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correct technique to prime engine after build

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Old Jan 17, 2009 | 02:58 PM
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From: Merthyr Tydfil
Default correct technique to prime engine after build

as above, not too mess it all up.
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Old Jan 17, 2009 | 03:07 PM
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From: RM Performance
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Fill oil filter before fitting it.
Remove spark plugs.
Disconnect crank sensor.
Crank engine over until oil pressure warning light goes out.

Mick
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Old Jan 17, 2009 | 03:14 PM
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The above plus lots of assembly lube on every moving componant during the build.

JohnD
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Old Jan 17, 2009 | 03:31 PM
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and dont be surprised if you dont get the oil light ot go out without it starting
.....I didnt on th elast 2 builds I did (non scooby) could only get oil pressure once the engine started
...though obviously t helps to get the oil churning whilst spinning it over
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Old Jan 18, 2009 | 11:53 PM
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Question

Originally Posted by merlin24
Fill oil filter before fitting it.
Remove spark plugs.
Disconnect crank sensor.
Crank engine over until oil pressure warning light goes out.

Mick
Merlin, if you remove the plugs, is it necessary to disconnect the crank sensor, then?

Or is it done so that the disconnected coilpacks don't spark i.e. a health and safety type thing?
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 01:16 AM
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If you don't disconnect the crank sensor it will still inject fuel..

you crank and engine over without spark plugs and coilpack within a few inhces of spark plug holes which now have fuel vapour could out of them

It makes a nice big flame..
Simon
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 07:47 AM
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From: 10.68 QT mile in 2007 2.33 Type R ** Current 2002 Spec C 2.33 Track prepped.
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And dont forget to prime the oil pump on build up.
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 10:44 AM
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It may take 1-2 minutes of cranking to acheive oil pressure if the oil pump isn't nicely primed. Your best bet is to get a good battery with charger on it, so you can crank the engine NON STOP, with the plugs out the loads on the engine and starter motor are very low, so don't be afraid of burning the starter. If you stop-start-stop-start it will do more damage. The issue is getting the pump to initially suck up the oil from the sump, hence Slowboy's comment about priming the pump, use assembly lube/graphogen type lube and it will be MUCH easier.
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 03:15 PM
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Insted of using assembly lube cant you just use a high viscosity oil such as GP50? this is what we do at work, we did try assembly lubes such as super lube however it turned out it took too long to degrade and gave us some oil starvation issues. This is just a thought
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 03:36 PM
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would work fine i should think, just something that helps the pump seal when it it's sucking air to begin with. Torco assembly lube works fine, not come across "super lube" so can't comment.
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 04:08 PM
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Lightbulb OIL PRESSURE after engine rebuild

Having rebuilt both O and T series Rover and MG Turbo engines, on two occasions despite several 15 seconds bursts on the starter with a powerful diesel battery, that Low Oil Pressure Warning Light ( LOPWL) would NOT go out. Although I'd put liberal amounts of oil over various accessible parts during reassembly, I suspected the oil scavenge pipe in the fresh oil in the sump could not scavenge as there was air in the pipe blocking the system so did not persist with cranking.

Got lots of advice on the net's various car web sites mainly involving lots of spanner and socket work which I wanted to avoid, so slept on it.

Here's how I sorted it at NIL cost in both time and money. I washed out one of those six pint supermarket plastic milk bottles. I placed this inverted over the oil filler tube of the O series engine whilst my son cranked the motor on the starter with spark plugs removed. Whilst cranking for about two seconds, I clapped both hands on the sides of the flimsy plastic milk bottle collapsing it. This sent a pulse of air pressure straight down into the sump which immediately resulted in the oil pump successfully scavenging the oil and the low pressure warning light then went out. That engine has been fine ever since.

Next time I had that same LOPWL would not go out after an engine rebuild, this time a Rover T Series Turbo, I tried the same technique with the plastic bottle over the oil filler cap hole in the exhaust camshaft cover. Same result ... only tried it with two engines but, 100% immediate success.

Worth a try before much spanner work on any engine needing oil pump priming.

....
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 04:15 PM
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Originally Posted by joz8968

Merlin, if you remove the plugs, is it necessary to disconnect the crank sensor, then?

Or is it done so that the disconnected coilpacks don't spark i.e. a health and safety type thing?
There's more than one reason for removing the spark plugs # no engine compression which enable the starter to spin the motor more effectively and for longer periods before the battery is exhausted.

H and S .... Just be sensible and think about what you're doing whenever working on a car at any time ~ some did not do that and ......

I once spun the engine of a T series over on the starter for two seconds with the cylinder head removed ~ it sent a thin column of oil high into the air via the oil supply hole to the cylinder head ~ those oil pumps generate a huge pressure ... they need too.

..

Last edited by MGJohn; Jan 19, 2009 at 04:24 PM.
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 04:30 PM
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Cylinder leakdown tester works nicely for that too!

Originally Posted by MGJohn
Having rebuilt both O and T series Rover and MG Turbo engines, on two occasions despite several 15 seconds bursts on the starter with a powerful diesel battery, that Low Oil Pressure Warning Light ( LOPWL) would NOT go out. Although I'd put liberal amounts of oil over various accessible parts during reassembly, I suspected the oil scavenge pipe in the fresh oil in the sump could not scavenge as there was air in the pipe blocking the system so did not persist with cranking.

Got lots of advice on the net's various car web sites mainly involving lots of spanner and socket work which I wanted to avoid, so slept on it.

Here's how I sorted it at NIL cost in both time and money. I washed out one of those six pint supermarket plastic milk bottles. I placed this inverted over the oil filler tube of the O series engine whilst my son cranked the motor on the starter with spark plugs removed. Whilst cranking for about two seconds, I clapped both hands on the sides of the flimsy plastic milk bottle collapsing it. This sent a pulse of air pressure straight down into the sump which immediately resulted in the oil pump successfully scavenging the oil and the low pressure warning light then went out. That engine has been fine ever since.

Next time I had that same LOPWL would not go out after an engine rebuild, this time a Rover T Series Turbo, I tried the same technique with the plastic bottle over the oil filler cap hole in the exhaust camshaft cover. Same result ... only tried it with two engines but, 100% immediate success.

Worth a try before much spanner work on any engine needing oil pump priming.

....
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 04:43 PM
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Originally Posted by MGJohn
I once spun the engine of a T series over on the starter for two seconds with the cylinder head removed ~ it sent a thin column of oil high into the air via the oil supply hole to the cylinder head ~ those oil pumps generate a huge pressure ... they need too.
..
Thats nothing, once i turned my mr2 over with the rocker cover off. Lets just put it this way in not sure how it happened but i had my head above the engine and it burst into flames about 6 foot high. Good job i had a fire extgunisher handy.
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 06:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Matt578
Thats nothing, once i turned my mr2 over with the rocker cover off. Lets just put it this way in not sure how it happened but i had my head above the engine and it burst into flames about 6 foot high. Good job i had a fire extgunisher handy.
Christ on the provrbial!
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 06:11 PM
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Question

Originally Posted by Jolly Green Monster
If you don't disconnect the crank sensor it will still inject fuel..

you crank and engine over without spark plugs and coilpack within a few inhces of spark plug holes which now have fuel vapour could out of them

It makes a nice big flame..
Simon
Message received and understood! - didn't realise that the crank sensor instructed the ECU to deliver fuel.

FTR, what other things does the crank sensor tell the ECU to do? Also, while we're at it, what does the cam sensor tell ECU to do, too?
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 07:49 PM
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From: Merthyr Tydfil
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well that all ajkes sense, but the ooil pump is on, a rcm one, and i havent put grease or lube on the uptake to create a better suction to get oil up, as slow boy sed.

any other way of filling pump with oil, as there are hex keys on botom of pump and one angles off pump, can i remove any of these, fill with oil, so priming pump??

circled in pic

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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 08:37 PM
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pour oil in the oil pressure sensor hole above pump etc..

Simon
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 09:03 PM
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ahh, so that will fill pump
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 09:19 PM
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works for me yes
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 09:38 PM
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good stuff il try, any reasons not to remove on of the hex bolts on the pump. seems like there are for a intake, output.
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Old Jan 19, 2009 | 11:20 PM
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Originally Posted by mje_wrx
good stuff il try, any reasons not to remove on of the hex bolts on the pump. seems like there are for a intake, output.
Filling the pump via the pressure sensor hole is easier as it's directly above the pump and can be done after the engine is fitted in the car.
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Old Jan 20, 2009 | 12:26 PM
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doesn't always work though as if the pump itself is pretty dry it can't develop enough vacuum to pull the oil up from the sump. If you do get really stuck, you can fill through the top gallery and SLOWLY turn the engine over by hand BACKWARDS this will pull the oil into the pump.

Pressurising the sump (only about 0.2-0.3bar) via the breathers(using cylinder leakage tester) has proven to be a 100% successful route with troublesome cars.
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Old Jan 20, 2009 | 06:36 PM
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The two chambers at the bottom of the pump act as a reservoir,to hold oil in the pump and prevent starvation/cavitation when the car has been stood for a long period of time.

Mick
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