Oil pump won't prime

[derekf]

It is not my month.

New motor put in (LQ9 from a 2006 Escalade), and I can't get the oil pump to prime. Using the Holley 302-2 pan with their pickup, pump is my LS1 pump from the dead motor so it at least is known to have been a functional pump. "Failure to prime" is both by watching the mechanical gauge hooked up to the port over the oil filter and also with the driver's head off looking for lubrication on the rockers.

I've tried:


removing the oil galley plug on the driver's side front and pouring half a quart of oil in
taking the plugs out and letting the starter spin the engine for 20 seconds at a time repeatedly
pulled the pump apart and verified it wasn't full of crud
pulled the pan off and verified it also wasn't full of crud
pulled the pickup off and blew through it to ensure it wasn't clogged/full of crud
verified the o-ring was installed and not pinched


and still... no pressure.

Internet reads like the next/final two items are:
a) Barbell not installed
b) internal blowout of the engine

So - am I missing something? Is the next step pulling the engine, removing the transmission, pulling off the back cover and verifying the barbell is in place or is there an easier method there? How would I tell if the engine just has internal damage and won't ever get pressure? I didn't see any metal chunks in the pan when I pulled it off initially. The vehicle the engine came out of was wrecked so I assume it was a functional engine when it went to the junkyard.

I do have the escalade's pump if the consensus is that maybe my pump is just bad now.

[dhutton]

Try raising the rear of the car as high as you can get it. This has worked for me in the past. Add another couple of quarts of oil if that still doesn’t work. Drain them out once you get pressure.

Don

[derekf]

Thanks Don. I'd gone ahead and swapped oil pumps just as your response came in; with the Escalade's oil pump and an extra quart and a half of oil the vehicle successfully primed. I'm taking that as being explicitly due to your suggestion and the swapping of the pump was not necessary.

[dhutton]

Thanks Don. I'd gone ahead and swapped oil pumps just as your response came in; with the Escalade's oil pump and an extra quart and a half of oil the vehicle successfully primed. I'm taking that as being explicitly due to your suggestion and the swapping of the pump was not necessary.
Glad it worked out. Been down that road and it can be frustrating.

Don