Help! My oil system won't prime up!

[hollowch]

Freshly rebuilt 302 and about to toss back in as soon as I can get my oil system primed up. I've been using my drill and extension running to the oil pump shaft through the distributor housing.

I've got 5 quarts in the pan, I'm using the drill to turn the extension clockwise, my pump has the paper gasket installed between it and the block, I tried filling the pump up with oil through the line running to the oil filter to help it get started picking up oil but still nothing.

My machine shop said that I would feel a Definite change in the pressure behind the drill when the oil system primed up, but I don't feel any such change even after running the drill for about 45 solid seconds at full speed!

I also hooked up a water bottle and rubber hose filled with oil to the bottom hole on the block behind the oil filter (the hole that runs directly to the pump) and ran the drill at the same time. I watched it suck oil right out of the water bottle so I know the pump is doing it's job... but I still failed to notice any oil returning back to the filter through the middle hole that runs through the threads that screws into the oil filter.

SO.... what gives?!!

 

[Explorer]

Must turn counter clockwise. Put drill in reverse.

 

[Skiddy]

Must turn counter clockwise. Put drill in reverse.

x2 I think you beat me by a second

 

[hollowch]

Must turn counter clockwise. Put drill in reverse.

Get the F! outta here! Are you serious? LOL nice..

thank you! =]

 

[firehawk]

It could take a while to get it primed up too. So keep spinning until you feel the resistance and then keep spininng.

 

[pcf_mark]

Run it until oil comes out of the pushrods.

 

[bknbronco]

I tried to prime my 289 and never got oil to come out of the pushrods. After a while i said screw it and just fired it up! So far so good...stock guage says 80 pounds pressure! I did take the valve covers off and saw oil was up there so i know its getting oil.

 

[ugly74]

I usually stop priming just a few seconds after there is definite pressure, so as not to wash off the assembly lube.

 

[Casey835]

Dont know if it matters but I also turned crank with a ratchet while I was priming oil pump.

 

[BUCKNBRONK]

Dont know if u got it to prime but if it still wont, did u remember to put the oil galley plugs in the block when u rebuilt it?