Priming the Pump

[wbabst]

I am getting closer to starting my rebuilt engine. It has been sitting on my bench for a while, and I don't want to cold start it with out oil being pumped into the journals. When I reassembled the oil pump I packed it full of vasoline, so that it will prime. So that I don't crank the engine with out oil in the journals and the oil filter not filled I made a dummy distributor shaft and bushing that I can use my drill motor on to drive the oil pump. After I do that and know I have good oil pressure I can pull it out and install the distributor and start the engine.

[toytron]

I never heard of the vasoline trick before. Is is compatible with the engine oil? I have only put some oil in it and used the shaft on a drill part before with a manual oil pressure gauge to verify the pressure. Is that a homemade hdpe or nylon bushing on your primer shaft? Nice.

Ed Stevenson

[wbabst]

I made the bushing for the top of the shaft out of Delrin. Delrin is great stuff, easy to machine and very wear resistant. They have a Teflon impregnated version too that is pretty awesome also..

Vasoline is actually petroleum jelly and the small amount used to pack the oil pump will dissolve into the oil when warmed up. I don't doubt you could use white lithium grease, but I have always used vasoline because the old timers told me too.

[toytron]

Delrin, I couldn't remember that name. I have a square rod of that in my garage that a friend gave me who worked at a plastics company in town. Now I have a good use for it. Btw good to know about the petroleum jelly.

Ed Stevenson

[66vairguy]

A "little" vaseline to help the pump prime is fine. It has no additives or solids to cause an issue.

Make sure coat the primer shaft with oil at the bottom were it passes into the oil pump housing.

[Steve62]

I used a distributor without the drive gear, spun by a drill, to prime the system. I had the top cover off, and turned the crank by hand as the drill did its magic. When I saw oil flowing from all the journals, I knew I was good to go. It also pumped up the lifters, and they were silent on startup.

[66vairguy]

I used a distributor without the drive gear, spun by a drill, to prime the system. I had the top cover off, and turned the crank by hand as the drill did its magic. When I saw oil flowing from all the journals, I knew I was good to go. It also pumped up the lifters, and they were silent on startup.

Yes - on a newly assembled engine I rotate the crank while someone runs the oil pump with a dummy shaft before starting it up. I also oil the valve rockers since it takes a brief time for the lifters to pump oil up the pushrods.

[ToplessSpyder]

Great job, little things like this make life much easier when working on our hobby.

[wbabst]

Well after fitting final parts and getting things ready I was finally ready to try starting. The pump priming worked great, I made sure I had oil coming from each pushrod and then had my son rotate the engine by hand while I kept the pump running. Distributor back in ( I would find out later 180 degrees off) and ready to try starting. It wouldn't start at all, spit, back fire and cough but refused to run. I started checking valve adjustments when I figured it out, since the timing mark is at 0 when 1 or 2 are at TDC I had the distributor 180 out. Pulled it rotated 180 and it started. Wow am I a happy Corvair guy at the moment!

Here is a video of my second start...

https://www.facebook.com/65236789818567 ... 518230005/