Thread: Priming oil pump?

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How do you prime the oil pump? Is this done after assembly with oil in the pan by turning the drive linkage shalf on the distributor(460 ford engine)?

yes. Here's the tool....
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MOROS...QQcmdZViewItem

Distributor spins counter-clockwise, so use a drill motor that is reversible. You'll hear the drill motor labor down once the pump picks up oil. Continue to prime for a minute or so or until the drill motor begins to heat up.
http://www.boxwrench.net/specs/ford_429-514.htm

Don Shillady found this oil additive and posted it a while back. I used it to break in the cam on my 300 Ford six and it worked great. Do yourself a huge favor and order a quart. It cost me $32.00 delivered to my front door by UPS and is worth its weight in gold. Add 1 1/2 ounces of it to each quart of oil (9 ounces of additive to 6 quarts of oil) for initial cam break-in, then 1 ounce per quart of oil on subsequent oil changes.
http://www.sfrcorp.com/product/9
This is the only way you can be certain that you have ZDDP in the oil to protect the lifter faces during break-in.

Most builders will now say to run the motor up to 45 minutes or so to break-in the cam. Keep rpm's above 2000, varying between 2000 and 3000. NO IDLING, NO IDLING, NO IDLING. If something goes wrong, water leak or whatever, shut the motor off and fix it, then continue back with the 2000-3000 rpm break-in.

NO GRINDING ON THE STARTER. NO GRINDING ON THE STARTER. NO GRINDING ON THE STARTER. Have everything prepared ready to start. Fresh battery, oil in the pan, water in the system, fuel in the carb bowl, ignition timing adjusted.

Very helpfull Tech, Thank you.

i used rotella and a bottle of comp cams lube break in stuff, the stuff tech listed is good as well a couple of guys here sware by it, but if your worried about zinc valvoline vr1 has a couple of different grades and they actually advertise right on the bottle that it contains the right amounts of ZDDP for flat tappet cams. anybody who advertises it must be good) everybody else is shunning the zinc, i use straight 50 in the nova and its 3.89 a quart cant beat that. also when priming it may take awhile it took me a good 20-25 minutes before every single pushrod was spurting oil upon to the rockers i was like wow it takes this long!?

Originally Posted by gassersrule_196

i used rotella and a bottle of comp cams lube break in stuff, the stuff tech listed is good as well a couple of guys here sware by it, but if your worried about zinc valvoline vr1 has a couple of different grades and they actually advertise right on the bottle that it contains the right amounts of ZDDP for flat tappet cams. anybody who advertises it must be good) everybody else is shunning the zinc, i use straight 50 in the nova and its 3.89 a quart cant beat that. also when priming it may take awhile it took me a good 20-25 minutes before every single pushrod was spurting oil upon to the rockers i was like wow it takes this long!?

The drill motor must have been hot enough to fry eggs on

i took 5 minute interval breaks hahahaha

Tech the ford firing order torque specs page is awesome. Thank you so much! I just ordered a book for that info and a little more, this really helps me out!

I guess the drill has to be in reverse! I'll check my Milwakee and see if it does that, otherwise I'll be recharging batteries on the Makita!

Tech1, Glad it worked for you! My engine has been sitting with oil in it for almost two years with only an occasional turn to set the valves but I plan to add plenty of the ZDP stuff when I get to the startup event. Just for the record what is the correct direction for a SBC350? I usually set the drill for clockwise rotation but it is easy to reverse on my Craftsman 1/2" drill. I have twice reved up the device to run the oil pump just to keep things wet internally but I used clockwise rotation. Comments?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Yep, clockwise on a Chevy, counter-clockwise on a Ford.

Must be why Fords are so popular in the southern hemisphere!

I appreciate all this advise. I will be starting soon.

I actually had a dream about the oil pump priming last night. I bought the primer mentioned above, and I guess it was stewing around the subconcious and jumped up as a dream problem. With a ford, the distributor drive shaft for the oil pump is mounted before sealing up the pan. The shaft comes with a little washer that keeps the shaft from pulling out when you remove the distributor(flash back to when I'm 17 rebuilding my 289, and put the washer on the oil pump side of the shaft, effectively making it worthless for the above mentioned purpose). So in my dream I'm envisioning pushing in the oil pump primer from above the engine through the distributor hole down to the oil pump and priming it with the drill in reverse. Then it dawns on me, you can't do that it the drive shaft is mounted in place.
Now I'm wondering if this primer hooks up to the top of the oil pump drive shaft?

Then I woke up and went to the primer add and reread it!
"Don't start your new engine without priming the oiling system first! The only correct way to do this is with an oil pump primer. Simply remove the distributor and install the primer to engage the oil pump and spin it with a drill to prime the engine with oil. Made from high strength steel with a black oxide finish. Fits most 3/8" chuck drills. Fits Ford 351W,351C,400,429,460 engines. Pump drive end of the primer fits 5/16" hex male end of the oil pump drive.
I hate dreams!Some times I wish the head would turn off!

For maximum benefit IMO you should turn the engine over by hand a few times while doing this (using your helper of couse). Much easier with the plugs out.

Kitz