Thanks for all the good information. I bought some assembly lube from Advance and will order some Joe Gibbs break in oil, Anyway, whats the procedure for priming the oil pump before start up? Just leave the coil packs unplugged and turn it over until the gauge reads pressure?

 

Depends on what tools you have and how much your willing to spend. You can opt to wear out the starter turning the engine over for extended period of time, just start it up and hope she sucks up oill asap or spend $20+ bucks and make a oil pressure tank that taps into the oil galley and lubes everything.

 

Pull the fuel pump fuse so you don't load the cylinders with unburned fuel.

Pull the spark plugs to get the cranking speed up.

 

LS engines should not need any sort of priming or pressure tank to "get the oil going". Thousands of engines are started and they build up pressure without issue.

I did a pressure & leak test on my motor and didn't do any sort of priming or used a pressure tank.

As I decided to re-do this long block again, I'll again do the on engine stand pressure & leak test. When I video it again, I'll show the gauge from the start.

 

So you just used the starter to turn it over on the stand to check for pressure and leaks? That works... I'm sure the pump would build pressure rather quickly. Better to check on a stand than in the car. Thanks!

 

Thousands of startups on the residual oil is not the same as new bearing that have not bedded in.

I used permatex assembly lube as I knew the motor would sit for a couple months and used penzoil non synthetic 5w30 for the break in. Worked very well. Did not prime the pump. Turned it over with the plugs out and injectors disconnected. After a very short period I had 40 cranking psi.

 

You all must have really good jobs!? Worst case scenario is you lose about 10k miles off a motor, but, who would ever know in the grand scheme of things. While you dont need to do this or that, why would you not do the best you could for a $2500 engine before startup?

 

Some of us don't like to waste our time lol

 

I agree, but, "I" just cant do that over principle alone. While the chance is nill, there is to much time and money invested in an engine like this to chance a pinched oil tube oring or for some odd reason, a cavitating pickup/pump. I want my engine flushed under pressure of 5 gallons flowing through so I know oil has been every where and then watch the gauge. There is a big diff between a $700 SBC engine failing and a 2500+ (usually $4k for some people) LS1 to fail, on the 1 in 1,000,000,000,000 to one chance.

 

Good point. A freshly built engine will have some sort of lube on the bearings and everything until the oil pressure is built up.

Pretty much exactly what I do but I use the Redline stuff.

 

Usually at idle there isn't really a lot of load on the bearings. The oil you have on everything from assembly should be enough to protect the important parts until you have oil pressure. In my experience, oil pressure comes on within a split second of the engine firing up, with the only exception being an engine equipped with auxillary components that add volume (external oil coolers for example).

Of all the engines I've built, only once did I use assembly lube on the bearings. I really didn't like it because it felt like the crank was dragging when it was just because the assembly lube was that much stickier than oil. The crank in the engine I just built using oil spins very freely. You can turn it by hand and it'll spin 1-2 more times after you let go. If something is dragging, like one time when I didn't set the thrust well enough, I could feel it with oil but not with the assembly lube. That's a greater risk for me in my opinion.

But this is just what has worked for me and what I feel comfortable with. I've put together some high dollar stuff ($50k range) this way and it's worked out beautifully. I'll continue this way until I find something better. To each their own, I say.

 

My only issue is, in order, pump priming, cylinder lubrication, lifter lubrication, camshaft lubrication and timing chain lubrication. Im not doing a tractor pull on it as soon as it starts, so, not too concerned with the bearings. Even a light mist of wd40 would probably be sufficient until the pump primes. If you work on $50k engines, you probably have enough backing that is something goes wrong, you replace it and move on. Heck, I would bet you could even start a thousand BONE DRY motor and never notice the damage. Like you said, diff strokes for diff folks, but, for me, I don’t have the “free” backup funds to take a chance. I am only eating oodles of noodles one time around. Personally, I will take the extra days time and the extra $15-$30 to make a goofy contraption to make sure the pump, and, every crack n crevice, is fully filled with oil at least once before starting it. Who is to say the engine will even start on the first 10 tries??

 

Good point, especially on the thought of it not starting right away.

On my turbo build my "break in" tune would not start the car.. I must have went through 10-15 try's before correcting the tune and getting it to start.

It was a new engine and he used assembly lube so I was not worried..

 

http://www.enginebuildermag.com/2014...ly-lube-needs/

 

Yea, its just like an insurance policy. Probably more than half have liability only. Guess what, that doesn't cover YOUR car one bit! Others full coverage a $2000 beater as its easier to pay an extra $20 to get a full refund on a totaled car than try to come up with $2000 on the spot. For me, a well primed engine (whether its worthwhile or not) with a $30 apparatus is insurance. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

Went with Comp cams break in oil instead, several people I know have used it with good results. Was going to try Joe Gibbs but I had an order with Summit Racing, added this to it.

 

ZDDP! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm........................ , yummy!!

 

Say what? I take no less care building a $50k engine than I do my own junk. I'm almost insulted that you would say that. There are no "free funds". If I blew up a $50k engine, that would have been my *** and probably the end of a paycheck.

If the engine doesn't start, there's even less load and less to worry about. THere's no combustion on top of the pistons that push down on the rods or mains, it's like turning the engine over to check lash or PTV.

 

Exactly! Say what!? Where did I say you "didnt care"? You are the one that said "To each their own, I say.". I agree. Your gonna have to point at what your insulted about, i dont get it.

I am betting (with a full primed engine) against extended cranking time with NO oil. Like I said, slim chance and none, but, the chance is there. Over cautious, maybe, but, after spending 40 hours on cleangin and putting a motor together along with countless $$ in parts,coupled with a one time use it n throw it away block, I am not taking ANY chances.

Now, if you want to be insulted, I would say..... If it was my shop you worked at in which you didnt prime the engine like said with a pressure tank before firing a $50k engine, you would have been long gone a LONG time ago. I dont care if those instructions came straight from your boss! Im sure your a good guy though.

 

Well the comments about how I would have free back up funds and I can just replace something and move on sounded like you were implying that I wouldn't have to care as much for a $50k engine than if it were my own $5k engine that I paid for. That couldn't be further from the truth.