TR6 After I put in my new oil pump....

[Scot Montrey]

I know I need to prime it but first I want to clean out the 50 year old passageways. Anybody know of a reason it would be bad to blow compressed air down from the valve train squirtholes? (Actually I would do this after removing the old pump and before putting in the new one). Second question- could I achieve good priming - after installing the new pump - by using a big plastic syringe to squirt new oil down those same holes? The whole Vaseline thing makes me nervous.
Thanks!

 

[NutmegCT]

Welcome to BCF.

Compressed air will blow out *some* debris, but also jam other debris in tighter.

Use kerosene and stiff brushes to clean each passage - kerosene dissolves the debris. Then flush with water/detergent. Compressed air afterward will help dry the passages. There's not just old oil and sludge in there - also tiny bits of metal and carbon.

Hope this helps.
Tom M.

 

[Madflyer]

Kerosene is a good call. I had a 1958 pickup as a first car. an was told to drain my oil now and a again and put in a gal of kerosene and run it a few min. to flush block. kerosene has an oil base so no damage but no driven or full motor temp either. as you may know is the what jet engines run on as in JP 4-5 . This may also be a good cal on a motor that sat for years. Madflyer

 

[Tybalt]

Sorry for the delay, tried to post this yesterday but had computer problems and couldn't the phone/camera and the computer to cooperate with each other. It’s easy enough to make your own pre-oiler tool for priming the system on these cars.


With the oil pump drive being a shaft with bladed end, a slotted shaft to fit the oil pump drive, a flexible coupling and another shaft to fit a drill motor will do the trick. You will need the following:


1/2” rod stock about 7” long

1/2” heater hose about 3 ½” long

1/2” or 3/8” rod stock about 6” long

Hose clamps

Tape to wrap 3/8” rod stock if using that size

Reversible 3/8” or 1/2” drill


To fabricate pre-oiler tool:


Slot one end of the ½ rod stock ¼” wide and ~7/16” deep with a rounded bottom

Insert non-slotted end into heater hose about 1 ½” and clamp in place

If using 1/2” rod stock, insert into other end of heater hose about 1 1/2" and clamp in place. If using 3/8” rod stock, wrap with tape to increase diameter close to 1/2”, insert into heater hose about 1/12” and clamp in place.


To use:


Attach tool to drill and set drill to run anti-clockwise.

Remove valve cover

Oil the slotted shaft and fit slotted end of tool onto the oil pump drive blade and run drill anti-clockwise, wait for oil to appear in the valve train and start to drain down back into the lower portion of the engine. If it starts to get too messy, you can refit the valve cover.