Oil Pump Priming?

[camino70]

I have another question regarding the oil pump.
Does the cam sensor connect to the oil pump shaft?
And to prime the oil pump, do I spin the cam sensor with a drill and tool or am I completely off?

I plan on using the method of using one of the oil cooler lines with a quart of oil connected to it and spinning it counterclockwise, but I am not sure what I am doing...

TIA
Ron

 

[OKTurbo]

The end of the cam sensor fits into a slot on the end of the oil pump. The gear on the cam turns the cam sensor which then turns the oil pump. (leg bone connected to the thigh bone......)

To prime the oil pump. Fill up the engine with oil (duh)....pull out the cam sensor.....put the oil pump priming tool into a drill and carefully put it down the cam sensor hole so the slot engages into the oil pump shaft. (you'll need a good drill motor for this...a cordless drill won't cut it) A oil pump priming tool for a small block chevy works great. Run the drill clockwise on high. This will run the pump in it's normal direction and should pull the oil from the pan. You'll know when the pump is primed when the drill starts to drag down a bit. This may take a few minutes....don't burn up your drill motor. It's a good idea to keep running it until you see oil on the top of the valves...this way your sure you've got oil thru the whole engine.

This is what worked for me. If you can't get it to take a prime like this, you may have to take off the oil cooler line and pour in some oil, but this tends to be a bit messy.

Good Luck,
John

 

[camino70]

Thanks!

 

[1badTTA]

I used a 5/16" rod 2 feet long that I bought at Ace Hardware that I took to the grinder and made the end look like a flat blade screwdriver. Total cost was about $2 and 5 minutes of work. Worked great.

 

[Sleeper-6]

I did fine with my beat-to-he!! 9.6V cordless drill. Spun it until I got oil flowing through the pushrods and down the rockers.

 

[camino70]

1badtta,
Thanks for the suggestion, I think I may try that! I priced a primer tool for $50 and decided not to buy it!
We'll see how my cordless does, then I'll borrow some more tools from my neighbor

Ron

 

[fitz3820]

To build upon 1badtta's primer tool, you can band clamp a small piece of rubber hose to the end or the tool to keep the tool from sliding off of the oil pump.

Summit sells a SBC primer tool that works great for ~$20.

Filling the oil filter with oil might help but can make a mess.

Casper's cam sensor tool makes installation of the cam sensor a snap.

Mark F. 87 Gn 11.9 @ 115

 

[5ltretr]

I second the Tavia SBC oil pump primer, makes a great addition to the tool box.

 

[boostin6]

I used my old cam sensor and cut off the top and made and extension to fit the steel drive....If I only would have known GM discontinued the cam sensor I would have never done that LOL!!!!!! Works great though!!!!!!



__________________________

1986 Buick Regal T-type
210-205 cam, stock turbo, int. etc......................
Dk. Blue Metallic w/tan leather interior

 

[turbolou]

Originally posted by OKTurbo
The end of the cam sensor fits into a slot on the end of the oil pump. The gear on the cam turns the cam sensor which then turns the oil pump. (leg bone connected to the thigh bone......)

To prime the oil pump. Fill up the engine with oil (duh)....pull out the cam sensor.....put the oil pump priming tool into a drill and carefully put it down the cam sensor hole so the slot engages into the oil pump shaft. (you'll need a good drill motor for this...a cordless drill won't cut it) A oil pump priming tool for a small block chevy works great. Run the drill clockwise on high. This will run the pump in it's normal direction and should pull the oil from the pan. You'll know when the pump is primed when the drill starts to drag down a bit. This may take a few minutes....don't burn up your drill motor. It's a good idea to keep running it until you see oil on the top of the valves...this way your sure you've got oil thru the whole engine.

This is what worked for me. If you can't get it to take a prime like this, you may have to take off the oil cooler line and pour in some oil, but this tends to be a bit messy.

Good Luck,
John

I would prefill the oil filter & also assume that the pump clearences are correct & the gears packed with vasoline or a light grease.

 

[V6UnderPressure]

I too am planning on doing this. When removing the cam sensor, is there anything I have to do for reinstallation? Such as calibration? I have the cam sensor tool, but my harmonic balancer has lost the sticker that came with it. Anyone?

Scott

 

[OKTurbo]

There's nothing too special about the sticker. Just get your calipers and mark a piece of masking tape 1.45" long. Use this piece of tape to mark the balancer 1.45" AFTER TDC. Rotate the engine to TDC compression stroke on cylinder number 1. Continue rotating the engine past TDC until the pointer is on the mark you made 1.45" ATDC. Plug in the tool and set the cam sensor.

Piece of cake....

HTH,
John

 

[V6UnderPressure]

WHAT IF I JUST PLUG THE CAM SENSOR TOOL IN, TURN THE ENGINE UNTIL I GET THE LIGHT. THEN REMOVE AND PRIME AND PUT THE CAM SENSOR BACK IN SO I WONT HAVE TO RESET IT???

Scott<---just now realized the caps lock was on