1971 bonneville rebuild, how to get oil to top of engine without starting?

[Tattooo]

Yours is primed, his ain't.

Jim

Yea that's what I thought the OP was trying to do???????? So there is no way to get it to prime until you start it??????

[flatman]

If its on wheels drag it around the block in 4th with the sparkplugs out. Should get the oil circulating with little or no heat involved. If you get it started have the return line in a container until you see it coming out the line. usually works on Harleys and Indians. 2 cents

[datadavid]

Yours is primed, his ain't.

Jim

Well, for priming i have used both lube can and pressurized air in the feed hose to the pressure pump, it can be a bit slow in the beginning before all the air pockets are gone, just squirt away with the lube can while kicking over until you can see the pump suck oil from the feed line. To see anything from the return will take a few seconds after starting the engine first time on priming, especially if there is a return line oil filter installed. Those are golden, everyone should have one. Clean, cooler oil to the valves! After that first startup one should be able to see oil moving up the head feed with a clear hose installed while kicking it over , hot or cold.

[Dinnertimedave]

Top end oils from the oil return. It won't oil at kicking speed.

Jim

My thoughts too.....

[farmall]

I use an oil can to pre-oil the top end. A plastic squirt bottle works nicely too.

Remove rocker cover, cram tip in hose, pump until you see oil.

[confab]

Any time you have to prime something difficult or fill tiny spigots, it is really hard to beat a $6 dollar, cheap, garden sprayer from the hardware store with the tip clipped off and a hose clamped on..

[farmall]

I like that.

They're good for all sorts of stuff. So are cheap plastic Walmart squirt bottles and "irrigation syringes".

Next time I need a pressure bleeder I'll make one of these from a pump sprayer:

http://faculty.ccp.edu/faculty/dreed/Campingart/jettatech/bleeder/index.htm

[confab]

Oh yeah.. Those work great. I have the Mityvac version of it and I love it.

https://www.tooltopia.com/mityvac-mv6840.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=paid_search_google_pla&adpos=1o1&scid=scplpMITMV6840&sc_intid=MITMV6840&gclid=Cj0KCQiAs67yBRC7ARIsAF49CdV7invOG5EKPcP0BZ86qZ49cAW6Sqg7N_Fdp1aomG-lHLaRyQmoI9saAteTEALw_wcB

With the ubiquitousness of ABS and the increasingly complicated plumbing they're doing with it, it is just about the only way you can bleed things single handed now. A lot of vehicles even require a scan tool to cycle the ABS block/motor AND and power bleeder of some kind.

It works great for priming just about anything, also. That constant couple of PSI fills cavities and chases air out. It is perfect.

A bunch of cars today have dinky little transmission dipsticks (Everything from the older Hondas and Toyotas, some of the Fords, and while there is usually a dedicated fill plug somewhere, it isn't always easily accessible. (The Hondas are terrible for this.) With the sprayer it is easy. Clamp a piece of 5/16th steel line on the end and fill it up with ATF, and run it right down the tiny little dipstick tube. It is even graduated so you can see how much you added.

Perfect! I think I gave 6 bucks for mine at the hardware store.

If you seal the bleed screw threads with grease, you might even be able to chase air out from the bottom side of the brakes with it..

I love it.. One of the best tools I ever bought, and it isn't even for cars.