When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I've got a friend that got a ls3 crate engine that supposedly wouldn't build oil pressure. He can't confirm this but obviously doesn't want to chance running it without trying to find possible causes. No clue if it was properly primed or not. Three exhaust ports were oily when he picked the engine up. Where would you start looking? This engine has less than 50 miles on it if that.
I've got a friend that got a ls3 crate engine that supposedly wouldn't build oil pressure. He can't confirm this but obviously doesn't want to chance running it without trying to find possible causes. No clue if it was properly primed or not. Three exhaust ports were oily when he picked the engine up. Where would you start looking? This engine has less than 50 miles on it if that.
Exhaust ports being oily mean absolutely nothing. If youre not familiar with this engine, and if the engine is on a stand, yank the balancer, pull the timing cover, and double check the oil pump O-ring for proper size, and whether its got any small cuts in it. Pull the oil pump, and make sure the relief valve is free, to move. If all checks out, button it back up, using a new timing cover gasket. Drain the oil, and pull the pan, and check the pump screen for any blockages. Also check the pickup tube for any cracks. If it all checks out, button it back up, using a new pan gasket. Then locate the oil galley plug on the outside of the block, on the drivers side, near the front. This "port" is where the factory primes each engine. Rig up a fitting to screw into the block. Get a cheap, insecticide sprayer from Home Depot, Lowes, wherever. You want the kind that you pump by hand to pressurize the container. Rig up the hose to fit the fitting you've screwed into the block. I drilled and tapped the factory plug for a small NPT fitting. Of course, this destroys the original galley plug, so you'll need to source a new plug from GM, or wherever, before the motor can be fired. The auto parts stores will have the rest of the adapter fittings and hose clamps you'll need. Fill the sprayer with 6 or 7 quarts of oil, pump it up, and prime away. Pull a valve cover and watch for oil to come up and out of the pushrods. Once they're oiling, you're good to go.
I've got a friend that got a ls3 crate engine that supposedly wouldn't build oil pressure. He can't confirm this but obviously doesn't want to chance running it without trying to find possible causes.
How does he know it won't build pressure if he hasn't started it? If he is just using the starter to spin it without actually running it then it can take a while to build pressure and you sometimes have to pull all the spark plugs so it will spin fast enough to pick up oil in the first place.
how do you not just google "LS engine oil priming" months before you get to that point with your engine? Everything that grinder11 said above should be basic common knowledge if you read LS1tech.
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Slideshow: The controversial Ferrari F6 swaps its original flat-12 for a Corvette Z06-derived LT4 V8 and sends power to four rear wheels through a custom-built drivetrain.
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Slideshow:These GM engines didn't just make huge power, they survived abuse, boost, track days, and six-digit mileage with a reputation for refusing to quit.
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...
Opinions and ideas on ls3 crate engine problems 
