I have been working on an LX665 skidsteer rebuild for several months now. I have finally gotten it together after a number of set backs. I have tried cranking it a dozens times or more for 10 seconds or so at a time. I can't get it to prime. I have no oil coming up. The oil filter is dry. Am I doing something wrong? Any tricks to this? Do I have to tear back into it? Where do I start? What is the oil distribution in the block? Sump => Filter => Pump => Oil Galleys or Sump => Pump => Filter=> Oil Galleys Thanks, Charles
LX665 engine start up
- Thread starter Patcon
- Start date
Did you have the engine apare? If so, did you pack the oil pump with grease when putting it together?
I wonder if you could cheat and plug the breether tube while cranking, and push some air into the dip stick tube, basically pushing the oil fromt he sump up and into the pump. Just don't put too much pressure in there or you risk blowing the rear main seal out.
What do you guys think?
If that doesn't work, you really need to get into the engine and work out why the pump isn't working.
I wonder if you could cheat and plug the breether tube while cranking, and push some air into the dip stick tube, basically pushing the oil fromt he sump up and into the pump. Just don't put too much pressure in there or you risk blowing the rear main seal out.
What do you guys think?
If that doesn't work, you really need to get into the engine and work out why the pump isn't working.
Yes the engine has been totally rebuilt from a bare block. No I didn't pack the oil pump with grease. I have the factory manuals and they don't mention that. Which is why I came here to ask the question. The engine is turbo charged so I don't know where the breather tube is...
The breather is usually in the rocker cover, it either vents to atmosphere or back into the air inlet before the turbo.
The pump should always be lubricated as there will be a time at initial startup that it will be dry. My dady used to work for an engine rebuilder, their standard procedure was to pack the pump with SL heavy grease before assembily.
You are correct there is a tube to atmosphere off the valve cover. I lubed the oil pump with some 30w oil but didn't pack it with grease. How much pressure can I add to the crank case with out blowing out the rear main seal? I could pack the oil pump with grease but I would have to go backwards a good bit....
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Hotrod1830
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2010
- Messages
- 513
If I am going to start the engine within a couple days of a rebuild, I just use engine oil to lube the pump. If an engine is going to sit for months or years, I will pack the pump with petroleum jelly
I would skip pressurizing the crankcase. It may work, but can easily go wrong. Easier just to overfill the crankcase untill you reach the level of the oil pump, then drain it back out when you get oil pressure.
You may be able to rent/borrow a engine pre-lube tank from your local parts store. Just will the tank with a couple quarts of oil, pressurize it with air and hook it up to the oil pressure sender port and open the valve, then start the engine. If you dont get oil pressure, you will have enough oil on the bearings to run a few seconds without damage. FWIW, some engines wont prime by cranking alone
I wouldnt crank it alot without oil pressure. Assembly lube only goes so far.
Hotrod makes a good point, these rebuilt engines could sit for an unknown time, that may be why they used grease and not just oil.
After thinking about it a bit more, pressurising the crank case may not have done anything unless you removed the pressure sender. As the air pressure would be equal around all internal parts, so it would give no benefit. But if you removed the sender, it will give the oil a path to a lower preassure area. I'd not use much pressure, 5 or so PSI shold be more than enough to hopeuflly not blow a seal out.
I like the idea of a priming tool to squeeze oil in through the oil pressure sender. I wonder if filling the oil filter will help too, but i'm not sure how the oiling system works on this engine. Most have the filter after the pump i believe.
Thanks for the responses I guess my path of least resistance would be to fill the oil pretty high and see if the system will prime if the oil pump doesn't have to work so hard to overcome gravity. It appears the oil level will be an inch or so below the cylinder bores when it is high enough to meet the oil pump, is there any concern over the crank shaft weights spinning in the extra oil? Any concern on too much load on the starter?
I don't see an issue with extra load on the starter. You really just want it in ther eto prime the pump, then you can drain the excess and use it in the next oil change. You don't want to run it when over full.
Thanks Tazza I have been procrastinating. It's really cold here right now and I am working outside. I will probably try to heat the engine pan with a halogen light. I understood I shouldn't try to start it with the crank case over filled. I will report back hopefully over the weekend with an update
WooHoo success!!!! Praise God! I ran a halogen under the oil pan for a couple of days to get it warmed up. I had to add almost 2 gallons of oil to get it up to the oil pump. The oil pump is 5" above the top edge of the oil pan. The oil comes up the pick up tube to the oil pump then down the side of the block through an oil galley to the oil pump boss. Had to pump it about 20 seconds to get oil to the pump boss. Put the oil cooler and the oil filter back on, a little more cranking and had oil at the turbo. Drained the excess oil. Hot wired the fuel shut off and the fuel pump. On the second try we got it to start. That was a huge hurdle...man am I happy. Thanks for all the help...
