FE Oil Pump Priming

[RSOHC]

I have made the change from an aluminum style Shelby oil pan to a factory style oil pan, added enough 10-30 weight oil to the engine so that dip stick reads full, tried priming the oil pump with a modified distributor tool driven by both and electric drill in the counter clock wise direction and an air tool in a counter clock wise direction, and I have no oil pressure as indicated by my oil pressure gauge in the console.   When the engine oil was drained initially I left the engine in a drained condition for about a week because I had oil contaminated with gasoline in the engine.
 
Five years ago I had this same type of problem.  The problem was solved by removing the oil pan, placing the oil pump in a plastic container holding enough oil to cover the pump, priming the pump in the container, reinstalling the oil pump in the engine, and it worked just fine. 

Is there an easier way of getting the oil pump primed than to go through the process of removing the oil pan since the engine is in the car?

There are now 4 quarts of oil in the engine plus a full oil filter.  Can I add more oil to the engine so that the body of the oil pump is immersed in oil?

Thanks

Lauran

     

[KR Convertible]

If you have an oil cooler, try putting suction on the lines.  One of them should draw oil up through the pump.

[RSOHC]

I do not have an oil cooler.

Lauran

[KR Convertible]

That makes it a little tougher (messy).  Try to push oil into the pump through the oil filter adapter.  You should be able to do it through the port the oil pressure sending unit threads into.  I assume you are working on a 428 PI?

[shelbydoug]

The pump itself does not need to be primed. The pickup just needs to be under the oil level.

It is physically impossible for the pump not to work while being driven unless the pickup is not connected or the pickup tube is blocked.

Try another gauge temporarily at the oil filter adapter. It's more likely that your pressure sender is not connected, has failed or the gauge has failed then the pump not working.

[KR Convertible]

It is possible.  If a pump is put together dry, it can bypass air.  Most people pack oil pumps with Vaseline or grease to avoid this.  It can even happen on an oil change, if you drain the oil and leave it out over the weekend. When I worked as the service manager of a repair shop, I ran across this several times.  Guys drained oil Friday at Miller time and filled oil Monday and couldn't get oil pressure.

[shelbydoug]

No it isn't possible. It's only possible if the pickup is blocked. Stop making up stories.

[KR Convertible]

I'm not going to argue about this. It does occasionally happen, and I have seen it first hand.

[RSOHC]

I am working on a 1964 vintage 427.  It is not a sideoiler.

[KR Convertible]

What lead up to the problem?  Fresh build?  Did you pack the oil pump?  Did it sit without oil for a long period? Did you check the pick up tube for leaks?  If it's sucking air, you're fighting a losing battle.

[KR Convertible]

Sorry, re-read your first post and got most of the answers.  If the pick up tube is not sucking air, you want to try to get oil into the pump by one of the methods mentioned.

[RSOHC]

The oil pump is a Melling-M57.  The oil pan is  part number C60Z-6675-A.

[KR Convertible]

Did you check the clearance between the bottom of the pan and the pick up?

[RSOHC]

The clearance between the oil pan and the pickup was 0.75 inches. 

[RSOHC]

According to Barry Rabotnick's book the oil pan to pickup clearance should be 1/4 to 3/8 inch.  I tried bending the pickup tube but it was too strong.