GaryC

I am planning on starting for the first time a 383 I built in my '63 chassis tonight (the body is off). Last night I was setting the hydraulic valves and I tried to prime the oil system via a drill, with screwdriver type bit attached to the oil pump, in place of the distributor before the adjustments.

My question is; should I have seen oil coming out of the push rods? Or, at least up through the lifters? Oil did come shooting out of the fitting on the rear of the block that connects to the oil pressure gage. But, nothing up through the push rods.

My concern is two-folds: First, the lifters needed oil in them when I was adjusts the rockers. Secondly, I am not sure if the oil passage is OK and that when I do start the engine I will no tknow if the valve train is getting oil.

Thanks,
GaryC

clem zahrobsky

you need a primer that allows the oil to go to the lifters and it takes awhile for it to show up. also turn the engine over several times as you do the priming. the best type of primer looks like the bottom half of a distributor so the oil passage to the right side lifters get oil. :chevy

MasterDave

You need to have the correct tool bro, it's fairly inexpensive (around $20). It has an aluminum housing on it which blocks the correct areas so your pump will oil the entire system. On mine the blade part that goes into the pump shaft was a little fat (too strange) so I had to file it down some. When I hooked it up to my cordless drill and set it on slow it only took less than a minute to oil the complete system. I had oil coming out of all pushrod lifter valleys and I did not turn the engine at all. You may have to though. You do not oil the lifters prior to instl and adjustment, that will happen when you prime. Enjoy... :cool:

piper

It took 45min. to prime my 67/427

K2

You can buy the proper priming tool from any good automotive supply or I made one from an old distributor by machining off the distributor body and the teeth off of the gear and cut off the upper end of the shaft and presto! you have a proper primer. May still be easier and cheaper to buy one if you don't have acess to a lathe. :yesnod: Shouldn't take long to prime the system if everything is right.

magicv8

It took 20-30 minutes for mine, and I rotated the engine for the last 5 minutes to get oil at all the valves.
:seeya

TheOman

Yup you gotta have the right tool. If you use a screwdriver your are leaving a passage to the lifters and the rocker arms open. No oil gets up there without the correct tool. You gotta either take a real distrib and grind the teeth off the cam drive gear or buy the correct tool to cover that passage in the block and allow oil to get to the lifters.

Oman

JohnZ

The primer tool I've always used is made by Tavia, with the sliding collar so it pressurizes both lifter galleries - Summit has it, #TAV-08300, $23.50. Never took me more than 30 seconds to get full pressure and oil out of the pushrods - will never happen if you just use a shaft without the collar.

GaryC

All,

Thanks for the great advice. I bought the tool and it worked like a champ!

I started the engine last night. It fired right up after about 2 seconds and did those Hooker headers and side-pipes sound awesome. :D

I can not wait to get the body back on the chassis and drive this thing!!!

Thanks again.

Gary


[Modified by GaryC, 8:54 AM 8/23/2001]