On a diesel, one can remove the vacuum pump to come in above the oil
pump and spin the pump shaft directly with a 6-point socket on a long
extension connected to an electric drill running at high rpm. It can
take 30 seconds or more of fast spinning, but it primes up that way.

I have no idea if you can do a similar thing on a 2.1 waterboxer, but
someone else can chip in on this.

One thing for sure, if you truly don't have oil pressure, do NOT keep
trying to run/spin the engine!

T.

On 2010-03-06, at 5:57 PM, Greg Potts <greg@pottsfamily.ca> wrote:

> Hi Tobin,
>
> My Dad said basically the same thing about the pump not being
> primed. I wonder if there's a way to prime it?
> </Greg>
>
> Tobin Copley wrote:
>> Not at all sure about the design of that pump (I have a diesel),
>> but is it possible the pump has lost it's prime?
>> Pull the pressure sender and crank the motor. If oil gushes out the
>> hole, you have pressure; if not you don't, and may have a priming
>> problem.
>> Hope this helps,
>> T.
>> On 2010-03-06, at 4:42 PM, Greg Potts <greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA> wrote:
>>> Hi Volks,
>>>
>>> I spent what I thought would be a productive day out in the
>>> driveway and
>>> was able to solve the leaking oil pump cover.
>>>
>>> As it turned out, the pump cover gasket had come apart and there
>>> was a
>>> section missing from one side of it, which was probably the cause
>>> of the
>>> leak. But I also noticed a sizeable smear of galled metal embedded
>>> in
>>> the pump cover that had come from one of the pump gears. Not a
>>> good sign.
>>>
>>> Now, as it happens I do have a pair of surplus 1.9L longblocks here
>>> awaiting teardown and disposal. So I pulled the oil pump out of
>>> each of
>>> them and compared it to the one from my van... One cover plate was
>>> only
>>> slightly better, the other was near perfect. So I opted to install
>>> the
>>> near perfect one, along with the pump itself.
>>>
>>> I fished a fresh cover plate gasket out of my spares pile and set to
>>> getting it all back together. As usual, getting the exhaust back in
>>> place was pretty frustrating, but eventually I was able to get it
>>> all
>>> back together, top off the fluids and turn the key.
>>>
>>> It's ticking like it has a sad lifter. No worries, that will pump
>>> up and
>>> go away soon enough. It's also steaming a lot as the spilled coolant
>>> burns off the exhaust pipes. But then I notice the flashing oil
>>> light on
>>> the dash, and I shut down the engine.
>>>
>>> Turn the key to ON, and the light flashes. Start the engine, and it
>>> still flashes; it doesn't go away with more RPMs.
>>>
>>> I double-check the pressure sender wiring, and it's intact. Kind
>>> of a
>>> longshot, as I never touched it today and it was fine yesterday. I
>>> suspect something might be wrong with this oil pump; though I can't
>>> imagine what. I didn't have oil pressure problems with the donor
>>> motor
>>> before it was pulled, and the gears and plate looked to be in better
>>> condition than what I had. But this is new territory for me, and
>>> there
>>> might be more to this than I expected.
>>>
>>> I checked the archives and don't see anything directly relating to
>>> this.
>>>
>>> I have an VDO oil pressure gauge set-up attached to my baywindow
>>> van; I
>>> am thinking that tomorrow I will remove the sender and intall it
>>> on the
>>> vanagon and see what's really happening back there.
>>>
>>> If anyone here has any helpful advice I'd REALLY appreciate it.
>>>
>>>
>>> Happy Trails,
>>>
>>> Greg Potts
>>> Toronto, Ontario Canada
>>> 1973/74/79 Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"
>>> 1987 Wolfsburg Weekender Hardtop
>>> www.busesofthecorn.com
>>> www.pottsfamily.ca
>
>
> --
> Happy Trails,
>
> Greg Potts
> Toronto, Ontario Canada
> 1973/74/79 Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"
> 1987 Wolfsburg Weekender Hardtop
> www.busesofthecorn.com
> www.pottsfamily.ca