ALFAGTV6.COM

After engine rebuild and installation, the time comes to start it up. I don't care how much you have oiled the bearings or the new filter, until the circuit fills up 100% with oil there will be a long time interval of no oil pressure. This bothered me enough long time ago to work out a solution which is possible on 12v V6 engines and some 24v ones. As you can see in the pic, I took a pump drive gear and cut it down on the lathe, removing the teeth. As the part is extra hard, I first heated it red hot and let it air cool. After the teeth were gone, I welded an 11mm hex rod which, surprise-surprise, fit perfectly inside the hole! You slide this tool on the oil pump shaft and attach a power drill to the hex. Turn the ignition key on and start the drill. After a few seconds the oil pressure gauge will register almost max and you're done. When pressure builds up, you will hear the drill slow down. Remove the tool and insert the pump drive gear. That's it! You may think I'm knit-picking but its not a bad idea!
Jim K.

Why don't you spin it on the starter with the coil disconnected?

That's what I do too, disconnect the ECU or coil or leads, then use the starter. But the starter also spins the dry engine, albeit slowly and shoots fuel into the chamber. I would say Jim's idea is more ideal, but the starter trick is a good compromise. 3-4 cranks worth 3 seconds each and you should be good

Not with an empty filter you're not; takes more than a few seconds, especially when you have an oil cooler.
Spinning with the starter without sparkplugs is a lesser evil.
Jim K.

Just fill the oil filter with oil, I fill it 1/2 with oil, let it soak for a few seconds, then fill it till it's almost full. Then put a drip pan under the engine for the small amount you will spill. Yes, it's a bit messy, but I only spill a minimum amount of oil before I get the threads to bite.

I have a much easier way, and I did it yesterday. I used an electric drill with a piece of silicone hose on a drill bit (8mm id). The hose fits over the oil pump drive and is rigid enough to spin the pump when I turn on the drill.

I kept spinning until oil was coming out of the turbo drains.

Greg,
http://www.hiperformancestore.com
http://www.okinjectors.com

How about backing the (de)tensioner off and simply spinning the auxiliary drive?
Or do that before the belt goes on.
It was effective on a FIAT 2 litre I put rings, bearings and seals thru years ago, as it also drove the mechanical fuel pump to fill the carby's float chamber.

I would assume when you've rebuilt the engine you've already put the belt on and adjusted tension properly before the engine goes in the car -a whole lot easier to do this way!
Jim K.

Who will be awarded the RUBE GOLDBERG AWARD in this case?

JimGreek wrote:I would assume when you've rebuilt the engine you've already put the belt on and adjusted tension properly before the engine goes in the car -a whole lot easier to do this way!
Jim K.

Assuming you have a spare drive gear, a lathe, an 11mm hex rod and welding equipment, I'm sure it is easier.

Most -if not all- longtime Alfa owners are up to their necks in all kinds of tools and parts and from what I see in the the two main sites, most -if not all- have access to machine shops. If after all these years owning these shitboxes they ain't got enough tools and stuff to play with, they'd best go buy a Beemer or an Audi; they don't deserve an Alfa!
Jim K.

Just crank with a flat battery and disconnect ecu takes a while .

Well, flat batteries are hard to come by, except when you don't need them and you're in a rush

Joke:
How do you get a flat battery?
Buy a new battery and put it in an Alfa.

But yes, the oil cooler part is the one that will really slow things down.

For my 3.2 I was thinking of not using the oil filter adaptor for the oil cooler. Just weld some AN bungs to the upper oil pan and use a scavenging electric (gear type) oil pump. So I will have max pressure for the engine and the oil doesn't need to be cooled during warmup laps.

OK I admit it JK, I don't have a thermostatic sandwich adaptor. Just a plain Jane type.. You rich Greeks have all the fancy shmancy stuff.

Actually, if you have a thermostatic oil cooler adapter, then the oil doesn't even go in the oil cooler when you first prime the engine.....

Hmmm, right! Us ...rich greeks don't think of that shorted out sandwich plate! Good point! Its good practice then to fill the cooler and pipes with oil as much as possible before starting. I just can't stand the idea of running with no pressure at all for any length of time.
Jim K.

When I built my engine I put oil in it while on the stand, including the cam sumps.

I just tightened the drill chuck to the hex bolt on the aux drive cambelt pulley and spun it in the proper direction until the drill slowed down. No oil cooler tho....