I understand that an engine should be pre lubed before the first start after a rebuild but if the mechanic that rebuilt the engine used whatever they use, some kind of grease on all the parts, wouldn't that be good enough? A friend of mine said that he has rebuilt a number of engines with the grease stuff and started them as is and never had an issue. It seems like a pain to do the pre lube if it's still greased up. But I don't want to waste 5k on a rebuild. Would pouring oil over the rockers and letting it drain down help some?

Brad
Sierra Vista Arizona
1954 Lincoln Capri

There’s no mess or spillage when installing the filter when it’s empty.  I do prefer priming by hand with a speed handle rather than a drill as if there is problem with the oil pump meshing smoothly, you will feel it with the speed handle but not if you have a drill motor turning the pump. A case in point is a BBC engine that was being primed by hand prior to being installed on the dyno and it had an obvious tight spot when rotating the pump.  Upon removing the oil pump, its housing had been heat warped when the customer brazed his oil pickup to the pump.  That would not have been found if using a drill motor to turn the pump.



Without a distributor lower shaft in the distributor pilot hole, it’s normal for the oil drive shaft to be lying to one side of the hole.  Between the point or chamfer on the top of the oil pump drive shaft and the corresponding counter bore in the bottom of the distributor shaft, the two parts manage to align once the six sides of both the shaft and the distributor hole are aligned.

For priming the oil system before an engines’ first start, I’ll use an old distributor that has the lower gear removed and a bolt welded to the top.  With this, I can use a speed handle with the appropriate socket to turn the oil pump CCW for prelubing purposes.  As mentioned earlier, it takes approximately 20 seconds to fill an empty oil filter and get a pressure reading on a gauge.  Another 20-30 seconds will typically have oil at the rocker arms.

Here's a picture of a distributor modified for oil priming purposes.
  

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

"There’s no mess or spillage when installing the filter when it’s empty.  I do prefer priming by hand with a speed handle rather than a drill as if there is problem with the oil pump meshing smoothly, you will feel it with the speed handle but not if you have a drill motor turning the pump."

... hmmpf ...

I never though of the pump binding.

APPRECIATED!, and this my LEARNED FACTOID of THE DAY.

Always something to learn here.

____________________________

I must've had a brain fart.

Found out that I had somehow put a bigger size socket on the extension so I was just spinning on top of the oil shaft. Put the correct size socket on and started spinning the oil pump. Soon after, I saw oil coming from a hole next to the oil filter. I'm sharing a picture of a long threaded rod i put in to stop the leak. The manual doesn't show what piece belongs there. Help please.

Brad
Sierra Vista Arizona
1954 Lincoln Capri