Paster

I also used this tool and found that the larger lower spacer needed to be positioned correctly in order for the valve train to prime. There was too much play allowing the spacer to move between the two circlips that hold it in place. I added a washer above and below the spacer centering it, after which there was oil at the rockers.

R66

Find an old distributor, remove the gear on the bottom, knock the weight plate off of the top and you have the best primer made for a few $$. I cut the point plate and housing off, but you don't have to.

CHEAP

JF in MI

Did the same but cut the teeth off the gear.

Vet65te

Paster - I had no issues priming my new 427 with that tool but you got me wondering so I just went out and measured the 'play' between the two circlips holding that lower spacer in place and it is in the range of around .015, not a lot of movement. Maybe there's a difference between the various brands of priming tools.
I would think the OD of that lower spacer would have more to do with the redirection of the oil being pumped.
Mike T - Prescott AZ

Little67red

I have a priming tool.that is what I’m using.

DZAUTO

Junk old alum distributors are found everywhere for free-$5.00 and can be easily and quickly turned into an excellent priming tool. Turn down the top of the main shaft to fit a 3/8 drill, grind off the gear teeth, and voila, a cheap and quick priming tool.

Drummer Boy

If the HIDDEN plug was missing he certainly would not but if one of the others dislidged ge might read pressure on the gauge and not get anything to the top. BUT---In this respect I am definitely NOT an expert. Far from it. Just guessing on this one.
Eddie

Westlotorn

I will offer another opinion. Start it up. A running engine should oil everything within seconds of start up. Not minutes. I own a priming tool, an oiling Pig that you hook to the oil pressure gauge hole or direct to the oil pump. It can fill the engine galleries with oil in less than a minute if pre lube is desired.

Some engines absolutely have to be pre oiled or the oil pump will not pick up oil on start up. Many like the small block Chevy oil very well on new start up.

I just fired up a 350 Chevy last week. Engine was assembled with quality Assembly Lube on the bearings cam, lifters, rockers, push rods, cylinder walls pistons, piston pins, piston rings and cylinder walls. I use a product I have used for 30 years now. Sealed Power LL5. It is a quality assembly lube designed to protect on start up and then mix well with oil as oil is introduced.
I am sure there are other quality products out there but I read an article years ago showing that some assembly lubes did not mix well with oil on start up which could negatively affect your new start.

With the engine ready to start, knowing it had assembly lube on all moving parts I fired it up. No Pre Lube at all. Had Oil Pressure instantly, I would guess it was maybe 5 seconds before the gauge hit 55 PSI, maybe 10 seconds before the lifters adjusted and were all quiet. I would say less than 15 seconds on start to quiet running engine.
I do not believe I did any damage to any part. Engine is running and sounds great. I should mention that this engine had an Oil Cooler adapter that put the oil filter on its side so I could not even fill the oil filter in advance as I usually would. So this example was with a completely empty oil system.

Your engine sat for one year. If it was stored correctly it is ready to run. If it was not stored correctly the most likely issue is going to be rust on the cylinders where the valves were open when it sat for the year. Pre oiling will not oil the pistons or cylinder walls at all. They are oiled by throw off splash from the connecting rods. If you start the engine you have 600 RPM or more spinning the crankshaft, you have full oil pressure on start up the connecting rod bearings will spill the oil that gets thrown up onto the cylinder walls lubricating the pistons, cylinder wall, Rings and piston pins.
No amount of priming will oil the cylinders and piston pins.
I see the benefit of pre oiling a used engine at start up but on my new Chevy small block engines where I know assembly lube was used on all the key parts I believe pre oiling can actually wash away some of the protection of the assembly lube so I just fire up the small block chevys after assembly.

I am totally fine hearing the hydraulic lifters adjust and go quiet within the first seconds of start up. If there is a noise that does not go away I would shut it down and search for the reason it failed. Have not had that happen yet.

I know you are starting up a used engine so your parts are not protected by assembly lube so a pre oiling does offer help for your crank and cam bearings. I would start your engine as is. Your crank and oil passages are full if you saw 40 PSI.

I would pull the spark plugs and squirt a bit of oil in every cylinder because that is a moving part that gets no oil till you run the engine. If your valve covers are off I would oil the rockers and try to get oil on the valve stems inside the valve springs, I have an old oil squirter with an extended tip that will go inside the spring to put oil on the stems.

If your filter boss is correctly assembled you will have good oil pressure and a quiet engine within 15 seconds of start up. If you don’t something is wrong and I would go straight to that oil filer mount to see what was left out or assembled wrong.

Once started I would treat the engine like a new start up and do a camshaft break in of 20 minutes at 2,000 RPM. I know it is a used cam but it sat for a year. If your lifters do not start spinning on start up the cam will fail and go flat. A little rust in the wrong spot can cause a lifter not to spin so why risk that. Get it started and break in the cam again,.

I will take my lumps for offering this advice.

narlee

Some of the priming tools don't have the correct spacing on the collar to work correctly. I threw one out for that reason.