priming oil pump

[64xm]

Hey
all i have to do is fill it with clean oil yeh?
also is there a way to tell if i have pressure without a gauge?
any help appreciated
thanks
brendan

 

[addo]

You can pack it with moly grease, like Castrol LMM. No chance you can get a cheap gauge? The light will go out on the dash if you are wired up right, and there is pressure.

 

[64xm]

wont i need another sender for the gauge because the same one wont work for the light will it?
moly grease will make it work easier? i have heard that some oil pumps are bastards to prime and i really dont want to b pulling the sump off again just bcoz the pump isnt primed that would b soooo annoying lol
thanks
brendan

 

[addo]

You can prime the pump after filling the motor with oil, by using an extension on a small socket and an electric drill to spin the oil pump drive shaft.

(Don't leave the shaft out like one guy did.)

As to hooking up the sender; I think VDO did an adaptor/sender that allowed both gauge types. That may require a VDO gauge.

My main thought for the mechanical gauge was the initial startup/run-in period for the cam and valvegear. If you've got good pressure then, it's probably safe to go back to your light on the dash.

 

[gassed250]

I use an old dizzy that has had the gear removed and the top cut off

Just drop it in the hole and put a drill on it and get the missus with a bar and socket to turn the engine

 

[73GreenMachine]

Yes yes I learned my lesson

 

[alloydave]

I sat my pump in oil and wound it over by hand untill it started to come out the top then let it drain out then bolted it up.Then use the drill and and shaft method. Priming the pump first and getting oil pressure this way is way better than winding the engine over on the key,even if your crank has been coated in assembly oil there will still plenty of revolutions of the engine with out oil feeding the bearings.I used the same method as Gassed250 ,its always nice if you have enough spare dissys to go round cutting bits up to do the job. you pump up and screw it into the oil .Get a cheap mechanical capillary style gauge,theres some real budget ones out there and at least you can see what sort of pressure your getting before the light kicks in.A brass T fitting with the switch in one end and the gauge feed in the other works well. The cheap nasty gauges we have over here go for about $10-$20 bucks.
Hope the start up goes well.