[AT] cub / prime oil pump

[DAVIESW739 at aol.com]

Mike the bearings in the engine have residual  oil in them the engine will 
run for quite sometime without oil pressure. When  you  tear down an engine even 
one that has set for a long time you will  find that the bearing are still 
covered with oil. The manufacture has built this  into the engine because they 
know that people will leave their vehicles set for  long periods and then jump 
in and hit the starter. It only takes a few seconds  for a properly working 
oil pump to get up to pressure. 
I have heard this  priming the oil pump by all kinds of methods because 
people have been told by  others who don't understand how an engine works that they 
will destroy the  bearing if the engine doesn't get oil pressure immediately, 
but this is just  another old wives tales. Do you think that the car 
manufactures prime every pump  before they start your new car engine. Not on your 
life. They coat the bearings  with oil before installing them and this is 
sufficient to start the engine for  the very first time.   I have rebuilt many engines 
in my life and have  never primed a pump yet and have never lost a bearing 
waiting for the oil  pressure to come up.

Walt Davies
Cooper Hollow Farm
Monmouth, OR  97361
503 623-0460