Okay, frustrating problem here with my 1.6L diesel vanagon:

Having had my oil pan off and oil pump off, on reassembly I can't
seem to get the oil pump primed and pumping.

I have removed the oil pressure sender and want to get oil through
the engine (ie, oil pumping out the O/P sender hole) before firing
the engine, to ensure I have lubrication before starting it.

I've tried to prime it through cranking with the fuel shut-off
solenoid disconnected from the injection pump, but even after 15 or
20 10 second goes at cranking the starter, no oil out the hole.
Flattened battery, but no oil.

I've tried removing the vacuum pump and spinning the oil pump
directly with a 13mm socket attached to an electric drill, but still
no oil out the O/P sender hole.

What gives?

I just replaced the main and rod bearings, and doubt very much I have
a blockage somewhere, since I had oil pressure when I started the
work.  Low oil pressure at idle, okay, but oil pressure
nonetheless--certainly not a blockage.

I'm guessing I'm just sucking air somehow at the oil pump.  Yes, I do
have 4L of new oil in it.  Jim Arnott had suggested I pack the pump
and pick-up tube with Vaseline to help prime, and a) I thought that
was a little weird (par for the course with Jim ;-) ), and b) I
didn't have gobs of Vaseline lying around.

Ideas?  Should I pull the damn oil pan off again (aaargh!) and blow
the big bucks on a bucket of Vaseline, or does someone else have
other ideas?

I really wasn't expecting to have this problem!

Thanks,

T.
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tobin Copley        Bowen Island, BC, Canada      49deg 23'N-123deg 19'W

'82 Westfalia 1.6L NA diesel ("Stinky")
'97 son Russell                                   =============
'99 daughter Margaret                            /_| |_L| |__|:| clatter
                             SPEED KILLS!        {.            .| clatter!
                         Drive a Vanagon diesel   ~-()-==----()-~