Can't get your Subaru Oil Pump to Prime? What to check and a possible solution.

[@Roadnuts86]

Thanks so much for sharing this tip. Just installed an engine I built 4 years ago and couldn’t get it to prime for the life of me. Before I tore it back down I found your video. Saved me a bunch of time and aggravation! Had oil pressure in about 45 seconds.

[@FlatironsTuning]

That is awesome to hear, and glad it helped. Stay Tuned!

[@jordanhaugen9765]

This video was amazing. I also followed the guidance of many online that said to top off the oil filter. Cranked in intervals for over 2 minutes total with no signs of oil pressure. I came across this video so I tried the top addressed here. I took the filter off and after about 39 seconds had a small amount of oil running out. I quickly threaded on an empty filter and then kept cranking as fast as I could. Had oil pressure in about ten seconds from that point.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for watching and very glad that the video helped! Stay Tuned!

[@OkiSubies]

This literally just happened to us on an engine we just finished building. Thank you guys so much. Saved me hours of time!

[@FlatironsTuning]

Very glad that you found the video and that it helped! Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@crxkid16]

Thank you so much for this video! I built a EJ20G CDB motor 6 months ago am finally getting it close to the point of first start up. Going through the prestart checks on first crank, without fuel pump connected, I realized I had no oil pressure and coincidentally; tried all the things you guys did to no avail. Until cranking without the oil filter for 10-15 seconds. 71 psi of oil pressure now. thanks a bunch, you guys saved me from tearing the front of the engine apart along with the sump and everything else.

[@island03z]

Thank you so much for this video! I tried and tried to get prime multiple times and was about to tear back into the engine to figure out what went wrong until I came across this video. Did what you said and it primed and immediately! You guys saved me a ton of work!

[@FlatironsTuning]

Sorry to hear that you were having trouble, but I'm glad that we saved you at least some stress! That is what this video is all about! Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@BargainPaper]

I just completed building a new engine, got it all installed and am in the same boat. No oil pressure, idiot light staying on, and on the verge of pulling everything apart. I cannot wait to try this out! I've been scratching my head about ways to somehow back-fill/pressurize my oil system with a pump sprayer in an attempt to fix this. Thank you for a great video!

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for the comment, and I'm glad that you found this video. I hope that you can get some oil pressure going in the new engine. Best of luck, and if you need anything else, feel free to reach out to us on live-chat on the site. Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@2003wrx64]

Vaseline works great for packing the pump. It's made of hydrocarbons like regular motor oil and has a low melting point so will quickly dissolve in the oil.

[@tomkelley8732]

That's tried and true advice. Fifty years ago my neighbor did that to his ford 289 V8. I was a little kid but I always remembered it.

[@crxkid16]

mine was packed with thick assembly joe Gibbs "driven" engine grease still had this problem. Removing the oil filter was the only thing that worked

[@stephendavis8303]

Another "thank you so much" from me! Just finished timing belt + oil pump reseal job on my 2004 WRX and couldn't get oil pressure. Used this tip and 5 minutes later I had oil pressure. You just saved me so much grief - thank you!

[@FlatironsTuning]

Very glad that this was helpful, and glad you found it. Stay Tuned!

[@blizz0kid]

This just saved me so much headache

[@FlatironsTuning]

Very glad it helped. Stay Tuned!

[@chuckrudat]

What a huge help! Removing the filter resolved our problem! Thank you sooo much! Our “new engine” is a remanufactured engine that was tested and documented before being shipped, but still could not create pressure until we removed the filter and cranked until oil spurted out.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Very glad that this helped get you up and running. Stay Tuned!

[@bradleythomson6760]

Hi I know this is an old video, I am about to try and start my ej20 tomorrow that’s just been rebuilt with brand new oil pump, do I remove the oil filter then crank the engine till the oil comes out the oil filter housing? Thank you

[@ntoxicatedtigah]

Dang! All that work just because of putting oil in the filter lol. Don't you hate when you have to take everything out and you're just wondering what the hell did we do wrong? Glad you guys found the solution.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Exactly! We figured that it would really help to get this information out there so that if anyone else is having an issue, you can quickly remove the filter, and with any luck, solve the issue :-) Hope that helps, and thanks for watching!

[@ntoxicatedtigah]

You guys are great! Super appreciate the information!

[@stephendennis7871]

This as many have said is valuable information, may I add that the larger the size of oil filter makes this situation worse as there is a greater static head of oil present in the filter to move. This video explains the issue very well.....well done.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks very much and glad that this was helpful. Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@bradleythomson6760]

Hi I know this is an old video, I am about to try and start my ej20 tomorrow that’s just been rebuilt with brand new oil pump, do I remove the oil filter then crank the engine till the oil comes out the oil filter housing? Thank you

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment. Yes, that would be a good start to make sure that the pump is primed. Then put on an empty oil filter. Hope that helps and Stay Tuned!

[@4638000]

Looked at this video, what I ended up doing was tilting the engine forward as I had it on the ground, mounted a transmission housing converter and flexplate attached, hooked up the starter and it primed up in a short while. If it has to suck up from the oil sump sometimes it needs a little help.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for watching and glad that you were able to find a solution! Stay Tuned!

[@dustyerickson6663]

Thank you very much. you just saved me a nightmair of taring my build back apart.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Very glad that the video was helpful. Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@danz1910]

thanks for this guys! Will absolutely use an empty oil filter after my rebuild

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for watching and glad that it helped. Stay Tuned!

[@Buick455]

05 subaru legacy gt 2.5 5 speed. Turbo blew. Removed turbo before i installed turbo i checked to see if there was any oil at the line. No oil! So i removed all 4 banjo bolts. 2 had filters. One behind timing belt was a bear to remove but i got it out without removing timing belt components or covers. Shaved down the plastic and once out i shaved the bolt down to put back in. Did that and still no oil pressure. Ended up removing timing belt anyways and replaced oil pump. Ive read that the little piston inside gets stuck. So did that still no oil pressure. I even pulled the oil pan to check the oil pickup nothing. So i started researching and i found this video and it did help me diag but i still wasnt getting oil out of the oil filter housing with filter removed. So i read forum guys were saying just to start that bi**ch. So i did and bam oil shot out of the turbo feed line like an oil rig blowout. So thats my story. Hope this helps someone else.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment. Glad you were able to get your oiling system to prime. Stay Tuned!

[@ghostpandagarage]

Thank you! I was having a hard time getting my new build to prime. Pulling the filter did the trick!

[@FlatironsTuning]

That is awesome. Glad we could help!

[@TheVcasf]

Hi all and thank you for these amazing videos. I'm rebuilding my EJ253 and finally got to the last stage and found a metal bracket I don't recognize and a bolt. I relied on a friend to teardown the engine which caused this confusion. Is there anyone who'd accept an email with pictures of these unknown two items? Thanks again

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for reaching out and glad to hear that the videos have been helpful! Not a problem at all. Open up a Live chat with us on the site here: www.flatironstuning.com/ And we can take a look at the pictures and see if we can help you out.

[@TheVcasf]

@@FlatironsTuning Wow amazing. Thanks a lot. I'll take the pictures and get on your site. Super

[@seanhenry8206]

Thank you for posting this video! I'm about to drop a reman engine into my outback...... by habit I always fill the filter during an oil change. You guys probably saved me tons of stress and a headache!

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for the comment, and best of luck for a smooth install!

[@JaredUlm]

Wow this saved a lot of time and cursing.. Never would have thought of doing that but now i know. This is 100% accurate Awesome advice that actually works. Definitely a headache saver and eliminates the head scratching wondering what went wrong. Thank you guys !

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for the comment, and I'm glad that we could save you at least a bit of a headache. Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@_the01is]

Is there a way to scavenge air pockets from an oil circuit prior to initial prime to further help eliminate this issue? I would think something along the lines of a vacuum, similar to power steering and cooling circuits. Would like to hear some thoughts!

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for your question. Your best bet there is to use something like an engine pre-oiler which lets you send oil into the engine under pressure. That would probably be the most efficient way to do that. I hope that helps and stay Tuned!

[@James-ip7vr]

I removed the plug under the pump inlet side and used a pipe with rubber tip and forced engine assembly lube into the inlet for the gears. We turned the engine over slowly by hand while pushing the grease into the gears. I took the oil filter off and cranked it and it worked like a charm. Oil was gushing out in no time.

[@Mike_44]

I was wondering if manually rotating the motor with a ratchet right from the harmonic balancer before startup, and before even installing the accessory belts, could that properly prime the entire engine? I ask because I'm about to go through this process after installing an ej20x on my '05 OBXT.

[@zanehebert9103]

Thanks for this. I had that same problem when i finished my build last year. I wish I had known this at the time.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for watching!

[@stephenpeers2905]

Hey guys, on the fb20 engine fitted to my 2018 XV the oil filter screws down on top of the motor, so you can't fill it without it pouring out.. so I assume the only practical way when changing oil and filter is to install the filter dry, allowing air to pass through quickly.. the motor parts always have residual oil and it is just like a cold start I think!

[@FlatironsTuning]

Correct. On the FA/FB engines, since the filter is up-side down, there is not any way to pre-fill them. Generally, the air should move through the filter quickly so it should not be an issue. Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@Moto_Medics]

so it got a sort of vapor lock like a gastank, huh... weeeeird thanks guys!

[@giordi199able]

I Removed the oil filter and saw oil gushing out of the cooler as I cranked the motor. So far so good, BUT, when i put the oil filter back on and continued priming, I wasn't able to build pressure up the block to my turbo oil feed. Oil galley was dry, AVCS dry. not sure what it can be

[@FlatironsTuning]

Sorry to hear that. Definitely open up a live chat with us so we can get more information, and we'll do our best to help out! Hopefully it is something simple.

[@giordi199able]

@@FlatironsTuning Just did and it was very helpful, thank you! Seems like i wasn't cranking long enough in between intervals. I had the key turned for only 5 to 10 seconds max. Was told minimum 30 seconds intervals of cranking on a fresh build was the way to go. Eager to go home and try this, it makes perfect sense. Hoping this is it!

[@robk5745]

wow thanks guys, who would have thought. Great tip.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Very glad we could help! Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@patonbike]

I've read about people pressurizing the oil switch location to prime the oil system but from what I see here it is pressurizing it the wrong way - is there some way to use air pressure to help this along or should removing the filter always be enough?

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thank you for your question. You are correct, sending oil down the pressure switch location (with a pressure accumulator for instance) can help to make sure that all of the journals of the engine have some oil in them, but it will not help the engine prime. There really is not a way to use pressurized that I am aware of. In most cases where there is an issue, removing the filter as described above has worked. Hope that helps, and Stay Tuned!

[@patonbike]

@@FlatironsTuning Thank you!

[@Dantutz]

​@@FlatironsTuning, hi, using pressurised oil through the oil pressure switch hole will not send oil to the pump because of the one-way, anti-return valve inside the filter?

[@aussiecoop.5399]

Thanks for another great informative video guys, if you're just doing an oil change and new filter would this problem arise ?? Or is it just for your first start after a rebuild or major work when the engine has been dry ?? Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, I'm not a professional but I Ike to do all my own work when I can and the knowledge from watching your videos is always handy to have ,cheers guy's, keep the videos coming.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for your question. As far as we have seen, this only applies to a first engine start. Once the engine has miles on it, etc., generally the best practice is to fill the oil filter before installing it. Hope that helps, and Stay Tuned!

[@aussiecoop.5399]

@@FlatironsTuning thanks guys for your reply, very much appreciated. I don't know why I never found your channel earlier, it's definitely one of the better channels on KZbin. 👍😀

[@FlatironsTuning]

@@aussiecoop.5399 Thanks for that Tony. Glad that you found the channel. Be sure to pass it on :-)

[@aussiecoop.5399]

@@FlatironsTuning I certainly will. 😀

[@23hublock1]

My 2007 STi is forged. On a cold start my oil light flickers, goes out, then flickers again and goes out for good. Takes about 30 seconds for this on each cold start....any ideas, maybe sensitive pressure switch? OEM oil pump has only done about 40 k miles, and my builder said it was ok.....so he refitted it when he forged it for the second time. I say second time as this latest build was bought on by a cracked block! Bad luck, but I don't want this oil pump to do the same again - if the oil pump was to blame for the cracked block anyway... Any suggestions?

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for your question. If you are seeing that light flicker, I would first recommend putting an oil pressure gauge on your engine to see what your actual oil pressure is At cold start the oil is its thickest, so your pressure should be high. My concern is that you aren't seeing that behavior, there may be an issue that is worth investigating further. I think that you best bet here is to get some actual pressure numbers and go from there. I hope that helps and Stay Tuned!

[@23hublock1]

@@FlatironsTuning Thank you for the reply. Bad news, the oil pressure gauge (it had never been used before) took about 30 seconds to register any pressure. Eventually crept up, not bouncing (on cold start) to around 30 - 40 PSI and down to 10 PSI etc. It's got Millers CFS 10w60 in it at the moment, never had an issue with that oil before on my forged build. New pump going in in a few weeks and going from there.....my money is on a stuck pressure relief valve in the pump. All will be revealed once I know more. My previous build on this engine was in 2015 (38k miles ago) and the pump was replaced back then, so if it is the pump, it's not done well. This could be a lesson to all, replace your pump at build regardless of how old it is / mileage covered, just to be sure, they aren't stupidly priced. My concern is now what's happened internally, sounded loud, more like rod knock than slap. The builder will try a new pump and hopefully that will give me normal pressures and quieten it down.. he says he will use a standard pump 11mm but use an uprated valve in it..... I'll keep you posted.

[@23hublock1]

Verdict....oil pickup pipe cracked 75% of the way round like they do. New 12mm oil pump fitted and pickup pipe and all is good, oil / filter change also. The car seems fine now so guess I was lucky. Oil pressure light now goes out whilst cranking.

[@inthefreytoo]

This video saved me from another tear-down. AWESOME!~ THANKS!

[@FlatironsTuning]

Glad that you found the video and that it helped! That is exactly why we made it! Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@justinmcclaren5339]

building subaru engine is very easy engine as long as it is done right dont forget parts always double chek your work an you will never have issues like priming the system

[@DailyDriver.]

Golden info right here! Love these videos

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks, and thanks for watching!

[@KALI1080]

Does nobody pack the oil pump with grease anymore? Even just filling the pump with assembly lube would be better than just dry cranking it because one of oil's jobs is to seal.

[@FlatironsTuning]

As we are getting more feedback in on this video, it is seeming possible that what ultimately caused the issue that Allen ran into was the combination of filling the filter completely and putting on a pump with no oil/lube/packing. At some point, we may have to do a little more testing on those conditions. Thanks for watching!

[@KALI1080]

@@FlatironsTuning thanks for the reply. I really enjoy your videos.

[@Invitingsauce]

We always use motor honey or something else thick to pre prime the pump. Instant oil pressure upon start up

[@roryfoster482]

I think this is how I killed my jdm 2.0 with a killer B oil pickup. The guy that did the swap primed it like he normally does his engine swaps but I dont think he verified that it was getting oil pressure. I definitely put oil in the filter when I did the Killer B oil pickup tube and new oil pan.

[@kongmenglor6886]

Shootout to this video! Helped me so much.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Very glad that that it was helpful. Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@RodSwansmad]

In the short version , don’t fill the oil filter , just put it on dry and let the oil pump do it’s work.

[@FlatironsTuning]

Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@petrmiskerik]

This is so useful info, thx guys !! 👌👍👍👍

[@FlatironsTuning]

Absolutely! Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching and Stay Tuned!

[@SpottedCow1604]

Awesome video! Thanks for the tip!

[@astroblast785]

Thank you.

[@justinmcclaren5339]

i see no need to put oil into any filter thats not needed been building engine for sometime now an found no way better too prime a oil system after a rebuild is too manually load the oil pump with fluid an make sure your lubricant every part with a gud assembly lube

[@justinmcclaren5339]

putting oil in filters does absolutely nothing cause the system gets the oil from the sump first then too the lines or filter. there will alway be some form of dry start. like when engine sit at nite or after an oil change always ah bit of air too

[@gojonnyjo]

Guys ya just saved me a whole stripping session Keep up the good work

[@FlatironsTuning]

That is great to hear. Glad this helped and Stay Tuned!

[@SubaruOffRD]

Or maybe just stop putting oil in the filter?

[@markshasteen4579]

Why would you put oil in a filter that's upside down anyway?