Priming the oil pump

[kmoses]

Is there a way to prime the oil pump and lube the bearings in a Fiat spider engine that has been sitting for many years?
I want to get oil to everything before trying rotate the crank by hand.

[vandor]

Yes, several ways. If the timing belt is off or if it will be changed anyways then you can spin the auxiliary shaft pulley with an impact wrench or a drill. Set it to low torque if you are using an impact wrench.
If you want to keep the bolt on then undo cover for the distributor hole in the left front of the block, fish out the gear with a magnet (turning the auxiliary pulley CCW helps), slide a length of fuel hose on the oil pump shaft and turn it with a drill.

[kmoses]

Thanks for the information. The engine is still in the car. I have primed BMW M20 engines that way and was wondering if that aluminum plug covered the oil pump gear. I damaged a main bearing while checking to see if the engine was locked up on a BMW that had been sitting for 5 years, did not want to make the same mistake again on a spider!

[majicwrench]

You are not going to damage a dry bearing rollling a dry engine over by hand. But if you want to prime it go for it.