I'm about to replace the oil pan gasket on my 1997 LeSabre 3800 Series 2 . I've been looking around and it seems simple enough (knock on wood). My question is: Will the pump prime quickly when I have it back together and start it up?

I've been in a few Buick 350'* and 455'* and they all required creativity getting the oil pump to prime. I know the S2 is a very distant relative and probably won't have the same issue (judging by the videos), but if there'* any chance of a problem I'd like to get ahead of it.

Also:
- Oil pickup: 11 foot pounds
- Oil pan bolts: 125 inch pounds

. . . right?

Thanks!

Loctite on the pickup tube bolts. You don't want them backing out.

I've never heard of any issues concerning starting an engine after a pan drop or even oil changes. I know of some people these days that don't even pre-fill the oil filter when applicable.

If you are still worried, pull the injector fuse and roll the engine over for about 20 seconds while watching the oil pressure gauge if you have one. Then put the fuse back in and do a normal start.

Cool, thanks!

I was planning on turning it over a bunch first, but didn't want a priming issue to have me pull the pan twice priming or starting.

Good idea on the Loctite. I probably wouldn't have thought of it while mired in dark goo.

Oh, typically with the GM distributor engines, after a rebuild, you remove the dizzy, use a drill with an old dizzy shaft and manually prime the engine prior to first startup.

Yeah, you can do that all day long on a Buick 350 and 455 and it won't prime. The trick the cover off the oil pump and pack it with axle grease or Vaseline, then it picks right up.

Update: Did the pan gasket a couple of weeks ago.

Man do I feel sorry for the W-body guys. All of the videos I saw showed all kinds of shenanigans necessary to get the pan out and in. Removing motor mounts, lifting the engine up, weaseling around the subframe, etc. On my H-body none of that is necessary. Biggest problem I had was that the oil level sender needs to be installed in the pan but not threaded in at all while the pan comes out and goes in, then once the pan is in place the sender can be screwed in no problem. If you put the pan in first, there'* no way to get the sender in with the subframe there.

Inside the pan was a little sludge built up in the corner farthest from the drain plug. It was probably three square inches and about a 16th of an inch thick. Not bad for a 240,000 mile car with little-known history before 80,000 miles. I've put a thousand miles on it since then and not a drop has leaked out of it.

When I started it, it picked up oil right away. Seemed to pick up faster than when I do normal oil changes. I definitely didn't have to worry about that.

Thanks Mike for your advice on this!