new engine-directions for priming oil in motor/oil cooler?

motor builder forgot to send me info on how to treat new motor/oil cooler with pre priming. said he is mailing me instructions. any suggestions on proper way so i dont freeze it up on start. thanx..

Dear Bob,

I had good luck on my recent Chico Performance build with the following:

1) remove spark plugs and remove coil wire from dist
2) temporarily remove oil pressure switch from top of crankcase, replace with portable oil pressure gauge.
3)fill crankcase with oil to fill line on dipstick
4) using starter, crank over engine for 10-15 seconds... keep an eye on the oil pressure gauge... let starter briefly rest and then repeat.... during the rests, rechecking the dipstick and adding additional oil as indicated.
5) continue to turn over the engine as noted above, allowing for brief rests until your oil pressure gauge reads 20-30 psi.
6) check oil on dipstick, add if required
7) reinstall spark plugs and reinstall coil wire
8) cross fingers, start engine... watching to be sure the oil pressure remains in a safe range
9) after running for your 20 minute break-in period, replace the oil pressure gauge with the pressure switch
10) have a cold one

thanks,
-dan

I've always filled the filter (If you have one), then remove the spark plugs and crank the engine until you get oil pressure. (engine turns easy with the plugs out) Once you have oil pressure, check your oil level as oil has filled the cooler.

Once you have oil pressure and the correct amoount of oil in the sump, install spark plugs and fire engine.

Your cam may have special breakin instructions - such as the RPMs to hold and how long

http://www.aircooled.net/gnrlsite/resource/articles/engnbrkn.htm

Slight thread deviation: My engine, with dual Webers and no chokes, is never going to start until I pump the gas pedal a few times. My routine starting operation every time I drive is; I always turn a COLD engine over on just the starter until I get some oil pressure. Only then do I pump the gas. I figure this is a cheap pre-oiler at low RPM. Thoughts?

In my opinion, it's a waste of time, bearings, starter motor, rings and cylinder walls.
Unless you actually have a pre-oiler what you're doing is turning the engine while it's dry, waiting for it to get oil pressure.

Start the engine and let it run for a few seconds and drive away. Try not to go beyond 3,000 RPMs until your oil heats up.

In the case of a brand new engine, it has engine assembly lube to protect it during the initial engine start procedures.

I do exactly as David does. All that Larry says is the Gospel; may I add that if you have a working thermostat system with flaps so much the better to attain operating temperature quicker, and that applies to all weather zones.

As a fellow sometime engine builder, who used to hang out with real engine builders) I totally agree with Larry. Best thing you can do is pump it just enough to get it running, then start it up and drive it away, keeping it under 3 grand for the first couple of minutes.

The guys at the Porsche factory in Germany, when getting into new cars, would hop in, start them up and drive away, but they'd usually scream around at 4 grand all the time.....

I never fill the oil filter.
The air in the charge hose doesn't like to push oil through through the filter, or the rest of the system.

Bleed the system at every point you can to ensure the oil that is being fed to the components doesn't have air pockets and isn't "foamed" on initial start up.

My instructional video on this topic will be released in about 7 weeks.

Jake, watch it under an x-ray machine sometime. You'll see that if you fill the oil filter, the air in the system isn't trying to move anything but itself. It moves across the filter, escapes and is then replaced with oil. Once the oil, picked up by the oil pump, reaches the filter, it doesn't have to slow down and wait until the filter is full before it moves on to the bearings.

Thats not been my experience....

I fire up a new engine every week and time and time again I experience the fastest priming when the entire system is primed at each attachment point and the filter is left empty.

Looks like it's time to make a cut away "windowed" oil filter assembly and filter mount. I'll get right on it.

Now you've gone and piled more work on Jake. We wont see the radio podcasts till 2012 !!

I made the test part a couple nights ago. Its done and I just got the data I wanted...

At any rate, the Radio show will be back THIS WEEK! I already have it recorded and it's being posted through I tunes as we speak!

Jake!

What's it called??

I couldn't find anything by you...

gn