Triumph Repair: Getting oil pressure, oil pressure gauge, spitfire 1500

Question
Hi Howard,

I have got my coil and starter solenoid working at last from the wiring diagram.

Now i have completley rebuilt to show condition my spitfire 1500 1977 RHD. The engine and gearbox have both had a complete rebuild. I need to get oil pressure before firing it up.

I have filled the oil filter and poured some oil in both channels where the oil filter fits. I have also put oil over the topr end under rocker cover and have removed spark plugs. The gree oil light is on.

I must have turned the engine over for approx 5 mins now many 20-30 second attempts but the green light has not gone out.

Can you help??

David

Answer
Hi David,
Sometimes on a fresh engine build it is difficult to get first oil pressure but you should not be tempted to fire it up to get the pressure. You are wise to do what you are doing and on occasions you can run into what you have run into. Here is a trick that always works.

Remove the oil sending unit and find a fitting to go into the hole that you can put a hose on. (If you have a male fitting in the block that feeds the oil pressure gauge use that and slip a hose over it. Even though the fitting hole is quite small that don't matter and the hose does not have to fit good. Run the hose up and find a small funnel or such to attach to the end of the hose and put about a tea cup of engine oil in the funnel. Not much oil will run into the oil galley because of the size of the fitting in the block but that don't matter.

Now, rotate the engine by hand or in 4th gear BACKWARDS. The reverse rotation of the engine will do two things. One, it will prove the oil pump is working and Two, it will purge all of the trapped air out of the oil galley and pump it into the pan. Even with a slow hand rotation of the crank you will see movement of the oil in the funnel. Run at least one full tea cup of oil into the galley system this way, then put the oil pipe or sending unit back in and spin the engine with the starter and you will have oil pressure instantly unless something is wrong in the engine.

Green oil light? I thought they were always Red. Pressure gauge is what you should be looking at. You should see 35 PSI or more on the gauge spinning with the starter only.

good luck, let me know.
Howard