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Using the starter to prime rebuild

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Old Oct 5, 2014 | 08:45 PM
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Default Using the starter to prime rebuild

Ive just installed a fresh 5.7 in my silverado. Fresh hone, New rings and bearings. It has a new barbell and a brand new oil pump also. I made sure to use the right o ring and made sure not to pinch it when i mounted the pickup. Oil pan pick up to pan clearance was within spec. With out the plugs installed, the coils unplugged and the fuel pump relay pulled, i crank the engine over with the starter for 10 seconds or so at a time, but i see no oil pressure on the stock gauge.

How long should it take to get pressure on the gauge? When i crank by hand, i can hear the oil sloshing around in the pan.
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Old Oct 5, 2014 | 09:21 PM
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Try pulling the oil filter off and fill it to the top, stick it back on. That should prime the pump.
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Old Oct 5, 2014 | 10:11 PM
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Look in tool section guy primed his motor with a 20$ pump from harbor frieght worked great
This is the route I'm going to take
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Old Oct 5, 2014 | 10:20 PM
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It can take a while. It is best IMO to pump it up through the filter housing.
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Old Oct 6, 2014 | 06:33 AM
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I found no reading on the gauge while turning it over, however once I released the key the gauge would move up to around 20 psi. Same method you are using.
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Old Oct 6, 2014 | 09:07 AM
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Did you put some assembly lube/oil in the pump? The pump gears need to have some lube/oil worked into them to create the necessary suction to push the oil through the motor. Simply filling the oil filter doesn't always work.
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Old Oct 6, 2014 | 09:17 AM
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Even with the filter filled, it can take 3 or 4 turns of 8>10 seconds to achieve pressure.
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Old Oct 6, 2014 | 09:30 AM
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I just cranked it for 20 seconds or so until I had pressure and then I cranked it again to make sure oil got distributed. I think cranking it until it gets pressure doesn't put anything more on it than 2 or three shorter cranks and may even make it prime quicker. I had poured oil into the filter before installing, filled the oil sender hole to help fill the galleys and had poured assembly lube into the oil pump and turned it by hand before installing too.
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Old Oct 6, 2014 | 10:07 PM
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I used clevite's bearing guard on everything including the pump, but i did not pack the pumps passages with anything. I tried filling the filter today, but not one pound of pressure showed up.

Looks like ill have to buy a home made priming tool. Battery's almost dead.
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Old Oct 7, 2014 | 07:27 AM
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Just fire it up. You should see oil pressure real quick and the bearing guard protects everything until you see pressure.
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Old Oct 7, 2014 | 08:02 AM
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I think as you turn the key to crank the engine, the gauges are dead. While cranking in the car with the key, the gauge won't read.

20 or 30 seconds "crank" time. No spark plugs:
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Old Oct 7, 2014 | 10:12 AM
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Originally Posted by KCS
Just fire it up. You should see oil pressure real quick and the bearing guard protects everything until you see pressure.
Well this makes me feel better, coming from you. I think I'll try this tonight and shut it down after 15 seconds if no pressure shows up.

Originally Posted by Paul Bell
I think as you turn the key to crank the engine, the gauges are dead. While cranking in the car with the key, the gauge won't read.

20 or 30 seconds "crank" time. No spark plugs:
Crank pressure test - YouTube
I agree, while cranking the stock oil pressure gauge reads -2, but when i release the key, it moves a c-hair to 0. Which leads me to believe the gauge would read, if there we're pressure.

I just bought one of these drill powered pumps, so I'll try that if all else fails.
Attached Thumbnails Using the starter to prime rebuild-drill-pump.jpg  
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Old Oct 7, 2014 | 04:28 PM
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I used my starter to prime the engine. It worked fine. If you used assembly lube on everything, you'll be fine.

Plus, whenever I play with idle airfow too much and take it out where it refuses to start I can watch pressure build as it turns over.
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Old Oct 7, 2014 | 10:58 PM
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BTW folks, as the LS pump isn't immersed in the oil sump as old school engines were, it does take a bit more time to get oil flowing when dry or it's been sitting for a while.
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Old Oct 8, 2014 | 05:19 AM
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Don't some people pack a new pump with grease to help build pressure faster?
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Old Oct 8, 2014 | 07:44 AM
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I monitored oil pressure with HP Tuners and it showed good pressure within 20 seconds or so cranking it. I'd be worried about something being wrong just "firing it up". For one with the plugs in you're putting a lot more stress on the bearings and if something is wrong like the pickup tube O-ring it would be doubly bad.
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Old Oct 8, 2014 | 08:20 AM
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Originally Posted by maroonls1z
Don't some people pack a new pump with grease to help build pressure faster?
I have one big block book that says to do this but I don't think it's a good idea-especially for a pump not sitting in the oil sump.

In my Monte Carlo, in addition to the usual oil pressure gauge, I had a oil pressure switch (that would be used for a car with idiot lights) that would close a relay that powered my ignition. The ignition wouldn't work until oil pressure was built up. At the same time, if the oil pressure went away, the ignition would be killed saving the engine from damage.

When I re-build the Monte, I'll do the same but the relay will interrupt the fuel injectors instead of the ignition.
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Old Oct 8, 2014 | 09:37 AM
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Originally Posted by maroonls1z
Don't some people pack a new pump with grease to help build pressure faster?
I don't agree with this practice, especially if you use the wrong type of grease. I always use an assembly lube, like Clevite's Bearing Guard, or even Amsoil's assembly lube, but only to lubricate the gears or other friction points. I have seen horror stories when that white lithium grease is used.
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Old Oct 8, 2014 | 10:07 AM
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Filling the oil pump with oil before installing it is all it should need to pump oil up quickly.
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Old Oct 8, 2014 | 03:48 PM
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Well after charging my battery back to life, the engine wont fire.

I had a 150,000 mile stock 4.8. Pulled the 4.8 longblock, and replaced it with a 5.7 longblock, with 243 heads and a custom cam/spring kit. Everything else like intake inj tb maf exhaust is all reused from the 4.8.

The tuners ive spoken to say it should fire right up and even run decent, but its not....

Guess ill check for spark (damn this is gonna hurt), and buy yet another one time use item, like a fuel pressure gauge and some fittings. Unless anyone knows an easier way to verify fuel pressure.
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