priming a 440

[mojavered]

Can you please help me?  I was going to prime my engine tonight and realized that the big blocks do not get primed through the distributor.  Where do you prime them from?  Where does the 5/16 rod go?  Thanks!

[Topcat]

You have to take the distributor gear out first. The priming rod has an allen hex end to go into the oil pump input that the distributor gear goes into. Put a long screw driver into where the distributor gear is. Twist counter clockwise. Then the dist. gear will un screw out exposing the oil pump below.

[mojavered]

How careful do I need to be when I remove the distributor gear?  I just turn the gear counter clockwise and prime counter clockwise also??

[Topcat]

Put the priming rod into the drill. a good drill. Not a crummy cheap one thats got slop. Tightn it real good. Put it into the oil pump and slowly begin bringing up the RPM's. Don't go crazy high speed. Medium RPM's You'll feel it suddenly get some load. That's the oil pressure against the drill motor. Then you know it's priming.

The gears are meshed so it unscrews. Nothing to worry about.

[mojavered]

Thanks Topcat!  I went and got some 5/16" hex rod and threw some heat shrink around it, just in case, and it was a breeze.  I never did look at the oil pressure to see where it was while priming.  Went to start it, and found the started was bad.  Should be good to go in the am, Thanks!

[Topcat]

Good Luck. 

Make sure you see oil coming up thru the rockers before you start.