Engine priming aftr 1st time installation

[Billy]

This is my 1st time posting a post lik this here & given the type of car it may or may not be suitable but I thought I'd ask anyway.
I have a 1980s Corolla chassis with a 1600cc Hasselgren 4age. I have the oil tank mounted in the trunk, higher than the pump on the engine in the front. However, with the way the lines are routed, the lowest point of the feed line to the pump is as low as if not a little lower than the pump.
I have over filled the tank ( to aid initial flow ) as well as filled the lines from the pump to the filter & filter to block.
I'm not convinced when spinning the pump with the belt removed that I'm getting oil circulating through the system.
Any tips on what I should try ?
I really don't want to start the engine for the 1st time without knowing that I have adequate oiling...

Thanks in advance.

I have it set up such that the pump pumps out to the filter, then to the inlet on the block.





Tank in trunk

[eospeed]

Spin it with an electric drill if you cant get pressure you have an air lock or other issue.

[David Ferguson]

You should spin the pump until you get an oil pressure reading. You'll know when that happens as the load on the motor you're spinning the pump with will go up.

[marshall9]

Wow, expensive engine for that application ! I would follow the above post and use a pressure gauge near the input point and maybe the output point as well, to check pressure going in the engine as well as what it is going out, spinning it up after removing all four spark plugs for the pressure check. Call Hasslegren, chances are he will give you the best advice and pressure numbers, he built it.

[Billy]

Thanks all, spoke to Paul about what they do & how they do it. I have been spinning the oil pump with for quite a while with an electric drill to no avail. Having said that, I haven't read actual pressures on a gauge yet. Mainly just wondering if there are any "tricks & tips" other than what I have already done.

[Billy]

Wow, expensive engine for that application !

You're absolutely right ! It's going in a track car / driver.

[jchracer]

Thanks all, spoke to Paul about what they do & how they do it. I have been spinning the oil pump with for quite a while with an electric drill to no avail. Having said that, I haven't read actual pressures on a gauge yet. Mainly just wondering if there are any "tricks & tips" other than what I have already done.

I usually crack the fitting at the pressure exit from the punp as I am spinning the pulley the first time to let any trapped air exit. tighten the fitting once oil starts to leak out of the loose fitting. should build pressure after that.

[Blah]

Take the lid off the oil tank, using a clean cloth and an air hose pressurise the tank. (the cloth is used to prevent air escaping out of the cap opening). You only need positive pressure so do not get carried away trying to blow your tank with too much pressure. This should prime the pump and all oil lines.

[Billy]

Thanks guys !!

[Blah]

What size is your main oil line from the tank to the pump?

[Billy]

-12

[quartzracer]

How many gallons is the sump tank

[Blah]

OK I had a MK 2 jaguar with a dry sump tank similar to yours in the back seat, we used a -20 line because of the amount of friction from the walls of the line reducing the effective size of the feed line.

[Billy]

10 quart tank.
Thanks everyone for your input and suggestions. I ended up raising the tank off its stand by 3 feet on foam blocks. Removed the cap and allowed the oil to work its way through the line over night. Came back to it, ran the pump with the drill and had immediate pressure....!!

[J Leonard]

Blah is right Peterson tanks and Weaver bros pumps both recommend minimum -16 for any suction line over 4 ft. in length. With your length -20 might be needed. Even if you get pressure with your -12 you will starve your engine of oil leading to very bad things happening. Also make sure your engine and oil are HOT before revving this engine!!

[Billy]

Thanks for the recommendations. Already have an in tank heater that will be used before starting. Have 3 friends with Hasselgren engines in Barbados and one in Ireland, all using 12 an from the same tank to the same pump. One has been going strong for over 5 years, the others for at least 2 so 12 an seems to be reliable thus far.
Was actually going to use 10 an hard lines but Paul H recommended 12 an like the others... seems to be the standard for this application.

[marshall9]

How many gallons is the sump tank

Maybe taking this thread off topic, maybe not, but I have often wondered what is the relationship between pressure and tank volume? Air participates in the pressure, so does a 12 quart tank that only has 10 qts in it produce less pressure than one that is at full capacity? I have seen that an over filled tank needs to get rid of some oil, hence using the vent line and overflow bottle, but what is the relationship and when does it occur?

[glenn cooper]

Just curious about the placement of the dry sump tank.
Is there not a place for it in the cockpit?
The furthest I have ever seen a tank away from the engine is the rear of the cockpit, which seemed really far away from where it ideally should be.

That placement looks like a recipe for something not so tasty...

[Billy]

Glen, if you do a quick search for rally cars ( specifically MK2 Escorts ) it'll show that traditionally almost every car has the tank in the trunk of the car. Some have them in the engine bay which really tends to clutter things. Having it in the trunk frees engine bay space and aids in serviceability for both the engine and tank.

[Billy]

https://www.google.com/search?q=mk2+...ml%3B224%3B224

[Kazis31]

That's one bad ass Corolla...........

[glenn cooper]

if the rally cars w/ the tank in the trunk have a different type / stages / stronger pump arrangement to work with a tank that distance from engine.

[Billy]

I'm sure there are plenty of variations however the engines Paul builds for rally cars only work with one type of pump due to the right side engine mount.
The car below has been a class winner for years with one of these engines, the same pump and 12 an lines.

[quartzracer]

I could use a dry sump tank like that. Billy can you give me a part number or source where you got the tank. How tall is it and what diameter? Thanks Eric

[Billy]

Eric, it's a Peterson 08-0009

http://www.petersonfluidsys.com/tank_stand.html

[quartzracer]

Thanks Billy