I have 63 - 283 SBC with rebuilt power pack heads, new timing gears, oil pump, lifters etc. Trying to prime with a drill. Problem is I get oil in the lifter valley from the outlet on passenger side by distributor but having trouble getting oil up thru the push rods. I am getting trace oil into most of the rockers on the drivers side but nothing on the passenger side. Certainly no gushing of oil like I expected except thru the hole by the distributor into the lifter valley. I know I need a drill attachment with the lower section and I think it matches up with my distributor. Then again I have never run this distributor. Any advice or ideas appreciated. Should also add I have turned the engine by wrench between 10-15 second runs of the drill about 10 times with no success. Engine long block was assembled about 2 years ago and just installed lifters, rockers and push rods and set valve lash this week. Link to some photos and a short video of the oil pumping. https://photos.app.goo.gl/iU7KP3RvFFhFgcp68
put it in the car and run it, it'll be fine. What exactly are you using to prime it with? I have a prime tool I made by cutting up an old distributor, it had the necessary bosses to send the oil where you want it to go. But as long as you got oil to all the bearings, and you dumped some oil over the rockers, it will work fine once you get it installed and fired up.
How long have you run the primer drill?...takes at least 20-25 minutes with our Dart blocks. It's got to go a long way around the engine especially if you didn't fill/submerge the the lifters for a few nights same with the push rods.. We need to turn the engine about 90* every 5 minutes to do it. My GMC 6's takes about 30 seconds but have a dedicated outside line to the rockers.
I just did that a couple of days ago, so I called the guy who did the machine work and he said to rotate the crank and keep pumping until it comes through. It took a little over an hour, but it finally came through. I was getting a little worried there for a while... I don't know why it took so long.
Holy crap maybe I'm not running it long enough but that seems excessive. Oil is definately pumping, had to plug oil pressure hole and hole into the lifter valley is pumping fine. I guess maybe my cheapo Harbor Freight drill attachment isn't sealing tight enough to force oil into wherever the lifters getting their oil from. They are hydraulic and I did not soak them. I'll let it sit tonight and maybe they'll pump up a bit.
But seriously folks, if you just put it together and fire it up, it'll get oil everywhere very soon. Douse the rockers, so they have something before it gets pumping, and have fun. maybe it's scary the first time? I don't know.
I just ordered another tool, I think my cheapo unit is not sealing off the oil galleys in the distributor hole that's why its just spewing into the lifter valley. If that doesn't change anything I will indeed just proceed and roll the dice, its only a SBC they made plenty... and all of them are old Corvette motors!
Ever been to the Drag Strip, walk through the pits and see the Big Guns pull a fuel motor clear down to the block and get it back together before the next round? Ever see one of them use a drill motor and stand around waiting for the Oil to come up to the top end?
If you’re gonna prime it, this is what makes it happen. Without it you’re just kinda running the pump. I can see priming it for specific reasons, testing, measuring, making sure you won’t pump oil out a missed plug. Easy to fix a problem on a stand. Especially if you’re delivering something you’ve built or might be buying used. I have two, couldn’t find the first one so I made another one. I simply ground the teeth off till the gear was smooth
First thing that crossed my mind was O.P. is probably using a spin on filter and didn't totally load it before installing it. That will add time to getting the job done.
if you saw the video in the OP, there's oil gushing out the distributor hole. Like that collar at the bottom of his priming tool is a tad too small. but the filter is definitely full by now
This was a new build for me and I never did a roller cam before. That's a lot of money wasted if something went wrong! I never had that much problem with other motors. This one did scare me for a while. I could sleep when I saw oil!
I use an old distributor too, with a 1/2" drill. Rotated it 90* until I had oil to all rockers, takes like 2x around on the crank.
When you’re running the drill and rotate the crank slowly ,,, you can tell when the passages and bearing holes line up by listening to the drill. It definitely changes, Provided the distributor simulator has the correct oil transfer slot. Without the transfer slot and it actually fitting correctly you’ll be getting nowhere quickly
Does it matter which way the drill is rotating? I only did this a few times but I would set the drill rotation the same direction as the rotor turns when the crank is rotated.
This is going to sound bad...but I am sure I built 20 or so motors before I ever worried about priming everything. I was in my teens at the time but also took the approach above of assembly lube on bearings, soaking the hydraulic lifters in oil prior to assembly, and pouring oil over the valve train. I don’t know that I ever caused my self any issues since it took basically no time to build oil pressure after they started. But...I was also just a kid and parts and machine work were cheaper then if I did screw up...
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