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Prime Time

2K views 12 replies 10 participants last post by  whitey70ss 
#1 ·
It might just be time to start my new motor, and I wanted some last minute tips. I am going to prime the oil system, as recommended and especially to fill the lines of my remote mount filter. So... I have my primer and drill ready. I am going to go lower RPMs, not wing it to 3000rpm which is like 6000 rpm crankshat.

-Will I be able to see full pressure doing it with a drill? Ought to, huh?
-Can I take the valve cover off to see oil coming out the rockers, or will it squirt?
-I don't know if I will be able to get my wife to turn the crank while I run the drill. If I drill for a minute, then run to turn the crank 90 degrees, then drill some more, will that work, or do I need the crank in motion while actually drilling?
-How many minutes shall I do this process? I don't care if the answer is "an hour is best". But if full benefit is reached in a couple of minutes, I am not going to spend the time.

Thanks for any help!
 
#2 ·
yes you should see the oil pressure on the gauge using the drill.
I did mine by drilling with valve covers off till oil came out the rockers then turned the crank by hand 90deg then drilled again till oil came out the rockers. both times had 30psi on the gauge while doing this I had an extra gauge and plastic line as I use copper on the main gauge in the car I used the extra gauge and plastic line so I could watch the oil pressure as I was doing this. once the drill stops so will the pressure. FWIW
Jeff
 
#3 ·
Gibbons, a bud has an old BIG 1/2 drill motor, sometimes you need the power!

I never got much oil up to the rockers, but it showed the same PSI as it did when it fired.( had the new electric guage jury-rigged in the engine bay.) You can rotate it 90 and drill some more. I would NOT spin the motor over until you're ready to fire it.

Have a kids medicine dispenser, looks like a hypo, that I also use to fill the fuel bowls with to keep cranking at a minimum.
 
#4 ·
I used a new black and decker firestorm 1/2" drill. I also have a mikita but it don't do as well as the BND at this job.
 
#6 ·
-How many minutes shall I do this process?
ONE minute. Anything more than that is wasted effort.

I don't care if the answer is "an hour is best". But if full benefit is reached in a couple of minutes, I am not going to spend the time.
Good attitude. Priming is not a career. Prime until you build oil pressure, continue another fifteen seconds. Install distributor, static time the ignition, prime the carburetor with gasoline poured down a vent tube, fire the engine. It will NOT take more than one minute of oil pump priming. Probably less.

DO NOT waste time rotating the crankshaft while priming. There is NO reason to bother.

You do NOT need to have oil squirting over the fender when priming. Pressure as shown on the gauge is enough. There is NO need to have oil coming out the pushrods/rockers when priming.

I prime BY HAND, NO DRILL MOTOR. Any scrapyard distributor can be used as a priming tool by grinding the teeth off the bottom gear, and installing a machine screw and jam nut into the rotor screw hole for use as a handle. This is my priming tool for Pontiac:

 
#8 ·
Dang, I hope the Craftsman 1/2" can hang on for a couple of minutes! One of the reasons I wanted a new motor was to get a roller cam. I won't be as panic'ed to get it started after the prime as I was when I put new Rhoads lifters on a used cam on my 468. But that worked fine, so I guess this isn't brain neuro surgery.
 
#9 ·
you have a roller cam you don't have to sweat all this break-in romance. run the drill till you see oil at a couple rockers, button it up, start it, drive it away.
 
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