Can you prime the oil in a block only setup?

[TylerZ281500]

screwdriver aint gonna do much, and the primer tools are just an old distributor rod

 

[98_k1500]

All your oil is going to pour out the distributor hole back into the oil pan, the distributor has a oil passage in the side of it.

 

[TylerZ281500]

by spinning the oil pump and priming it it should go through the whole block. plug the whole to pressurize the rest.

 

[98_k1500]

if it don't have a cam or lifters in it, its just gonna dump out there and not make any pressure. If you get all the holes plugged up, it will prime up tho. gotta plug the hole on the back of the block where the oil pressure sending unit goes too.

 

[TylerZ281500]

i got what your saying i was under the assumption it had heads and everything already.

 

[98_k1500]

Yea, the heads themselves don't have any oil passages in them. They just oil thru the pushrods and it just has drain-back holes.

 

[Scrufdog]

it'll have the cam and lifters in it, just no heads. I dont have an old distro around so a screwdriver in a low speed drill might get me somewhere, if not then I'l use the primer tool and see what happens.

 

[98_k1500]

If you have an old distributor to use and the cam is in it, you are going to have to grind all the teeth off the distributor gear so it will spin without anything else spinning. On the one we made, we ground all the teeth off the gear and welded a 1/4" inch drive socket to the top where the rotor button goes. It can be turned with a flat head in the drill or a 1/4" extension

 

[Rusty Nail]

I'm getting a fully rebuilt block from a buddy of mine. It's been sitting for about 5 years and is still in great condition, barely a fleck of rust on any of it.

Once I start putting the thing together I know I'll need to rotate the crank for this and that, I'm concerned about scoring the bearings since it hasnt seen oil in some time. If I prime the oil pump without heads on it, will it get oil to the bearings, or just make a big mess? Either way, I'll be pouring oil over every exposed part and give a good coating underneath before I install the oil pan.

Any recommendations?

Thanks

I guess the term "fully rebuilt block" has many definitions. The bearings won't "score" dude, the assembly lube is still there.
Somehow this thread morphed from "prime the oil pump without heads on it" to pressurizing the oil system of a short block. Maybe, i'm not sure anybody really knows. A flathead screwdriver without a handle on it in a drill WILL prime the oil pump without heads on it. If you spin the engine counter clockwise you CAN flip the rings upside down and the walls won't wipe.
My recommendation is to choose who you take advice from very carefully, forums like this one are chock full of bad information and people that don't know wtf they, OR YOU, are talking about. Is that broad enough?
I understand you are not building a race motor, but "torque to yield" and "bolt stretch" are real things. So are torque specs. If there is no oil pan on the engine, I would probably verify proper torque of the rod bolts and main caps but those are pretty much your limits without spending money. I would be more concerned with scoring the cylinder walls than the bearings (has the engine been covered?) and wipe them with air tool or some very light oil prior to working them if I thought it was gonna make me feel any better. Good luck.

 

[bluex]

Lol take it apart?! You can do it with a screwdriver! Simply remove the distributor and operate the oil pump... There is an actual "oil pump primer" tool or you can do it with a long flathead screwdriver....remove the handle and chuck it in a drill, same thing.

http://www.jegs.com/i/Mr.+Gasket/720/3795G/10002/-1

Whatever you do, don't rotate the engine counter-clockwise, not even a little bit.
There is ZERO need to "coat every exposed part" with oil. If it'll make you feel any better, after you get it primed prior to starting, unplug the distributor and operate the starter. You could even look in the valve cover until you SEE oil and then plug it back in and fire it up. That way you would ensure your lifters are pumped up.

You run the risk of flipping the rings upside down and you'll have a GUARANTEED oil burner. Seriously, don't do it.

Really? Please tell me that's a joke?

If not, you realize the pistons go up an down in the bores regardless of which way you turn the crank right?