I have a new motor that's been sitting for at least a year. I wanted to prime it prior to starting it the first time in the car. I got a primer that goes down the distributor shaft that you spin with an electric drill. I tried this last night, and I was a little unsure about it with the noise it was making.

I've never heard the oil pump operate before, is it suppose to be silent?? It was a bit noisy, I think it started to build pressure because it was harder to spin the shaft after a while.

I'm in the process of trying to connect everything electrically so I can leave the ignition on to see the oil pressure on the gauge in the cluster, I am hoping this will tell me when I have pressure.

When I was running the primer, I was just concerned about the noise. If someone has done this before, can you shed some light on what the experience is suppose to be like?

Thanks

 

Instead of trying to watch a gauge, you can pull off a valve cover and just watch for the oil to start coming out of the pushrods. I didn't hear any noise when I primed my engine, but I was using an air drill that was fairly loud. Only did it once so I have nothing else to compare it to..

 

Thanks G-reg. I was hoping not to pull the valve covers. I have the Vette magnesium covers with bigger rockers, and my wire loom is between the covers and the intake runners. I'd have to pull the upper intake off just to get the valve covers off, I was hoping not to have to go back that far...

yeah, the noise from the pump was definitely not louder than an air drill.

 

OK, got the electric and instrument cluster all worked out. Ran the primer some more, and I was getting good oil pressure, so I guess the pump is noisy, just never hear it above the noise of the engine? I would have assumed a pump for oil would be pretty smooth and quiet, but that would have just been an assumtion on something I am not all that familiar with to begin with.

If someone has run their oil pump with an electric drill verification would help me still ease my mind.

Thanks

 

I used an electric drill and the oil pump made no noise that could be heard over it. Being filled with oil should keep it from making any noise.

Make sure you keep the drill going long enough. Took like 40 seconds the first time with my engine for oil to start coming through the front couple of lifters. The drill didnt like it too much, got really hot and started slowing down, but it had to be done. I was using straight 30 for break-in so it was thicker cold though.