chevy 454 - pre-oil engine - expectations

[Sascha P.]

Hi all!

After rebuilding my 1973 454 big block engine I yesterday filled it with oil (Lucas break-in oil, 20W50) and used a Moroso oil pump primer tool to pre-oil the engine. The oil pressure went up to 35, there were no leaks, all was good.

However, the push rods did not spill oil out of their tips onto the rocker arms as I have expected it to happen. Only moly grease, which I used on the ends of the lifters and the ends of the push rods during the engine assembly, came out.

I now wonder if that is just fine for the moment or if I should be concerned.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[Mark E.]

Re: chevy 454 - pre-oil engine - expectations

Maybe the engine wasn't primed long enough. With spark plugs and valve covers removed, prime the engine for 10 minutes after all the lifters pop up. Then rotate the engine 90 degrees and repeat. Rotate the engine six more times (two crankshaft revs; one camshaft rev) and repeat.

By this time you'll see oil flowing across all 16 rockers.

A search on YouTube will find several good videos showing this.

[Sascha P.]

Re: chevy 454 - pre-oil engine - expectations

Thank you for the tip, I have seen or heard about the need for rotating the engine. I will try that.

[Joseph L.]

Re: chevy 454 - pre-oil engine - expectations

With a solid cam, the lifters sitting on the base circle will leak pressure at the lifter to pushrod, and there will be little flow.

[Sascha P.]

Re: chevy 454 - pre-oil engine - expectations

Thank you for the info!

[Larry M.]

Re: chevy 454 - pre-oil engine - expectations

Not all oil priming tools are equal. The one you want needs to have both a lower section and an upper section that will help to seal off the engine oil passages to put maximum oil flow to the lifters. You may have this or you may not. So you ned to check. Look at the various oil priming tools online and you should see these differences. Generally the more they cost, the better and more complete they are. Also look at your distributor and you will see what I am talking about as well..........since it has both a lower and upper section for this purpose.

Besides rotating the engine 2 full revolutions at 90 degree intervals during the priming step, you need a heavy duty drill to spin the oil pump to get proper RPM and flow. Too small a drill or too slow a drill will result in poor oil flow up to the rockers.

You can warm up the oil as well before starting to get the most flow thru the engine.

Larry

EDIT: One example of a good tool at a decent $$. https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speed...imer,4868.html

[Mark E.]

Re: chevy 454 - pre-oil engine - expectations

Not all oil priming tools are equal. The one you want needs to have both a lower section and an upper section that will help to seal off the engine oil passages to put maximum oil flow to the lifters.

Larry

Great point. A priming tool that works great and is inexpensive is a junk distributor housing. Cut the top of the shaft and cut the housing a bit shorter then clamp in place with the stock bracket.

[Sascha P.]

Re: chevy 454 - pre-oil engine - expectations

Thanks Larry!

Always something to learn with this project ... !

[Sascha P.]

Re: chevy 454 - pre-oil engine - expectations

To let you all know: I broke in the engine and it ran like a charm! Oil pressure was good, rpm was fine, it sounded very smooth. That part of the project is done for the moment.

[Mark E.]

Re: chevy 454 - pre-oil engine - expectations

Thanks for sharing how this turned out. Keep us posted on the build.