Pull the intake, remove the drive gear assy and you can prime it with a Std SBC prime tool, I made mine from an old HEI distributor I cut up
Questions for LTX Engine Builders
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Honolulu HI
Questions for LTX Engine Builders
What tool do you use to prime the engine with oil? The tools I have seen are for use with standard distributor engines. They have a long shaft and are supported at the intake manifold.
Is the crankshaft hub supposed to contact the crankshaft timing sprocket or is there a gap between the two? If there is a gap, what is the specified dimension?
Is the crankshaft hub supposed to contact the crankshaft timing sprocket or is there a gap between the two? If there is a gap, what is the specified dimension?
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Pasadena Maryland
I have not used one, but, I saw a tank on TV that held oil under pressure. This tank was used to push oil through the engine prior to every start up.
I think it was on the "Two Guys Garage" show?
I think it was on the "Two Guys Garage" show?
Large Impressive Member
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
I prime my oil pump with Lubriplate 105 before installing, pre-filll the oil filter and of course have lubricated everything else already as it went in the engine. Then I disable the ignition and fuel systems and spin it over until it's got oil pressure, shouldn't take but a few seconds at most. Hook it back up, turn the key and fire it off.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Charleston SC
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: CLT, North Carolina
I needed to prime one with engine completely together in the car once so I used a Motive Products pressure bleeder for brakes. Put a fitting on the end of the hose and screwed it in the oil pressure sending unit mounting point, filled it with oil and pumped up the pressure and prevented a dry start.
The damper hub is designed to seat against the side of the timing gear. There are two different crankshaft keys used on LT1/ LT4 engines. The keys are notched and the depth of the notches is different. Basically the key for 96 has a short shallow notch and 92-95 has a deeper longer notch. If you use a key for a 96 on an earlier version the damper will interfere with the key while it is being pressed on. Damper hubs are different also and not interchangeable due to 96 having the OBD-II crankshaft position sensor.
The damper hub is designed to seat against the side of the timing gear. There are two different crankshaft keys used on LT1/ LT4 engines. The keys are notched and the depth of the notches is different. Basically the key for 96 has a short shallow notch and 92-95 has a deeper longer notch. If you use a key for a 96 on an earlier version the damper will interfere with the key while it is being pressed on. Damper hubs are different also and not interchangeable due to 96 having the OBD-II crankshaft position sensor.
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Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 93
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From: Honolulu HI
I prime my oil pump with Lubriplate 105 before installing, pre-filll the oil filter and of course have lubricated everything else already as it went in the engine. Then I disable the ignition and fuel systems and spin it over until it's got oil pressure, shouldn't take but a few seconds at most. Hook it back up, turn the key and fire it off.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Honolulu HI
That's what I was wondering. Without the intake manifold to hold the tool's collar in place, how do you keep the tool's blade engaged in the oil pump without the shaft flopping around and hitting the gear on the cam?
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 93
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From: Honolulu HI
I needed to prime one with engine completely together in the car once so I used a Motive Products pressure bleeder for brakes. Put a fitting on the end of the hose and screwed it in the oil pressure sending unit mounting point, filled it with oil and pumped up the pressure and prevented a dry start.
The damper hub is designed to seat against the side of the timing gear. There are two different crankshaft keys used on LT1/ LT4 engines. The keys are notched and the depth of the notches is different. Basically the key for 96 has a short shallow notch and 92-95 has a deeper longer notch. If you use a key for a 96 on an earlier version the damper will interfere with the key while it is being pressed on. Damper hubs are different also and not interchangeable due to 96 having the OBD-II crankshaft position sensor.
The damper hub is designed to seat against the side of the timing gear. There are two different crankshaft keys used on LT1/ LT4 engines. The keys are notched and the depth of the notches is different. Basically the key for 96 has a short shallow notch and 92-95 has a deeper longer notch. If you use a key for a 96 on an earlier version the damper will interfere with the key while it is being pressed on. Damper hubs are different also and not interchangeable due to 96 having the OBD-II crankshaft position sensor.
I'm putting an aftermarket Cloyes double roller on an LT4 with an aftermarket Eagle crankshaft and am worried about eliminating the reluctor ring as it does not match up to the Cloyes gear as it does the stock gear. I'm cutting the hub for the key, but I'm not sure if this is going to be OK without the hub in contact with the gear.
Large Impressive Member
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
105 is a general purpose engine assembly lube, a lightweight white lithium grease. It provides the oil pump with instant suction as soon as it begins to turn. Thick oil base products such as STP oil treatment and many similar products also hang in there pretty well as a general assembly lube and pump prime. The lithium grease is much "neater" though and has served me well through hundreds of engine jobs, whether performance or stock gas engines or HD diesel truck engines. It mixes instantly with the oil and won't cause any circulation problems.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,841
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From: CLT, North Carolina
The hub has to seat against the side of the crankshaft gear, you can't attempt to have a gap there. Are you keeping the crankshaft position sensor or are you eliminating it? Is so then you will need the earlier damper hub which is longer.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 7,339
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From: WilkesBarre PA
My "tool" is a old distributer I ground off the cam gears, cut off the alum top and removed everything so just the shaft is sticking up to fit on a drill. I've used it fo 20 years on alot of motors.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,641
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From: Slidell Louisiana
The blue collar that you see is for the top of the intake, but the lower collar sits in the block and centers the drive in place.
Last edited by aboatguy; Dec 15, 2007 at 12:26 PM.
Pro
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From: Bardstown Kentucky
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
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im keen to mod my old spare dist into this prime tool made
hi there fellas,
i keen to turn my spare old distributor i have into this oil prime tool as well.
richs,aboatguy or 96lt4c4 could please show us a picture of your modded prime tool you made from a distributor please ?
just wanted to see exactly where on each end to start cutting /grinding thats all on the dist.
or where can i buy one of these prime tools from please ?
i keen to turn my spare old distributor i have into this oil prime tool as well.
richs,aboatguy or 96lt4c4 could please show us a picture of your modded prime tool you made from a distributor please ?
just wanted to see exactly where on each end to start cutting /grinding thats all on the dist.
or where can i buy one of these prime tools from please ?
