I have a 1969 big block sometimes in the winter the car will sit for months before I start it again I would feel better if i primed the engine first before starting it. I seen in Jegs there an oil primer they sell that attaches to the oil filter. Does anyone know of this or has one

 

Are you talking about a system that uses a solenoid and a expansion tank for oil storage? They can be opened before starting to pre-lube the engine and when the engine starts they refill with oil and the system level stays normal.

Or are you talking about the kind of Priming tool that fits down into the oil pump's drive slot and lets you spin the oil filter therefore pre-lubing the engine. I use a Pre-lube tool that drives my oil pump after I have pulled the distributor, spark plugs and valve covers. This tool needs a strong drill so use a corded drill and not a battery powered one for the job. I pump the oil until I see it running down the rocker arms and then rotate the engine and then run the drill again ensuring that everything that needs oil got covered. This way is easy to do but many folks are afraid of pulling their distributor to do this work.

Do you have any part numbers from Jeg's? All I saw were stand alone 2 gallon tanks with hoses to attach. The drill type lubing tool is cheap in comparison and does the job very nicely.

I have seen race cars with oil systems where they have a expansion tank that the oil is forced into when the engine is running. At the start they release the oil into the oil pan and after startup the oil level is still correct thanks to the expansion tank. These systems can also add oil to keep the level right while turning hard and under hard acceleration.

 

I know about the priming tool that drops down after the distributor is removed that would take to long. I must of misunderstood the one that attaches to the oil filter. I looked on the jegs cite but counldnt find what I first saw thanks for your reponds and ideas

 

Pull the coil wire from distributor cap, crank the engine till you see pressure, reconnect wire. Personally if the carburetor has sat all winter there is no gasoline in it and the gauge will read oil pressure before you have enough gas to start. Have been doing this 33 years.

 

I think you are talking about the Accusump? You can connect to prelube a motor everytime you start up and as well fill in any low spots. I had a problem with that on hard deceleration.

Great idea, the downside is finding a space to mount it. I managed to put it next to the vacuum tank on the driver's side.

 

Most part stores have a distributor style oil pump drive tool you can rent. You pay a deposit then get it back when you return the tool. Much cheaper than spending money on a tool you only use once a year.

 

Bottom line. Perhaps your overthinking it. Oil is going to hang around a long time. And then if your car has been sitting, it's going to take a couple cranks of the starter to get her going, all the while pumping oil. On start up oil pressure is immediate.

 

exactly.
I just started my c3 after 4-5 months sitting. By the time the engine fired(carb was empty I’m sure) the starter had spun the motor enough for 30ish pounds oil pressure. Not worried about it at all.

 

The tool that drives the oil pump using a drill is a great tool to have around. I like the idea of letting loose the extra oil before cranking on an engine that has sat for several months. I could not remember the Accusump (made by Canton Racing) name but that concept really impresses me. Thank you ignatz for helping me get the right name, I really appreciate your help!

Having an Accusump, the engine has extra oil available for protection when you are accelerating hard or cornering like a crazy man. It also protect the engine from wear while cranking because you can release the oil before starting to cover the parts in a layer of oil.

These systems are going to be close to $500 from taking a quick look at their website. Here is the link to an Accusump Accumulator:
https://www.cantonracingproducts.com...2-qt-no-valve/

I think that many of us understand that pre-lubing the engine would help increase the life of the engine. When the engine sits for several months the parts above the oil pan are "dry" for all practical purposes. It takes time even using a drill to get oil pressure after the car has been sitting. I really don't like the idea of those dry parts all rubbing each other without the protection of oil in between them.

Yes, 4-vettes, I might be "Overthinking" the issue. I spent a lot of money on my 427 when it was built and I want to do anything I can to keep it going.
What happens in Wisconsin when it is really cold and you want to start your car. IF you don't have a block heater then the oil will be thick and not likely to start "flowing" for a while. I kept a oil pan heater on my Cessna's engine so the air-cooled engine would not care if I started it up when really cold outdoors. Cold oil is almost as good as no oil when you first start the engine up. Why do I see so many block heaters in the northern parts of our country? The cold oil needs to be thinned out a bit to make life with an oil pump better.

I am still a believer in pre-lubing an engine after a long period of no use. If nothing else, it makes me feel better because I know it helps my engine. After re-discovering the Accusump that might be the direction I head as that kind of protection and the simplicity of the way it pre-lubricates the engine. My car does accelerate hard as well as cornering hard but I have not been watching the oil gauge all the time. My engine has a Milodon Oil pan with the kick outs and a scraper near the crankshaft and this does a fair job of keeping the oil where it belongs. This way the oil works for me and not against me.

 

I went back to the Jegs web cite and found what I first saw. Its call a Peterson Fluid System Small filter mount with primer.
Its a little pricey at 470 bucks. But after I got a few reponces from you guys its seems its not as cruial as I thought. So now I got some thinking to do

 

Thank you Tripower delight!

That is something new to me, I had never seen a device like that one. It is a really nice device but way overpriced for what it does. I thing the Accusump system for the same amount of money would be a great choice to keep the oil pressure stable while driving as well as priming the oil system whenever you want to.

If you are "comfortable" with removing and re-installing your distributor then I would use the electric drill adapter that drives the actual oil pump inside the engine. The Peterson product actually has it's own little oil pump for pre-lubricating the engine. I think it is better to spin the actual oil pump versus using a small auxiliary pump when pre-lubing the engine.

For the time I will use the old tried and true method that I have used for years. I mark the position of the distributor housing in relation to the nearby parts. My timing is currently locked out at 15* for the EFI system I am using and having to verify it every time after priming is kind of a PIA but it works and I have the tools to do it.

Best regards,
Chris

 

this is not an issue after one winter of sitting......if it was put away running, just make sure you have fuel in the carb by pressing the accelerator pedal to the floor or hand pumping it and looking at the accelerator pump jets to see if fuel is squirting out. If not fill the carb through the vent and pump it until you see fuel squirt. Turn the key and start it....Ever watch a Jay Leno show???? those cars sit for months and he just walks over and starts them....not an issue. Watch any of the youtube shows with multiple cars in storage and they will just pour in fuel and crank. We would come back from 3 month deployments and just crank our cars until they started.....its not an issue

 

My Vette has been parked every winter from '76-'77 on, sometimes up to six months.
On 1st start up I crank it until I see oil pressure. I then stop & give a couple of squirts of gas, crank again & she fires up.
My motor has 78k on the clock.....no problems..

 

Personally I wouldn't worry about it. There isn't really an issue. If you stored a car 30 years maybe but for a reasonable driver I wouldn't bother. Why not just start the car every few weeks if you feel it's an issue?

 

I pull the batteries out of my Corvettes and keep them in the garage on a battery charger with a timer. Starting the engine every few months worked for a while, but battery maintenance became a higher priority with the now-expensive batteries. I started fogging the engine and letting it sit over the winter versus trying to go out, dig it out and start it for a few minutes. The fogging is great for the cylinders and heads but doesn't lubricate the important surfaces. In the spring I do put oil in each cylinder before rotating the engine using a large ratchet before cranking the engine. Kerosene will work fine as a lubricant to add to the cylinders, don't use anything thicker or it stays in the cylinder and fouls out the spark plugs.

An Accusump would be the ideal solution for me and my BB. I like the idea of extra oil being there IF you need it and the idea of having the engine's oil system recharge the Accusump makes it a no-brainer. Releasing the oil prior to starting to lubricate the entire system will likely protect the engine better.

 

I've never worried about it..yet I have friends who religiously pull the dist and prime it every year. Now admittedly...I live in a warmer climate...so my stuff doesn't sit too many months without running.

But I've also fired up many an engine that has sat for 15-20 years plus and never worried about it. And none were damaged and still run fine.

There are some oils that "cling" better than others, which helps. Brad Penn would stay on parts forever it seemed.

JIM

 

I use a battery tender and start the car every couple of months. I've taken motors apart that hadn't run in 20 years and the bearings always had a film of oil on them.synthetic oil is worth the money.keeping the battery hooked up will minimize rodent damage, they don't like getting a little shock.

 

The only time I have primed an engine is when I have a fresh build or re-build with new bearings, lifters, pushrods, cams, lifters, etc. It is important for the pushrods to be full of oil so upper end does not run dry while system is filling with oil from the pump. I use the oil pump drive. I bought a used, junk GM distributor...gutted it and sawed off points base to use with the primer. You need to use a nearly new chuck on a very strong drill, tightened as hard as you can. Then hold onto the drill because it will rip your hand off. It takes a lot of force to pump cold or bath tub warmed oil. This was all done on an engine stand. I don't recommend this procedure for used stock engines.

So, most of us keep up oil changes on a regular basis. There is very little drain back even after sitting for months, and there is still a film of oil on any part that touches oil. Cranking until you get oil pressure is fine, but you could flood the engine if your carb is not dry or if you have fuel injection. So, as long as the start up rpm is reasonable, you will normally be okay. Even though you don't see oil pressure right after crank, oil starts flowing immediately as it cranks.

One thing I always do is pre-fill my oil filter at an oil change. Then I don't have that long wait time for oil pressure after starting. A lot of you are probably doing that as well.

 

When these cars were new, they sat on dealers' lots all winter long and weren't started until someone bought them 8 months later. We fired them right up after a little cranking, and delivered the cars. No problem. Now, my collector cars sit all winter long. In the spring, you have to crank them long enough before the carb gets enough fuel to fire the engine that oil pressure is achieved before the engine starts, so you have instant oil pressure when it fires. No problem. As another post stated above, "Don't over-think it."

 

Like the cars. Brand new Harley's are assembled. Test run for likely less than a minute. The main fuse is pulled and the bike gets crated up. It gets shipped, sometimes halfway around the world. It gets to a distribution center. And sits some more, sometimes months. Then shipped again to a dealer. And finally uncrated. And sits, and sits. And yes sometimes sits some more. Finally someone comes along and says, I would like the blue one! And then the tank is filled.the main fuse refitted, battery charged. And......
No, absolutely not, No we do not prime the oiling system. We hit the starter button and she fires to life. DONE.