Technical Chevy oil pump primer

I'm going to be priming a new rebuild soon. All I have is the same simple tool I bought many years ago, just a shaft with sleeved pump driver at the end. I see now everyone uses a piloted one that fits the distributor openings. What am I missing by not using one of those? The one I have has always seemed to work.

 

I have one I made from an old distributor.
I basically cut and ground off all the unnecessary parts.
Just bolt it in and turn it with a drill.
Works great
Only worry I could see with your style is if it isnt full seated and bangs up the tip on the pump drive shaft causing issues with the dizzy seating properly, or putting some unwanted lateral force on the pump shaft... other than that I dont know why yours wouldnt work
Chappy

 

You won't get oil to the lifters without the distributor body in the block.

 

The sleeve on this type oils the lifter galley, otherwise the lifter oil just pours back into the pan.

 

I found an old HEI distributor, stuck the shaft in the lathe, tapped the top, screwed in a bolt and cut the head off. Should work no? Just leave the gear off? I plan to prime it before the intake goes on.

 

Stick the gear in the lathe and turn the the gear down so there are no teeth, then put it back on.

 

Put a set collar on the top end of the shaft to limit downward pressure on oil pump which can score pump cover.

 

Do I need the gear, won't the distributor hold the shaft from wobbling? Good idea on the collar. Maybe I'll install the intake too, so I can install and time the distributor without climbing over the bumper.

 

I took an old 6-flute end mill and cut mine off in the mill. Not pretty but it works.

 

Is the gear needed?

 

No. I have had the same old junk HEI with the dist gear taken off. I have used it for over 10 years on probably 30 small block builds. It pumps oil to the lifters and everywhere else.

 

I always lube everything very well during ***embly. Then I crank the engine with the plugs out until I get oil pressure; I typically install a mechanical gauge. That's my pre-lube procedure. Put the plugs back in and fire it up. Never had a problem. On the race engines, I took them down every year and the bearings looked like new. We didn't run air filters so I did get some top ring wear, but not enough for me to get around to air filters.

 

Mission accomplished, oil coming out the rockers. Thanks guys!

 

I use a pressurized fire extinguisher bottle half filled with oil, and plugged into the block thru an oil gauge or other block fitting.
That way I dont have to yank a dist, plug in the plug wires, and re-time everything.

WHY BE ORDINARY ?

 

G'day, I have been known to use one of my Canton Accusumps with a tee to the oil pressure line. Pressurized with 40 psi and 3 quarts of oil. Dad hits the valve while I turn it over at the crank. Seems to lube everything pretty well.

 

I use a pressure bottle to prime an engine. That is the only way to do the job right. Fill it with oil put pressure in it and the hose to the oil pressure gage fitting , open the valve and everything is pre lubed