oil circulation

[ayjay]

I've got my engine turning over on the starter motor but not yet firing. Its a 1.8 cvh. When I get some fuel to it and start it up I'll need to know if the oil pick up is now working and oil circulating properly.
Is there any way of checking this when the oil pressure switch is not connected.

Also is there anything else I need to do--its not run for about 12 months.
eg Im going to take the plugs out and give it a good spin before I fire it up.

Any advice would be appreciated

http://s1189.photobucket.com/albums/z429/ayjay50/

[deezee]

Oil down the bores is normally a good idea. Remove the plugs and crank it a few times to let the oil get around. Then you should be good to fire the thing up.

[brainbug007]

Be careful how much you put down though, don't make the mistake I made and put too much in or it'll hydrolock on you. Have a read through all the threads I've done about all the problems I had with my 1.8 cvh

http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7123
http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7200
http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7240
http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7060

[ayjay]

If I'd faced all that bb I'd have just gone fishing

Well done for persevering.Im sure there'll be some similar trials for me before long.

Anyway back to the oil problem --anyone any pointers please to check if oil is circulating

[brainbug007]

I'm not entirely sure as I can't say I fully understand how everything works. Could you do something like whipe off some of the oil in the rocker cover and then hand crank it to see if any appears where you've whiped it off?

[will_08]

Im sure you could use a multimeter to monitor the state of the oil pressure switch for testing, thats if its a basic open/shut circuit.

[flyerncle]

Wire a bulb up so that one side goes to the terminal of the pressure switch,it should be lit untill the pressure comes up and then the light will go out.

[MikeB]

funny i was doing the exact same thing today.
Got a really neat little oddessey battery and couldn't resist just wiring up the starter to see if she'd crank.
The only wiring i have is the + and minus to the starter and battery and a wire for the + on the solenoid.
I've wired a indicator bulb to the + on the battery and the neg to the oil pressure sender (I think, is it the one just above the dip stick?)

It cranks lovely but the light stays on for me.
the engine is bare with none of the breather pipes connected or blocked off. Any thoughts?

[TSM Locost]

At the top of the oil pump there is a blanking plug ( there may be 2 ) with a spring behind it for oil pressure release which i removed and using a clean oil can pumped new clean oil in to prime the pump before spinning engine over, this fills the pump with oil. I had the same problem after mods to sump and oil pickup.

[robo]

With any of those oil pumps that hang on the end of the crank there is a tendency for them to take a while to drag up the oil after sitting a while. cranking is the hard way because if it was just started the oil would be up there a lot quicker. In some cases the starter might never get the oil pump to prime.If you are that worried you can always pull out the pressure relief valve and plunger, then squirt some oil in the hole while hand turning the engine backwards. That will wet the pump rotors and help a lot, rover v8 is another example of this you have to pack the thing with vasalene to get them to prime from new and if you dont the pump will be shot before you start.

http://www.roversd1.info/3500/oilpump.html in the oil pump refit section.

Bob . Edit sorry mike we were typing at the same time.