Prime Oil Pump On 3100

[KCFITZ78]

I have a 1994 grand prix se with a 3100. Did the heads, lower and upper gaskets. How do I prime the oil pump? I think i have have blockage due to water and oil mix and don't want to run the engine for long periods.

[Superdave]

I was personally going to use an extention with whatever size socket fits the oil pump drive shaft, then use either my drill or the air ratchet to spin the pump.

I haven't tried this yet so i don't know if it'll work....

[KCFITZ78]

Well the engine is totally asmebled. I would have to pull out the plug where a Distributor would be to get to the pump shaft correct?

[RedBird]

yeah, you'd have to pull the distributor hole thing out to get to the oil pump driveshaft extension....... i'll need to do this when i put my motor together too, Dave's idea sounds best, just a socket on a long extension, on a drill. just a thought - i'd tape the socket to the extension(any any extensions, together)

[Superdave]

Well the engine is totally asmebled. I would have to pull out the plug where a Distributor would be to get to the pump shaft correct?

Yep, i was looking at mine last night (also completely assembled). Looks like i'll just have to take off the plenum to get clearance for the drill...


you might be ok since you didn't take out the cam or crank, i doubt you lost any oil coating you had in the bearings..

i'd just run it on fresh oil for a day or so then have it flushed and filled with new stuff. You only need to prime it when you've had it apart far enough that the oil passages drained (IE the crank or cam out).

[86euro]

I was personally going to use an extention with whatever size socket fits the oil pump drive shaft, then use either my drill or the air ratchet to spin the pump.

I haven't tried this yet so i don't know if it'll work....

Doesn't the dist/plug need to be in place to build oil pressure? If so, an old dist with the drive teeth ground off could be used. A small bolt or something would also need to be welded to the top of the distributor so a drill could be attached.

[geoffinbc]

You can pull the fuel pump fuse and spark plugs and turn the engine over to prime the pump. Since the engine will not fire there will be next to zero bearing load. As long as you did not clean the engine internals or have left it sitting for a very long period of time this is the easiest way to do it.

A brand new or rebuilt engine should always have its pump primed with a drill.

[Guest]

I made an oil pump prime tool from an old dizzy, no you don't need the dizzy body in place to build pressure, but you do need something in the hole to keep oil from spraying everywhere from that hole, since there is a pressure posrt (end of a lifter galley actually), that runs directly into the dizzy/oil pump drive hole. I learned this the heard way.

[KCFITZ78]

..... I think i have have blockage due to water and oil mix and don't want to run the engine for long periods.

Well i won't do the starter metod as it may take awhile to get a prime (don't want to kill the battery or starter). I am not getting any oil to the valves covers, so i think i have some sort of blockage. Blockage could be through the engine, at the pick-up for the oil pump, or my oil pump is bad.

I tried once to get the dummy dizzy plug off but no sucess. I thought i would change out the o-ring when i did all the gaskets, but left it be since it was not coming off.

[Superdave]

they rust to the block.. just gotta pry on it a little.

[Guest]

they rust to the block.. just gotta pry on it a LOT.

Fixed!

[3400-95-Modified]

I made an oil pump prime tool from an old dizzy, no you don't need the dizzy body in place to build pressure, but you do need something in the hole to keep oil from spraying everywhere from that hole, since there is a pressure posrt (end of a lifter galley actually), that runs directly into the dizzy/oil pump drive hole. I learned this the heard way.

I learned the same way of this oil passage way... Big puddle on my basement floor... and all I used was hex stock the same size as the pump rod... Very simple.

[KCFITZ78]

Sounds good but any ideas how i can pry up that dissy plug? There is no lip to pry on and i didn't want to mangle it trying to get it out.

[3400-95-Modified]

pair of plyers and use a rag over it if you dont want to rip it up... its in there good.

[RedBird]

mine was a real bitch coming out. i grabbed it with a set of vice-grips. it came out after a while, but the's a spot on each side where the vie-grips chewed it up a little. no big deal to me, it's all covered anyway, you wouldn't know it was there unless you were looking for it.....