I have a 1957 Ford F100 Syleside with a rebuilt 292 I haven't started it yet but I will before Christmas. My question is what's the best way to prime a rebuilt engine? My friends told me to pull the distributor and stick rod with a drill motor down to engage the oil pump to prime it if so is there a special rod or tool to prime the oil pump or is there a better way. Help me have a Merry Christmas.

Oneway

 

Mike,

you can do it a couple of ways... the easiest is to strip down an old distributor and remove the shaft... insert the shaft in a cordless drill and then the other end in the oil pump socket.. turn the drill till you see a pressure reading on your oil pressure gauge.. (you do have an external oil pressure gauge somewhere in the engine compartment don't you ??) Once you see good pressure you can assume that everything is working properly and oil is flowing through the passages. remove the shaft and install the distributor being careful not to get it 180° out of phase... fire that puppy up...

the second option is to gut an old distributor except for the shaft.. insert it in the hole and do the same procedure.. this makes sure your shaft is aligned properly... but if you're careful and hold the shaft in the center of the distributor hole...you can't go wrong... just don't drop it into the crankcase !!!

john

 

Thanks John for the info do you or do you know someone else have a old distributor shaft that I may buy or borrow temp??
Mike

 

Mike

I would tell a couple salvage yards what I needed. Probably be cheaper than shipping to just buy an old distributor local.

'fenders

 

sometimes just a old flat screw driver will catch the pump cut the handle off and put in drill