new engine oil pressure

[willis]

Hi everyone, does anybody know how long it takes to build oil pressure up when initially turning over a newly refurbished Vitesse 2ltr engine? I've tried a couple of short bursts but got no reading on the pressure gauge and don't want to ruin it before I get chance to drive it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.                                                                                                                                                                 Thanks, Rob

[poppyman]

I would have thought it would be there after 20 seconds? Have you tried loosening the oil filter to see if oil is there? If it has been converted to spin on, try filling the filter with oil to prime it.

Tony.

[Pete Lewis]

I would agree from dry it takes a good few seconds to prime and charge the filter and oil gallery

So pull choke, crank her up  let her idle it will pressure up ok   just as it was on the  assembly line start up when new

Drain back is normal on engines of this era , they have knocked on start up for 50 years 

If overly concerned  disconnect the coil and crank it till pressure shows but its not unusual for  cranking  speed may not build any pressure 

Just another part of why choke has a fast idle cam to speed up revs on cold starts

Pete

 

[thescrapman]

One word of warning, I took Petes route when I could not get oil pressure just cranking (This was after a filter change on an engine with good pressure) and it didn't return even with the engine running, I didn't do the bearings any favours.

I made up an adaptor for the top of the oil pump drive in the end and do it with an electric drill now.

has happened 3 times now, once I get the pressure up for the first time never any more issues. Full you filled spin on filter, oil squirted into PRV hole and allowed to drain down slightly, nothing would get the pressure up apart from 2 minutes with the drill flat out in reverse. Then perfect until nI starts oil change

 

[JohnD]

Confession time.

I had the same problem as Rob. Rebuilt engine, oil pressure wouldn't appear, even after I was more brutal and long-churning than he has.

I was mystified, until I saw the pool of oil under the car.

I had left out the blanking plug in the back of the block.   All the oil had gone into the bell housing, and out of the little drain oil in the bottom of that.

Engine and gearbox back out, replace plug, new clutch friction plate, and all was well!

So be warned!   Check where else the oil might have gone!

JOhn

[dave.vitesse]

Take the dizzy out and the drive cog, then pour some engine oil onto the top of the oil pump. Then refit the cog and dizzy. Start the car.

Dave

[Colin Lindsay]

2 hours ago, JohnD said:

I was mystified, until I saw the pool of oil under the car.

I had left out the blanking plug in the back of the block. 

Happened to me, except it was a reconditioned 6-cylinder engine from a major supplier that I collected at Stafford. They had left two of the blanking plugs out of the oilways towards the lower end of the block. Luckily I cranked the engine over using the push-button on the solenoid so saw it happen.

It's amazing how far a pint of oil can spread across a floor.

[daverclasper]

I always take the plugs out after filter change to give better cranking for pressure build up.

Dave

[willis]

Thanks a lot chaps. I'll put some oil in the filter and try that way first. However, it might be a job for the weekend due to work getting in the way so I'll report back asap.                                              Cheers, Rob

[Gadgetman]

Best thing with a new / rebuilt engine is to take out the dizzy, make an adaptor from an old 1/2drive extension and spin up the oil pump using a cordless drill  to prime all the galleries, do this 3times to flood the rockers and cam with oil 

[Guppy916]

I had similar problem on my GT6 a puddle of oil on the floor, and a sump plug on the bench, least the floor is well lub'ed

your not alone with this one 

[Adrian]

Not had a problem with leak but paranoid about ensuring oil pump was primed. As said above prime via dizzy and used a drill (anti clockwise). Not tried it but I assume the light will go out once pressure is achieved using a drill so may save the bearings?

[Anglefire]

Having seen the production line at  Wolfsburg when they first start the engines (Golfs as it happens) - I would be less concerned that most about oil pressure - wheel spinning off the track I thought a little unnecessary on a brand new car.

[Pete Lewis]

Even triumph test bedded production engines before they went off the trackside

Some were run some often back to back  use one as the load and one to run then reverse the operation so on line the engines had been 

'Run'  pressure and temps recorded  samples would be dyno recorded but certainly not every one

Often town gas was used not petrol certainly Root3s used gas as a blow back used to flatten the copper carb floats

You realy thing they would mess about with priming and fuddling around removing dizzy drives and whirling anything 

Engines could stand for days before use so drain back would have occured  and the fire up knock they have suufered for the last 50 years would have happend when starting up on line as brand new .

If there is a plug or bung missing fine be cautious , but for normal oil changes for heaven sake get some anti paranoid plils

Pete

 

[Anglefire]

If the engines were test run at Wolfburg, I don't remember seeing it (Though I was only about 18/19 at the time!) - and given to get them to run, they had to move the dizzy to get the timing right, I doubt they had been!

[Nick Jones]

Myself, I always prime the system by spinning the oil pump with and electric drill running anti-clockwise (4 cyl oil pump driveshaft fits nicely).  Having done that I'll also spin it over briefly with the plugs out to check pressure comes straight up before firing it up.

Overkill? Possibly.  But keen to do everything possible to protect my effort and investment.  Plus it tends to catch any really big leaks before the engine is running.

Nick

[Anglefire]

I think that is not a bad approach- it is something I did to mine. Not sure how much it helped in my case though ?

it is different doing it yourself and a manufacturer churning out hundreds. 

[NonMember]

On 8/19/2018 at 10:11 PM, Guppy916 said:

I had similar problem on my GT6 a puddle of oil on the floor, and a sump plug on the bench

I didn't quite manage that but, while Toby was off being painted, the chap complained about oil leaks. A quick inspection showed that this wasn't due to the missing fuel pump but rather the sump plug being half-way out.

[Brit car fan]

When I rebuilt my Spitfire 1500 engine I squirted plenty of oil into the main gallery (knowing it would probly just drain back) and half fill ed the filter. Engine was spun up with plugs removed until oil light went out.

[JohnD]

Another approach is to assemble the engine using Graphogen, a paste of graphite, intended for engine building.

The graphite will provide lubrication for long enough for the oil pump to circulate oil.    But I still run the engine on the starter with no plugs in, in bursts, until the pressure appears.  It's always an anxious minute or two!

JOhn