to turn the engine over, trying to build up oil pressure before starting it. After turning it over for about 1 minute I did not seem to be getting any pressure. The drivers side valves were still dry (I assume oil would be splashing around on them). I have a dummy oil light and it was also still on.

I attempted to pull the oil pump drive gear so that I could stick a priming rod in there and prime the pump, but I don't seem to ever be able to pull the drive gear out from the top. I usually end up pulling the oil pump and pushing it up from the bottom.

So I pulled the oil pan, oil pump, and removed the drive gear (what a mess). Primed the pump (by sticking it in a oil and turning the drive until oil came out the top) and reinstalled it and the pan. I am using a piece of 5/16" hex stock and a cordless drill to prime the pump and engine through the distributor hole but I still do not seem to be able to get any oil into the top of the engine.

I also stuck a wire in the oil pressure sending unit hole to verify that the hidden plug was in place and the wire went in only 7 1/2" which supposedly means the plug is in there.

I am using 10w 30 motor oil, turning the drive rod Clockwise. My question is what type of pressure gauge is everyone using to check oil pressure in the block. Right now I just have a dummy light. What gauge / fitting combo do I need to rig something up to see how much oil pressure i have. I have a compression tester will that work?... any help would be much appreciated.
 
If you take a large screw driver and turn the drive gear it will unmesh with the cam gear and slide up....then if you have small fingers or a HD magnet you can use that to pull the gear out of the block. Now as far as priming. I just my 318 re-installed in my car and I primed the pump in a bucket of oil and installed it. I have never gotten oil up to the springs with my priming rod. I usually use my 19.2V cordless drill and I kill a full battery running the priming shaft. I know it is pumping cause I can feel the drag. I then get everything set and fire up the motor. After running for a bit I pull off a VC to set the lash and there is oil up there. I'm not sure if the dril doesn't spin in fast enough or I don't run it long enough but even if I use the electric drill i can't get oil to the valvetrain with a priming rod but as soon as I fire it up there is oil up there.
 
Can you get oil as far as the lifters?. As soon as I saw oil to this level i found that my oil pressure gauge registered 70-80lbs pressure, all with a drill and priming gear. Started up good and oiled the rockers fine.
Are you turning the engine whilst you use the priming tool?
 
not sure if this helps, but if i turn over my ignition a few turns when the engine is cold the iol pressure only starts to rise as the engine fires and then the pressure builds. This is true of 2 cars i have with manual oil pressure gauges.
 
TimDart said:
Can you get oil as far as the lifters?. As soon as I saw oil to this level i found that my oil pressure gauge registered 70-80lbs pressure, all with a drill and priming gear. Started up good and oiled the rockers fine.
Are you turning the engine whilst you use the priming tool?
Click to expand...

I started this whole ordeal by turning the engine over with the starter to try and get oil up to the valves. When I was using the priming tool I was not turning the engine over at the same time.

Just to verify the pump priming rod should be turning CLOCKWISE?
 
Prime it clockwise. You need to have a friend turn the motor over whilst you prime it or else the oil will be blocked off. Alternatively, prime, turn motor 90 degrees and prime again. I did this and got oil to appear out of the lifters. I was happy to fire the motor after that having poured oil on the rockers and pushrods.
 
Well I went to Walmart to buy some more oil and found a little $6 mechanical oil pressure guage (designed to fit under your dash). I plugged that in and was able to get 50-75psi with my cordless drill depending on speed. Not sure what I did but everything seems to be working now... Just have to tie up some loose wiring and I am ready to start it for the first time! Thanks
 
once the engine is installed pull all the spark plugs and use the starter to turn the engine you should have lots of oil pressure (the engine will turn over much faster without compression)
 
Guessing that it is a mechanical gauge. If you have oil fed up thru the supply line you are there. The only thing to be sure of is that if this is a mechanical gauge be sure to route the supply line thru a grommet. Heck, if it's electric, be sure to route the wire thru a grommet. :)
 
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