Convette

Finally starting my engine, its sat for many many years ( at least 5) just being turned over by hand every once in a while. I changed the oil pan, p/u tube etc a while back and I was EXTREAMLY carefull not to pinch the p/u tube o ring as I've read horror stories about that. SO today I turned it over with no plugs in, basically just the starter turning the engine, no coils nothing but the starter turning it. Did that about 4 times for no longer that 5 sec a pop and got nothing reading on the gauge. I pulled the valve cover off, cranked it, no oil coming up to the heads. So I pulled the oil pressure sensor at the top of the motor, cranked it, nothing getting there. WTF... Should I just fire it all hooked up and hope for the best or try priming it through the sensor port at the top? The engine is not coming back out. lol I really really dont want to do that. Its a 1998 ls1 from a corvette in a 1988 Chrysler Conquest. Any help would be great.

Whiteaw57

iTrader: (2)

Its odd that you cant get oil up to the top of the motor, but sitting that long and all you're probably going to have to spin the pump alot faster than with the starter to get it going. Im an old school guy and dont know the method of priming a front driven ls oil pump but there has to be a way. sucks that is sat that long, if you just did a cam install and still had oil on the bearings and all id say fire it and wait a few seconds but dont start the thing totally dry, that just sounds scary. Good luck!

NVR_SPDS

iTrader: (39)

When i did my cam swap, once i started it, i only waited a few seconds for the pressure to come up, and idle is alot faster than the starter turns it. I say start it up.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

Make your decision carefully, you might regret it.

Convette

What all needs to be done when priming it through the sensor port? I'm trying to find a barb fitting or something that will tap into the block there so I can get a good flow of oil into it. I really don't want to just say **** it and fire it... hopefully it won't come to that.

68 RS Convertible

iTrader: (1)

Jack the rear of the car up as far as you can. This will submerge the oil pump and allow it to "prime". Can't prime these like the Gen I motors. I jacked the rear of my car up, cranked it over, and mine make pressure within 10 seconds, like 40 lbs or so.

Convette

its a rear sump pan though? (f-body)

blsnelling

iTrader: (4)

So when you jack the rear of the car up, it will submerge the oil pump in the front of the engine. Not sure how that's going to help though. The pickup is sealed with an o-ring.

I'm not sure how many RPMs it takes to build up pressure. Cranking it isn't a lot of RPMs. I say start it and keep a close eye on the guage. It'll more than likely come up in just a couple seconds.

crispytoast

iTrader: (17)

I would fire it and watch oil pressure, if no oil pressure within 5 seconds shutdown imediatley and conduct further investigation.

incbed

For me when I had put my engine back in and had the fuel pump fuse pulled and turning the motor over with the starter I was getting no oil pressure so I put the fuel pump fuse back in and and just unplugged all my injectors and turned the engine over by the starter and I was showing 40lb of oil pressure.

So try it with everything hooked up except the injectors it worked for me.

Lt1Porsche

iTrader: (6)

I did a cam swap on a car that sat for only 2 days. I tried the method that you are attempting and nothing happened. I tried over and over and never got pressure. decided to just fire it up bc i assumed the starter just was not spinning fast enough, as soon as i hit the key it wasnt 2 seconds and had 60 lbs. Just fire it up man and if you dont see pressure within 5 or 6 seconds shut it down.

ABQ99TA

iTrader: (17)

I never saw pressure with just the starter. I have done a cam swap and a motor swap and both times I had to start it and after 2-5 seconds it jumped up. Granted it felt like 20 seconds but it was probably only 2-3 seconds. I also read when I was building my new motor that some people heat there oil up to thin it out on a new block to get it to run through the block quicker. I left my oil on my roof while I was finishing up it heated up good from the sun.

NBM99SS

iTrader: (33)

I left my coilpacks unplugged and cranked the engine over. Gauge moved up for me. On my friends car we did the same but his gauge never moved so we just started it up. Both worked fine

FastKat

iTrader: (10)

Agreed. My engine sat for about 5 years as well, and when I started it, oil pressure picked up in about 2-3 seconds... much more quickly than I expected. With that said, I was ready to turn the key off if there was no pressure in 5-6 seconds.

Is there any particular reason you might think that it will not have oil pressure when you start it?