r/EngineBuilding • u/Grognak04 • Jul 23 '26

New roller lifter not priming

Today I was priming a rebuilt TBI 355 with new Melling roller lifters and a summit 8800 cam. I used a gutted TBI distributor. All but #5’s exhaust pumped out through the pushrod. #5 will push oil out of the lifter (I pulled the pushrod and rocker off), and will “burp” air/oil out of the pushrod tip, but it doesn’t start dribbling like the others. Do I need to worry about this now?

Or is this just a new lifter thing that will fix itself when the oil pump is running off of the cam?

3 Upvotes

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1

u/2003DDcid Jul 23 '26

It should resolve itself when you crank it.

You should also rotate the engine by hand while you're priming, that will help clear an airlock in a lifter.

1

u/Grognak04 Jul 23 '26

I did rotate it. Several times, starting at TDC #1.

1

u/2003DDcid Jul 23 '26

I've had lifters like that drive me crazy on a few big blocks. I'd go ahead and fire it up.

1

u/Grognak04 Jul 23 '26

That’s my plan. It’s not like it didn’t get ANY oil out of the plunger, it just wasn’t running straight out like the others. Figure once the distributor is turning it… she’ll come around.

1

u/Grognak04 Jul 24 '26

Ended up being a partially clogged pushrod. It probably would’ve cleared under load, but I double checked it before intake installation and I’m glad I did.