Thread: So how bad did i screw up??

I just got done doing a cam swap and top swap on my 98 GT. Now this is the first motor i have ever built or modded. I was not aware that you were supposed to prime the oil pump system before you start it, so i started it and only ran it for like litterally 5 or 6 seconds then shut it off. Do you think it hurt anything when I did this? And the only reason I ask is because I took the rear vc off and there was no oil in the head, SO i researched and concluded that it is probably because i did not prime the system....thoughts?

I never really primed mine. Ran fine.

Did you remember to put oil in it? If so, you should still be fine.

lol, ya i put oil in it, but still after it ran for 5 or 6 seconds, there was no oil in the rear head when i took the vc off....

It takes almost 10 seconds in many cars for oil to move through a brand new filter and then up to the top. Some even longer.

So seeing how this a fresh build with no oil anywhere in the motor, its going to take alot more than 5-6 seconds for oil to travel all over the inside of it.

It's hard to prime these engine because the pump is connected directly to the crank. The best you can do is unplug the coilpacks and crack the engine with the starter for about 10 seconds. You can also unplug the fuel pump fuse.

Its easy as hell to prime these engines. Think of all the oil change places that just slap on a empty dry filter and start er up. Those engines still run. I of course dont do that to my honey, that filter is filled to the brim before its put back on!

I wouldn't be worried.

My priming method is unhook the icm (that does fuel and spark) then crank a while.. Hook up and fire up. It's not uncommon to hear some lifter clatter on a motor that was pulled apart until it gets say 30 seconds or more of run time on it.

Originally Posted by ITHURTZ

Its easy as hell to prime these engines. Think of all the oil change places that just slap on a empty dry filter and start er up. Those engines still run. I of course dont do that to my honey, that filter is filled to the brim before its put back on!

I was referring to more of a manual prime like on old V8's where you take out the distributor and prime the engine with a drill.

that takes some effort that most of us just dont want to do. either pull the ICM and crank it over for a bit or just start it up and let it run. you're not going to break it if there's oil in it.

Key here is .. start and let it run. Don't rev it at all. Just let it meander until it's oiled up.

Just to add some piece of mind, my first engine ran for a good 15 minutes without a working oil pump. Which included some revving so I could keep it alive to try and figure out what was wrong.

One week later, I had a new engine and an account here.

priming the engine is more for the rotating assembly/ohc journals

the last engine i rebuilt for myself eagle talon, took about 3mins of idleing and a few quick revs(under 3000) untill all the lifters were fully pumped up. (no priming)

like others have said, just turn it on,

there is a reson why you used assembly lube when you put it togather