Getting engine oil pressure

[RICHARD.T]

Hi
I would like your advice on getting oil pressure up before starting the engine, after it has been standing for a few months/years.
I have a Classic Formula 3 car (Chevron B43 with a Toyota engine)
Each spring I take the plugs out (so there is no compression) and turn the engine over until the oil pressure needle starts to move. Then put the plugs in and start it up. But the starters do not like working for more than about 10 seconds at any one time, but it takes 30/60 seconds to get the oil pressure needle to move. I do stop for about half an hour, every 20 seconds of cranking to let the motor cool down but by the time there is oil pressure there is also a smell of burning and smoke from the starter. (and so it has to go away to be rebuilt)
I think I have seen a device that has an oil reservoir and pump that connects to the engine so you can externally pressurise the engine before starting.
To make matters worse, this year I am putting a fresh engine in but it has been standing for three years since its rebuild so I might not have any oil at all in its bearings by now and cranking without the plugs will cause a lot of wear.
Your advice please.

[JohnD]

Richard,
I have no idea about Toyota engines, but on those I am familiar with, the dizzie shares its drive with the oil pump. Remove the dizzie and use an electric drill and a suitable extension to drive the pump until the oil pressure gets up. Nothing else in the engine moves, so wear minimal.
Can you get access to the Toyota oil pump and drive it with an external motor?
John

[MGDavid]

the pre-pressure device is Accusump.

[JohnD]

While it could be made to work as Richard desires, an Accusump is charged up by the running engine. It pre-lubes it at the next start. If Richard only starts the engine once a year, or even after several months of storage, will the reservoir still be full, and pressurised?
Could he re-pressurise it with an air compressor?

John

[grelley]

Hi Richard, if it is a drysump engine block off the return and breather lines in the oil tank,fit a Shraeder valve to the tank,(via a hose into the breather on the tank, and apply 20 -30 lbs air pressure to the tank. You can disconnect an oil line from the engine to determine when the oil is flowing through. Also with some dry sump systems the oil will drain from the tank into the sump over a short period of time, so will have to be returned to the tank before it can be recirculated through the engine. Alternatively I have used a tank made from a used fire extinguisher with appropriate fittings and gauge, which is connected to an oil gallery, filled with oil, and pressurised to push oil into the engine.

[Al Weyman]

The Accusmp should hold the pressure for a good while however its not what he is thinking of here as the whole thing has to be plumbed in to the engine and the engine run up and the valve in the Accusump turned off either electronically as you turn off the ignition or manually depending on what valve type so no good on a new install. As has been said on the Chevy V8 its a simple job to run up the pressure with a modified old distributor or a special tool for the job, no good trying to do it with just a drill onto the oil pump drive as without the dizzy body installed it will not pressurise. All this doesnt help with a Toyoto Motor though!

[Notso Swift]

Does it not have a dry sump?

I thought the manual accusumps had a pressure port to allow them to be "primed"?

[Al Weyman]

I have a manual one in one car and an auto one on the other and have never seen that facility to be honest.

[tzei]

On a dry sump engine wouldn't just removing the drive belt and driving the pump wirh electronic drill be adequate method of getting oil flow thru engine?

[Al Weyman]

sounds a plan, I have a weaver manual I scanned and posted here a while back somewhere may tell you, dunno how to find it though.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by tzei

On a dry sump engine wouldn't just removing the drive belt and driving the pump wirh electronic drill be adequate method of getting oil flow thru engine?

That would be fine as long as one pump does pressure and return, however some pumps are not driven by a belt, the Ford Kent series engines including Twincam/ BDA types are an example

[Al Weyman]

Thats also true Gordon.

[1200Datto27]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

I have a manual one in one car and an auto one on the other and have never seen that facility to be honest.

If you take the schraeder valve out of the Accusump and mount the unit with the oil port upwards, the internal piston will drop to the bottom of the barrel, this then allows you to fill the unit with oil. Once it is filled, close the valve on the oil port, reinstall the schraeder valve and add air pressure back into the unit, reconnect it to the cars oil system and open the valve, this will pump oil through the engine.