PreLubrication Procedure

"I have just installed a 5.7L

"I have just installed a 5.7L long block in my 1989 Slickcraft. The engine builder has a Pre-Lubrication Procedure that requires cranking the engine without the sparkplugs for 2 minutes after the oil preasure gage indicates oil pressure. I removed the oil sending unit and installed a pressure gage.
How long should it take, cranking the engine, to build enough pressure to indicate on the gage??
Your help and advise is appreciated."

Then go out and buy a new star

Then go out and buy a new starter! Two minutes? Are they nuts? Soon as the oil pressure comes up you can toss the plugs in and fire it up.

I'll bet they also sell starters....


Jeff

"Robert...
I agree - 2 mins ?

"Robert...
I agree - 2 mins ?!?! That will be tough on that starter.
As with an automotive 350, proper oil pressure is key to an initial start up. There should have been assy. lube put in all the vital spots during engine building, but you know how that goes. Proper procedure would have you mark and pull the distributor out of the block. Get an old dist. from a wrecking yard, and gut it (pull the shaft out). Drop the gutted dist. into the block. Drop a tool of sorts down through the dist. to get onto the top of the oil pump. The tool should have an end on it that resembles a large slotted screw driver, but needs to be able to be turned for a minute or so. Your wrist will get mighty tired if you use a screw driver. Finding a socket with a screw driver end on it will work great by putting it on a long extension (3/8 drive is best)and using a ratchet or speed handle or cordless drill. Wind a few rounds of masking tape to hold the socket onto the extension. If that socket falls off in the engine, you're into a ton of work to get it out of there. The tape will hold it on with no worries. Try to look down an oil filler hole or such to see a rocker arm. Spin the oil pump and continue to spin it until you see oil coming out the push rod hole in the rocker arm. Continue to spin for another 30 seconds or so, that way you know that you have full oil lubing to the whole engine. Pre-fill the oil filter before starting this procedure to speed things up. The old dist. body needs to be in there to give oil pressure. This won't work if its not in there. Put the good dist. back in and fire it up. Sounds like a lot of work, but its not too bad and it is the proper way to do it. This is what engine builders are supposed to do. Some of us actually do it.

Wrench"

Jeff & Wrench Thanks.
Sou

Jeff & Wrench Thanks.
Sound like I need to take a trip to a salvage yard and make tool. The help is appriecated
Bob

"The Priming tool is available

"The Priming tool is available from most speed shops. The Moroso number is mor62200 and it can be seen in the summit racing catalog. Price is $14.00 It is also availble at NAPA for a little more money Good Luck, Bob"

Bob...
Thanks. I made mine ou

Bob...
Thanks. I made mine out of an old dist. years ago and have always just used it. I never thought about going to a speed shop to get one. Will probably be cheaper than getting one from a wreckers.
Thanks
Wrench

Yeah.... is use and old distri

Yeah.... is use and old distributor ...pulled the cam gear off the shaft and gutted the top side. I just put a variable speed drill on the top of the shaft and spin away. it does a great job.

"Robert
The boys are right.

"Robert
The boys are right.
Take it from an old engine builder, if your guy has done his job properly on re assembly you should have oil presure within a couple of seconds.
Once you have that pressure put the plugs in and fire it up, opinions are always divided but I say do not let it low idle for about 15 minutes, or on the same level do not rev the crap out of it either.

I like to keep my rebuilds around the 12 to 1500 rpm for around 15 minutes, during that time monitor your oil pressue gauge and your temp gauge
to make sure you have no issues and then set up your correct idle.
When ever I build an engine I use a heavy duty oil stabilizer on all the rotating surfaces (it just sticks like honey to the surfaces) and just a good quality sae 20-50 on the bores and pistons. I then pack the pump with petroleum jelly and fill the oil filter with oil.
When I wind her over it will have full pressure before you can count to 3.
I have been building engines the same way for over 32 years now and have not had one failure or warranty problem yet.
Winding it over for 2 minutes in my opinion will most definitly do more harm than good.
Once you are a happy camper run the boat for the first hour or so without prolonged periods of High or low RPM, in other words mix it up but dont overdo it.
When you have done an hour or so at varying throttle positions change the oil and filter and use "GOOD QUALITY FILTERS AND OILS".
I always advise my customers to change the oil and filter again after the next 5 hours.
Thats just the way I do it and as I say I have not had one failure or warranty issue.
Cheers
Peter C"