priming new engine

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sweet124
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Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2006 8:04 pm
Your car is a: 1980 FI 124 spider
Location: Caledon,Ontario

priming new engine

Post by sweet124 »

I finished my rebuilt of my F.I engine was wondering how do you prime the engine for oil at start up.Or how do you check if the oil pump is pumping oil through the engine.
1980 fiat spider under restoration
So Cal Mark

Re: priming new engine

Post by So Cal Mark »

if you leave the timing belt off, you can spin the aux shaft until you get oil pumping. Or make an adapter to drive the oil pump with a drill once the pump drive gear is removed. If the engine is in the car already, disconnect the coil and crank the engine with the starter until you get a reading on the gauge
beachboy

Re: priming new engine

Post by beachboy »

an additional step to the excellent ones above is to fill the oil filter with oil before you install it, this will help with the priming.
So Cal Mark

Re: priming new engine

Post by So Cal Mark »

it does speed thing up, since you don't have to pump almost a quart of oil into the filter
sweet124
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Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2006 8:04 pm
Your car is a: 1980 FI 124 spider
Location: Caledon,Ontario

Re: priming new engine

Post by sweet124 »

thanks for those suggestion.A friend told me a pressure tank filled with oil and connecting a oil line from the pressure tank and then remove the oil sending unit and connect the oil line in place of the sending unit will work .Any suggestion in this ideas.
1980 fiat spider under restoration
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SLOSpider
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Your car is a: 1973 124 Spider 2.0FI
Location: Lompoc, Ca USA

Re: priming new engine

Post by SLOSpider »

I would recommend doing as stated with pre filling the oil filter, remove coil wire and also remove upper cam covers and fill with oil there. Unless you already installed all the oil in the pan already in which case you would be 2 qts over full.
1975 124 Spider
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1967 GT Mustang Fastback
So Cal Mark

Re: priming new engine

Post by So Cal Mark »

hopefully it's got assembly lube everywhere especially on the cams
halg

Re: priming new engine

Post by halg »

I was always taught that spinning the engine to prime the oil system was the worst thing you could do. Here is my external oil pump drive so I don't have to spin the engine. Pressurizing the engine from an external tank is what the Accusump system does.
Hal

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spider2081
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Your car is a: 1981 Spider 2000
Location: Wallingford,CT

Re: priming new engine

Post by spider2081 »

Everyone has their own thoughts. I fill the filter slowly till it will take no more. I pour oil over the cams till the boxes are full and put a total of 7 quarts into the engine. This just about fills the pan to the top and the oil pump is submerged in oil. With the spark plugs out so the engine spins as quickly as possible I crank over the engine. In no time there is pressure. I then drain out the extra oil before starting it up. So far this has worked well.
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