Review: Proform Engine Priming Tool

[firebane]

Today was the day that I dropped 5 qts of fresh new oil into the pan of the truck and got ready to prime the engine so oil was throughout the engine. I had recently picked up the Proform Priming Tool to complete the job and got all my stuff together.

Most sites I read say you should use a 1/2" drill for this procedure my 3/8" dewal corded did the job just fine. I had to rotate the engine a few times to get oil up to all the rockers. But unfortunately this was not without incident and I"ll explain why.

If you look at this page (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pro-66896) you will see the tool in question. When I inserted the tool and fired up the drill almost immediately the drill bogged due to pressure and within a few minutes I had oil to the ride side of the rockers but nothing to the left. So I continued with the drill and rotated the engine off the crankshaft and rotated.. and rotated.. but no matter what I did I could not get any oil to the left side of the rockers. It wasn't until I accidentally lifted the drill that oil started to come out of the left side rockers.

So I'm not sure if this tool isn't made very well or something is up with the version I have but the only way I was able to successfully get oil up to the left side was by lifting the tool 1/8" or so.

So if you pick up one of these tools and you get no oil to the left side.. lift up a hair and it'll come through.

 

[chengny]

I use an old, gutted distributor - usually free - from the junkyard.

Just a little trick I learned back in the Nam:

A couple of years ago I was trying to pre-prime an engine prior to break in. It was about this time of year and the garage was probably 10 degrees F. I had the priming distributor chucked up in a 1/2 Milwaukee Hole Shooter and it was a struggle to even hold the drill motor - never mind get oil flow up to the rockers.

I took a couple of contractor flood lights, set them on milk crates so they were right up near the oil pan, turned them on and walked away for the night.

Next AM - still just as cold in the garage. But when I cranked up the drill - what a difference! I could hold the drill handle with one hand, the gauge I had screwed into the top oil port immediately shot up to 45 psi and oil was gushing out of the tops of the push rods within a minute.

Since then I always use heat lamps or flood lights (even in warm weather) to pre-heat the oil in the sump (it usually gets up to about 120 F). I figure that way, it is getting to every far corner of the system - much more effectively than if the oil is cold.

 

[350runner]

That's a really smart idea!

Sent from the dust in front of you!

 

[firebane]

My engine oil was already warm and yes you can use an old distributor if you want but for all the time and effort it takes to buid one.. I paid $15 for the tool.