Hi Guys,
I have a 2002 5.9L magnum in a 2500 van. It has not run for maybe 4 years and I would like to prime the oil system. Pretty sure the oil pump runs off of the crank so conventional methods are not an option. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Anybody got any suggestions. I don't really want to just crank with the plugs out but i might have to . Putting some marvel mystery in the cylinders and turn over by hand first. Anybody need 35 gal of old gas.
Thanks

 

I've never primed a Magnum but I've primed many an older engine. Since it's a van, remove the dog house inside to access the distributor. Remove the cap and mark the location of the rotor. You can get priming rods you put in a drill to prime the system. On Mopar engines, the older ones at least, the top of the oil pump has a slot. You can put a really long screw driver in there and just turn the oil pump. Turn your key on, but don't try to start the engine. Watch your oil pressure gauge while you turn the oil pump. When you get pressure, stop and put everything back together. Be sure to line your rotor up to the mark so the engine is in time. Run the engine until it's warm. Maybe some Marvel or transmission fluid in it. Only for a short time though. When the engine is warm, change the oil and filter.

A more amateur way to prime it is with the starter. Pull the fuel pump fuse and bleed all the pressure off the fuel system. Then crank the engine until you get pressure. Put the fuse back and warm the engine up. I recently brought a truck back after 5 years in a barn. I ran it quite a bit before changing the oil. About 5 miles. Oil and filter change and 20 miles later, another one.

Old gas may burn better than you think but it also makes a dandy weed killer. I've also left it in open pans to mess with the mosquitoes.

For priming, some of the guys here have more recent experience with the Magnums so if they say I'm all. wet, take their advice.

 

That's a lot of extra work for nothing. Just unplug the 2-wire connector from the ignition coil and crank the engine until you see the oil pressure gauge bounce once. Stop, reconnect the ignition coil and fire it up.

 

disconnect the fuel pump so fuel doesn't wash down the cylinder walls. disable the ignition system. remove all the spark plugs. squirt a teaspoon of oil into the cylinders and crank it over with the plugs removed. it will have no compression so no bearing gets loaded and it will spin over easily.