Getting the oil flowing before startup? '53 Buick V8

[Guest TheDude]

Hi,

I'm very close to starting the Buick up. Everything is back in place. I just need to fill the cooling system and get a battery. What is the best way to get the oil pumping through the engine before I try to start it?

Thanks

[Guest ZondaC12]

SWEET!!!!!

great to hear. i know with my 87 cougar the oil pump shaft, which the distributor shaft slides down onto, is in a hex shape, and a 1/4 socket fits onto it. perhaps theres something like that in yours. pull your dist. and look down there with a flashlight. see if theres anything that you could put a socket or some kind of battery powered drill adapter on. spinning the pump manually is really the only way to pre-oil it. honestly though, if you absolutely cant find anything, just crank 'er up. watch your oil pressure gauge and count like 10, 20 seconds. if by then theres still no oil pressure then youve got a problem. but if within that time youve got a nice 30 or 40 lbs or something in that neighborhood you're alright.

ive never bothered to look but apparently in some auto parts stores you can get "pre-oil" shafts which fit most oil pump shafts, or maybe they make them for each different brand of car, and it goes right in a drill chuck. make sure you figure out which way your oil pump is supposed to spin though!!!!!!

[Smartin]

Paul has it - the gear shaft is slotted. If you pull the distributor out, and shine a flashlight down the hole, you will see the top of the shaft. That will give you the right idea on the type of tool you need. TA Performance sells one for about $20

www.taperformance.com

[Guest TheDude]

I have never pulled a distributor. Is it as much trouble as it seems or does it just come out once I remove the holddown bolt? Thanks for the help so far.

[Smartin]

You must make note of the exact location and position of the rotor, or you will have to re-time the engine, and that can be a pain if you've never done it before.

So....why are you priming the engine, anyway?

[Guest TheDude]

I figured it was a safe thing to do when an engine has not been started in a long time (15 years). When I read about people installing new crate engines or rebuilt engines they get oil going through the engine so the surfaces are lubricated before the metal parts start moving.

[ajordanbuick51]

Don't make the mistake I made. I started a 51 buick up and noticed valve noise. It turns out, it was actually pushrod noise. After sitting so long those valve will become stuck from the gas and oil turning to something stronger than super glue. TAP THOSE VALVE WITH A RUBBER HAMMER(on top og the springs/rocker arms! Save your self some money. Don't do something dumb and have to replave about 6 different push rods! Sorry just thought I would put that out there.

Alex

[old-tank]

If the engine has previously been running and has been stored indoors it probably will not hurt to just start it. Just to be sure pull the plugs, put a few squirts of oil in each cylinder, change oil and filter, put a quart of oil in the filter canister before installing, crank the engine with the plugs out until you have oil pressure, do a compression check to be sure no valves are sticking open, and then replace the plugs and fire it up. Run at fast idle and watch for leaks (coolant, fuel) and watch the temperature guage. Once the temperature stabilizes shut it down and let it cool, check the coolant level and add as needed. Any abnormal noises, loss of oil pressure or temperature spikes require a shutdown and call back here for help. Oh yeah...enjoy the smoke!

Willie

[Guest TheDude]

I'm not sure if I put a quart of oil in the canister before I installed it. I changed the oil last year. I believe I poured all the oil through the top of the engine. Shouldn't the oil get into the canister that way?

[Smartin]

No, it will just take a little longer for the engine to reach a good oil pressure, because it's busy filling the can before it can pressurize the rest of the engine.