Ok, my car is almost back together (minus a few broken bits and unconnected vacuum hoses), and I've tried cranking it without the fuses to prime the oil system...

I've cranked it quite a bit, and I can't seem to get more than 10 PSI to register on the gauge.

I wonder if this is ok or should I look for something that's causing it?

 

That's normal. The engine is only turning over at 200 RPM or so, so oil pressure won't even be up to the idle pressure of 30psi.

What you're looking for, more than anything, is the gauge to move. When the pump isn't primed, you won't get anything at all. Once it's primed, you'll see the gauge move up a bit, indicating that while there's not a lot of pressure, there's at least some pressure, and the system is primed & will generate proper pressure on engine startup.

-=Russ=-

 

If you want to see higher, pull the plugs out and spin the sucker over. It'll turn a bit faster. Not required to do that. Just a thought. I pull the plugs so there is no load on a new engine when priming the thing.

 

Ok...just what I wanted to hear.

Thanks.

 

You're not trying to get pressure, you're just trying to pump oil around the engine so nothing is dry when you start it. You'll only see a tiny bit of pressure, but this indicates the oil is moving through the engine, which is what you want.

 

I often use a funnel and pour oil into the center and side holes in the filter pedestal. This won't prime the engine but it will build oil pressure quickly as it will fill the oil cooler and most of the oil passages.