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1974 Midget

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BMCMidgetLover

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I have a 1974 Midget, recently the engine was rebuilt. I have no oil pressure. I am going through it to understand why I have no oil pressure, but my engine does not have the pipe that goes to the filter head then to the block. There is no place to mount it. Because I took the oil filter off and the spark plugs out I was expecting oil coming out of the oil filter head, when the engine was turned by the starter but nothing came out. Therefore I believe my problem is most likely between the filter head and block, something like a plugged gasket.

Can I still take the banjo bolt out and prime the oil pump there?

Any thoughts or in sights would be appreciated.
 
We really need pictures, but oil will come out of the hole that the banjo bolts mounts to. You can add oil directly to the oil pump via a hole on the other side of the block that has a hex head plug in it.
Rut
 
Rut, I've had good luck just priming the pump through the banjo bolt hole. The pump needing a prime after a rebuild or a long lay up isn't uncommon. I'm not sure all 1275's have the plug on the other side of the block to prime the pump.

Kurt.
 
BMCMidgetLover said:
I have a 1974 Midget, ... my engine does not have the pipe that goes to the filter head then to the block. There is no place to mount it. Because I took the oil filter off and the spark plugs out I was expecting oil coming out of the oil filter head...
Click to expand...

As above, post a picture.

You said the engine does NOT have the oil pipe on the filter head and that the car is a '74. '74 should be the transition year during which they replaced the BMC A-Series engine with the Triumph 1500. For the Triumph engine you can prime the oil pump by removing the distributor and using a long straight drive bit held in an electric drill to run the pump. With the dizzy removed, place the drive bit in the dizzy drive slot and run the drill counterclockwise until you have oil pressure. When you put the dizzy back in you will need to set the static timing.

Make sure that whoever put the engine back together installed the pressure relief valve and spring in the big hex nut assembly just above the oil pan and below the distributor.

EDIT: I'm sorry. I forgot to mention that with the Triumph engine, to run the dizzy/oil pump drive with a drill you have to remove the dizzy, then remove the cast iron block the dizzy sits in, then remove the gear that is driven by the cam. Finally, below that you will see the slotted drive that is for the oil pump. It's obviously not as simple as I described above.
 
This a late 74 with a 1275 engine, I have owned the car for 30 years. Never had to do this with a new engine, so it is a learning experience.
IMG_20180223_095551591.jpgIMG_20180223_095624547.jpgIMG_20180223_094608396A.jpg
 
Yep, that’s your oil filter adapter with the hoses that go from the block to the oil cooler, then back to the oil filter adapter. The opening that you want to pour oil into is where the oil hose from the block to the cooler attaches to the block. Pull that fitting and prime the oil pump, reattach and turn the motor over with the starter and plugs out. Make sure the hoses have good connections and the proper oil filter is installed. It may take a minute for oil pressure to start showing, so crank it several times giving the starter and battery a rest.
Good luck, Rut
 
The red herring that threw me was your statement that there was no external oil pipe. You didn't mention the oil cooler hoses!

As Rut said, pour oil in the spot where the hose connects to the block. However, instead of turning the engine "forward", you want to turn it backwards so the oil is drawn backwards into the pump. More info on the process is in the link below.

https://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?3,2160762
 
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