1949 Bedford engine rebuild

Hi all. I'm looking some advice after having done a engine rebuild on a 1949 bedford in perth. We are having problems getting oil flow. Have ruled out blockages but does anyone have any ideas as we have tried everything apart from taking the sump off and investigatinging the oil pump. Anyone in perth can help or any suggestion? Many thanks.

not knowing nothing about bedfords is the dizzy driven off the same shaft as the oil pump? If so pull the dizzy out and make a shaft the same as the bottom of the dizzy and put a drill on it and give it a spin see if it pumps oil at all dont no if it will work
Paul

Good one paul
Thinking thinking But cant recall, is the dizzy all all the way home to engauge the drive tang ? .....
I had a recon oil pump once that had the wrong gears in it, just a bit short but enough to make it not pump
...Billy

You could try hooking up a hand pump to the main gallery and priming the system. I do this so oil is everywhere it needs to be on the first start, and I usually pack oil pumps with petroleum jelly to make sure they pick up prime straight away. Also, is the pressure relief valve ok, it could just be purging straight back to the sump.

not knowing nothing about bedfords is the dizzy driven off the same shaft as the oil pump? If so pull the dizzy out and make a shaft the same as the bottom of the dizzy and put a drill on it and give it a spin see if it pumps oil at all dont no if it will work
Paul

This is a great idea, just make sure the drill is spinning the the correct way Ie in the direction of rotation of the oil pump or you will just be blowing air bubbles into the sump.

harpo

Chrysler 318 had a shaft below dizzy. Changed one on the side of the road once that stripped it's spline. Had to drop the sump though to do it.... oil & all... not funny!

you may be able to reverse prime the oil pump through the oil pressure switch . when you do a rebuild if you fill the oil pump with grease you will get instant oil pressure ,,the pick up may be loose or have a crack in it or just forgot to put a gasket in . cheers don

Can't see you being able to turn the engine over via the distributor drive - because that's what you will be trying to do.

It sounds as if you didn't prime the oil pump. It also sounds as if the engine has been spun over for quite some time with no oil pressure. Only safe way to proceed is to drop the sump and inspect the bearings.

Can't see you being able to turn the engine over via the distributor drive - because that's what you will be trying to do.

It sounds as if you didn't prime the oil pump. It also sounds as if the engine has been spun over for quite some time with no oil pressure. Only safe way to proceed is to drop the sump and inspect the bearings.

please forgive my youthful ignorance but doesn't the oil pump normally drive off the bottom of the dizzy which drives off the gear on the bottom of the dizzy to the cam shaft ? So if you have an old dizzy you can pull the shaft out of knock the roll pin out slide the gear off then it will only drive the oil pump because there is no gear to drive to the cam shaft but I guess its like I have said before I dont no nothing about bedfords so am properbly wrong :-[
Paul

I'm not sure exactly how the Bedford is set up, but usually the oil pump is driven by a gear on the camshaft, and there is a connection to the distributor.

So to turn the oil pump, you would have to turn the engine over, and it would not be feasible to do this using the distributor drive.