Cant get oil pressure after refitting engine

Had a frustrating day today. I have just tried to start an engine ive fitted into my s14. The engine is from an s15 but with all my original ancillaries and remote oil cooler and filter. The engine sat for a couple of years since its last run.

I tried to crank it without the injector loom or CAS connected in order to build up oil pressure. Cranked it a few times and my oil light was still on, so I pulled the cam cover to see if there was anything at the spray bars...nothing. Tried taking the spark plugs out for it to spin over faster and still nothing.

I thought maybe I had flattened the sump, so I jacked up the car and took the lower sump off. Looked ok but I beat it out a little concave at the centre just in case. While I was in there I unbolted the s15 pick up and loads of oil drained out, so I think its at least trying to lift some oil.

My question is, how long would you expect to crank it before you saw oil? And any tips to get it to prime would be appreciated.

Not likely to extinguish the light just at starter speed ime. Shouldo go out immediately when started.

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Originally Posted by Clarkey

Not likely to extinguish the light just at starter speed ime. Shouldo go out immediately when started.

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Second this. Id be tempted to get the rocker cover off and put some assembly lube on the cams just to be safe. Make sure they are lubed.

Turn it over for say 20 seconds. plug cas back in and turn the key :)

Id say it would be fine

It will take a surprising amount of cranking to get the light to go out! If you keep cranking it for a while longer, but only in short bursts (so you don't burn out the starter circuit), the lught should go out.

You might also want to check the oil level once the light goes out as you will be filling up your remote oil cooler snd filter, which will take a fair bit out of the sump ;)

Have you got the remote filter hoses on the right way around?

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Originally Posted by Clarkey

Not likely to extinguish the light just at starter speed ime. Shouldo go out immediately when started.

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You can get the light to go out on the starter. I do it all the time, then crank it a few seconds longer before refitted the CAS plug and firing it up.

Success! I took the oil filter off to make sure I was at least getting some oil there, and I was. So I back filled all the oil cooler lines. Then I got a massive battery off my friend which knew was 100% charged. It span the engine over much faster. Started getting oil at the spray bars, and then the oil light went out. So I put that cam cover back on, put plugs and cas back in and it fired first time.

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Originally Posted by Mitch

You can get the light to go out on the starter. I do it all the time, then crank it a few seconds longer before refitted the CAS plug and firing it up.

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I second this as well 100%,using this exact same technique with a fuel pump and ignition kill switches

With a healthy battery etc it don't take that long either to get the light out

My neighbours must be like 'his weird noisy old car never seems to start very well' :)

I made a CA that had cold start big end rattle with no cranking at all,
go on and last for over 30k miles just using the above starting procedure
it was on stage 2+ powers as well,and yes the bottom end eventually cry 'enough already' in the end

I pretty sure it would never have lasted that long if I just fired it straight up from cold every morning :)

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Originally Posted by Mitch

You can get the light to go out on the starter.

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I've never tried this before today, but it did work.

Turned immobiliser on (early S14 can do this with fob button * ), then turned the key to spin the starter motor, and the oil pressure light did go out after three or four seconds :nod:
The engine had been running ten minutes before though, so it's not quite the same as an engine that's just been fitted.

* = this also arms the alarm, so would sound the alarm siren, but the pathetic standard siren was silenced many years ago by me