The rebirth of Lazarus

[Johnny4428]

managed to get a rh switch of the correct type, but thought i would sort the sump out as the one i had vapour blasted turned out to have a crack at the drain plug, probably caused by over tightening. I have a spare which i think is the original Lazarus one because it has a welded repair in the exact same place. As it looked solid I decided to use it but did a bit of grinding and sanding to make it look better. Now fitted so fill up with oil, now why is oil leaking all over? Oh S##t i forgot the sump plug! What an idiot! 2 ltrs of oil oll over my bench and the floor, what a mess. Will I now be struck off from the SOHC forum or be demoted from expert to newby, or a new category of F-in idiot?

OK Mick, you have qualified for idiot of the day for that one! But don’t worry it will be someone else tomorrow! But will we own up? 🤣🤣

[Bryanj]

Tee shirt, video, laughter.
We all done it sometime, same as starting a 500 with alternator cover off and searching for the plug in the oil slick!

[davidcumbria]

Nice confession. I left my pan euro pean up on bike table with no rear wheel next to garage door. Son came in and one 400 kg bike upside down with no rear wheel on garage floor !

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Not quite the same but when I did a service on my late Mother's Mr Blobby shaped Micra for the first time I jacked up the front - undid the sump plug left it to drain in my catch tray whilst I went for a Cuppa.Re-fitted the sump plug. Pulled out the oil catch tray that was full of lovely perfectly clean oil.
I'd drained the ATF into a waste oil container so had to buy some very expensive Nissan only ATF.

[mickwinf]

So continuing with the electrics I have a new battery fitted and starting to connect things up. Not fully assembling for now but checking everything works. I have starter motor, front lights and idiot lights all OK. I tried turning engine over to see if oil pressure light went off but not yet. I recall some discussion about priming the oil pump? Not ready for starting yet as cards need rebuild but getting there slowly. Oh has anyone got a spare positive battery lead for sale as mine is wrong.

[Trigger]

So continuing with the electrics I have a new battery fitted and starting to connect things up. Not fully assembling for now but checking everything works. I have starter motor, front lights and idiot lights all OK. I tried turning engine over to see if oil pressure light went off but not yet. I recall some discussion about priming the oil pump? Not ready for starting yet as cards need rebuild but getting there slowly. Oh has anyone got a spare positive battery lead for sale as mine is wrong.

you should not need to prime a 500 or 550 pump Mick. 

[Bryanj]

I agree with Trigger on that but did have one that sat for many years and just removed pressure switch and filled using squirty oil can, did bring pressure up quicker

[Sesman]

It’s possible that it was me who asked about oil pump priming. As I recall, I’d read something about using Vaseline, until I was reminded this was associated with the 750 and dry sump systems (thanks trigger). As was stated at the time, “no need to prime wet sump systems” and indeed that proved to be the case.

[Johnny4428]

I appeared to have a problem getting oil pressure up on my 550 on initial fire up after rebuild, and first oil change. Since changed oil pressure switch and carried out oil pressure checks, so quite sure the switch was faulty.

[mickwinf]

It is a new genuine oil pressure switch, and I have taken the tappet cover to see if any oil getting up there but none yet. Oil pump has new seals from nurse Julie.

[Sesman]

Interesting, Mick. Do you have a plan?

[K2-K6]

So continuing with the electrics I have a new battery fitted and starting to connect things up. Not fully assembling for now but checking everything works. I have starter motor, front lights and idiot lights all OK. I tried turning engine over to see if oil pressure light went off but not yet. I recall some discussion about priming the oil pump? Not ready for starting yet as cards need rebuild but getting there slowly. Oh has anyone got a spare positive battery lead for sale as mine is wrong.

Take the oil filter off and crank it first, if it doesn't come through there from pump it won't be anywhere else either.

Sometimes, when assembled (engines in general) with assembly oil in components around the motor, it makes a pretty effective seal to give an air lock for a while.

Getting it fully through the pump head and to the filter chamber as verified will usually bring it up slmost instantly with filter and housing back in place.

[Trigger]

You will not get full or a good pressure until the engine is started. The starter motor is only just spinning the motor over 

[mickwinf]

I am not too worried at the moment but thought cranking over on the starter would at least put oil light off. will see what happens when i get to start it up.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

On my 400  after it's rebuild I cranked it over without spark plugs using the electric starter & the oil light went out pretty quickly bearing in mind it had to fill the oil filter housing.

After that first cranking the oil light went out pretty much immediately using the starter motor - again with no spark plugs fitted.
Thereafter I could get the oil light to go out with no plugs fitted using one stroke of the kickstart - standing overnight might take a second kick.