A buddy is getting ready to fire his flathead for the first time, how do we prime (pre-oil) the engine? I've only ever worked on engines like the sbc where you could prime the pump with the drill motor - how do we do the flathead???? thanks-
I am not familiar with flathead oil systems but on aircraft engines we used to prime the oil system by filling the crankcase thru the external oil pressure port. I used an old pressure brake bleeder for the job. Turned the prop several times to help distribute the oil.
Pull the coil wire, crank it over until you register pressure on the guage, then put coil wire back and viola!
I rigged up a system with a Chevy oil pump in a coffee can half full of oil and a piece of clear plastic tubing to the pressure port on the back of the block (where the O.P. sender screws in.). I used a "T" arrangement so I could have a gauge. Ran the pump with my drill motor and put oil everywhere I wanted it. (This was a low mile original engine that the P.O. had poured mineral spirits into the lifter valley in order to clean it up. I had the oil pan off when I did this so I could see where oil was getting to -or coming from.) I rotated the engine by hand while maintaining pressure. Sounds like overkill but I feel better plus didn't have to tear everythin apart.
Yup, just gravity feed to oil port at back of block. Here's the link: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20929&highlight=flathead+oil+prime
I didn't trust gravity to insure that that the oil made it all the way to the front. Plus I wanted to get the pan back on (in my situation) and I didn;t want to wait-I needed to see results. Pressurizing it gave me results (and a feeling of securuty.).
The old boy that helped with my Flatty has a canister that you fill with a quart of oil. It has a gate valve at the bottom and a copper line that you screw into your oil sender fitting on the back of the block, it has a valve stem that you fill with air and it also has a pressure gauge. I think we filled it to about 30-40 pounds then opened the gate until the pressure dropped. come to think about it it has a gate on the top so you can build pressure. Hope this helps.
Spark plugs out, squirt a little in the cylinders(can't hurt, might help), oil pan full , spin over with the starter until you get oil pressure on the gauge, usually takes only 30 seconds or so..
I used one of those plastic sprayers, the kind for spraying weed killer. Hose clamped it to the rear galley and left the plug off the oil pan. Started pumping and when I saw oil pouring out the oil pan I figured that was good enough. (Remember to replace the plug and fill with oil).
I just let the last couple of quarts trickle in from a can connected to rear port. When I do this, I see gauge movement as soon as starter turns and full pressure the instant motor fires. I use an extra quart at first startup because the Honest Charley catalog said so. Probably is good for the cam at least...
So you guys just use a funnel or something to fill about 2 quarts of oil into the rear oil line? Im about to fire mine for the first time and dont want to make any mistakes. What kind of pressure should i expect from the 59A? Idle and driving? Also, how many quarts does it hold?
You need a more organized container than a funnel, as flow into there will be very slow. I use a quart can with fitting soldered into bottom and a pice of brake line to oil port. Fillitup, go have a cuppa coffee, I usually put in last 2 quarts of 5 that way. In my 1965 Honest Charley, Charley Hisself says to put in an extra quart in new flatheads to keep the cam well splashed during break in, so I then throw in another in his memory.
If I might add my 2 cents, make sure your buddy is using a good break-in oil such as Joe Gibbs' http://www.joegibbsracingoil.com/products/enginebuilder.html or perhaps Cl***ic Car Motor Oil: http://www.cl***iccarmotoroil.com/ Both have high levels of zinc.
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