https://www.7ent.com/pages/article-regaining-oil-pressure-after-long-term-mini-storage.html

As per this aricle, I wanted to prime the oil pump before cranking the engine over.

I couldn't seem to get much oil to go in, I managed to get a funnel which fit really nicely in the hole and put about 200-300ml of oil in the funnel expecting it to flow in, only about 100ml went in, then no amount of pushing the car backwards of forwards seemed to draw any more oil in.

Did I do something wrong, should it only take in a small amount of oil, do I have a potential problem with the oil pump?

I think you may be over-thinking this...just dump the old oil(?) and replace with new, pull the spark plugs (wet the bores lightly with oil?), if spin on oil filter, half fill and then turn the engine over on the starter motor until you see the oil pressure come up...

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"Show me the Mini!"

It doesn't take much oil to get the pump working you only need the vanes to be wet to seal and it will self prime as 9YaTaH said............

That is quite possible, I certainly can be a victim of reading to much on google!

I had read that if the oil pump is completely dry (which mine certainly would be) no amount of cranking will actually get the oil pump to pick anything up.



Should be enough as I have done to get it to build pressure then.

Is the engine in or out of the car?

Try a syringe through the rockers on the head.

In the car, car has been dry stored for 40+ years.

I had a 998 Moke motor like this. It had been stored for many years with sludgy oil in.
It would not prime when rolled backwards. When cranked it only spat out a big spoonful.
My diagnosis, the oil pickup was plugged with sludge. I sold the motor with the Moke and advised the new owner to rebuild it.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

That happened to my old mazda engine too. Hopefully you don't have a problem with yours.


Once rebuilt with a new crank, head, cam, etc (no cam bearings). Even though I'd done a number of oil changes it never cleared out the sludge.

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What I could see of the strainer through the sump plug hole looked very clean, so I am hopeful that it isn't sludged up.

For anyone reading this in the future with a similar problem:

I gave it about 3-4 seconds of cranking, then tried the process again (remove oil line, fill, push backwards in 4th), re-assembled and tried cranking for another 3-4 seconds.

I then took the oil line off and started the priming process again and it was actually taking oil in when pushed backwards in 4th this time. I guess the oil pump just needed a few cranks to get itself in a happy place. After priming the oil pump successfully, within about 5 seconds of cranking I had climbing oil pressure on the gauge.

Always best to leave the oil line off or loose when cranking after priming. You can get an air lock there which prevents it pumping. Get solid oil flow out of block then refit or tighten.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Tip I was given was rather than undoing the oil pipe & injecting through that hole, directly below that fitting is another large nut (very visible in pic. 3 in the article); remove that nut, and the spring and slug (~1/2" ball) behind it, and inject oil into that hole.

I struggled for ages to get oil pressure, but doing it this way I got pressure almost immediately.

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You're only supposed to blow the BLUDDY DOORS OFF!!

Put oil into the top hole, it will gravity flow to the pump. The pressure relief valve hole below is also connected to the pump but is horizontal. And with the relief valve removed you would need a pressure oil can to squirt oil as far as the pump.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Well a couple of squirts from a ~60cc syringe with a bit of PVC hose to reach in did the trick.... Squirt oil in until it dribbled out of the hole. Spin a wheel backwards in 4th gear (up on axle stands) to suck it into the pump, another squirt, another spin, plug it back up & crank it over. Virtually instant oil pressure, which every other tip had failed to achieve.

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You're only supposed to blow the BLUDDY DOORS OFF!!