Oil Pump Prime Procedure

[Mariposa Mike]

I had a seeping oil pump on my 1966 383 Charger and purchased the seal kit after tightening the bolts but still having a leak. Removed the pump, replaced the seals (much needed), checked for any warpage/wear and installed the pump. According to the FSM it says to prime the pump..... before starting the engine I presume. I have the tool to do that after pulling the distributor but need to know how long to run a drill turning the tool to get prime. My oil pressure gauge is not working so I cannot check that for pressure. Was thinking I could pull the sending unit and put a pipe fitting there with a clear tube connected to see when oil has come that far. Would that be enough or is there a better way to do this? I hope someone has done this before after a rebuild or has a better idea.

 

[MWbirdLOVER70]

I had a seeping oil pump on my 1966 383 Charger and purchased the seal kit after tightening the bolts but still having a leak. Removed the pump, replaced the seals (much needed), checked for any warpage/wear and installed the pump. According to the FSM it says to prime the pump..... before starting the engine I presume. I have the tool to do that after pulling the distributor but need to know how long to run a drill turning the tool to get prime. My oil pressure gauge is not working so I cannot check that for pressure. Was thinking I could pull the sending unit and put a pipe fitting there with a clear tube connected to see when oil has come that far. Would that be enough or is there a better way to do this? I hope someone has done this before after a rebuild or has a better idea.

Or tee in and aftermarket gauge so you have a working oil pressure gauge

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

You have everything to prime,you will feel when the pump is primed. But working gauge sure helps!

 

[MWbirdLOVER70]

I had a seeping oil pump on my 1966 383 Charger and purchased the seal kit after tightening the bolts but still having a leak. Removed the pump, replaced the seals (much needed), checked for any warpage/wear and installed the pump. According to the FSM it says to prime the pump..... before starting the engine I presume. I have the tool to do that after pulling the distributor but need to know how long to run a drill turning the tool to get prime. My oil pressure gauge is not working so I cannot check that for pressure. Was thinking I could pull the sending unit and put a pipe fitting there with a clear tube connected to see when oil has come that far. Would that be enough or is there a better way to do this? I hope someone has done this before after a rebuild or has a better idea.

Could replace your factory sender to get a reading also. Make sure the gauge works thou.

 

[T2R9]

If it is already a running engine you only need to build pressure in the pump. You will feel the resistance in the drill once it pumps up. I agree with above get a new sender to start to determine why the gauge don't work. I have an aftermarket gauge with a rubber hose I can screw in when I prime a engine.

 

[twecomm]

About 8 years ago I replaced my defective standard oil pump with a hi volume oil pump pump on my 66 383. I had not changed out an oil pump before so I did some reading up on the process before doing it. I found a thread, that I recall was on this forum, that suggested packing the new pump with Vaseline Peteroulem Jelly as a prime which made sense. I did that, mounted it up, checked dip stick to be sure oil level was sufficient, started the engine and within about 10 seconds the oil pressure came up to normal. Ran it for a few minutes to make sure the pressure held, stoped engine, re-checked oil level and topped of as needed and that was that. The comparative small amount of jelly applied mixing with the oil is not going to hurt hurt anything. Would think that would not work on a new build.

 

[RemCharger]

Good ol assembly lube does the trick.

 

[R413]

Feel the oil filter now and you can compress it slightly. When priming the pressure will make the oil filter hard and not it won't compress any more.

Also the drill will change sound and no go quite as fast when it makes oil pressure. unless you have a strong drill it won't change at all.

Turn the drill counter clockwise for all BB mopars.

 

[Dave6T4]

You can take the plug out of the passenger side oil gallery at the back of the block, and plumb in a mechanical pressure gauge. As already said, the primer drill needs to run CCW for a big block. I had major problems getting my 440 to prime last year. It eventually turned out to be crappy Fram filters (3 of them); I put a Wix on, and it primed up 75 psi. oil pressure. The "T" and copper line leads to a mechanical gauge under the dash

 

[Mariposa Mike]

All good info and thanks for the ideas. When I got the car a year ago it came with an obviously used sending unit in a bag and what looks like a new one on the engine. Kinda figured PO had tried replacing it. Seems a good idea to at the very least plumb a gauge on there to know what pressure I have. Also did not know about the CCW rotation so thanks for the heads up on that. It is a running engine and I happened to think about when I change the filter there is oil lost out of the pump. When taking the pump off I did not lose a lot more oil but there must be a danger of an air lock or something like that if it needs a prime to work.

This being a 383 and some reference to big blocks I have been corrected during the past year on calling a 383 a big block. I know it's not a raised block but with the distributer in front does that make it a big block?

And the reference to packing it with Vaseline rang a long ago bell. Some 40 years ago a machine shop told me to do that when I rebuilt a 360 Dodge van engine. Forgot all about that until mentioned here.

 

[R413]

Don't pack it full of anything other than some engine oil if you want to. It will draw oil just fine.

Yes it's a big block, same oil pan, heads, rocker arms, valve covers, water pump, oil pump and drive, timing chain, camshaft, fuel pump, engine mount brackets, etc, etc.

 

[Daves69]

This being a 383 and some reference to big blocks I have been corrected during the past year on calling a 383 a big block. I know it's not a raised block but with the distributer in front does that make it a big block?

Here's a list of "big block" engines if it helps.....

 

[Mariposa Mike]

Good to know. Interesting chart too. That RB 383 is something I have not heard of. Smaller bore but longer stroke. Any idea what that was used in?

 

[R413]

RB 413 1959-1960 Chryslers. Strange to remove the head and see the tiny bores looking at you.

Came in 2bbl and 4bbl versions

 

[WileE]

Many good points already posted. Use a MECHANICAL oil pressure gauge with metal (copper) feed line.

 

[Mariposa Mike]

I'll see if ACME has one WileE. Beep Beep

 

[Don Frelier]

Be careful I had a good sized 1/2" drill the first time I primed a big block Mopar.
It got a mild sprained wrist when the pump built pressure. It happened very quickly.