Oil pump wont prime with zero oil pressure after engine rebuild

I'm in need of help ASAP.

I rebuilt my 302, did some bolt ons, including a CAM E303. I followed everything installation wise to an absolute T. Minus priming my oil pump. I put a high volume one from Mulling on it. Rookie mistake I know. But it is my first rebuild. I get 1 mistake right?

Okay so I primed the oil pump for over 40 mins CCW (knew i was screwed because 5-10mins is the norm for oil to come up) and got no oil coming from the rods or rockers. Removed all applicable parts and did the whole starter "trick" and still no luck. I even did the starter and drill trick.

What do I do? Pull the pan and replace the brand new pump? Check somewhere for something? I did my timing gear and chain settup the way it was calling for it to be installed. I cleaned all passage of where oil would travel.

Oh and BTW I found out I had no oil going to the rockers because I had a knock. Car ran dry for 10 mins . SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME
Found the fix. Oil pump shaft popped out. I can see it a quarter inch away from the cam gears. Dont look to be damaged thank God. Thank you for all the tips and pointers guys.
 
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And thank you for the serious reply. I was about to jump the ship here with people like that. Doesn't look like plugs were there. Thats after the CAM install. I found the problem though. Oil pump shaft popped out.
Yeah good find.those plugs have to be installed and staked so they stay in place. How oil pressure now?
 
Yeah good find.those plugs have to be installed and staked so they stay in place. How oil pressure now?
Gotta get the rod out somehow without dropping the pan (last resp
Yeah good find.those plugs have to be installed and staked so they stay in place. How oil pressure now?
Still need to get the rod out and place it back in without having to drop the pan. Going to play the game operation on the rod
 
As long as the pump to distributor shaft is out, you should consider a heavy duty pump shaft like ARP. I have seen stock Ford and standard replacement ones twist like a Twizzler stick and snap. That’s on both engines with 100k+ and a new rebuild with a stock pump.
 
As long as the pump to distributor shaft is out, you should consider a heavy duty pump shaft like ARP. I have seen stock Ford and standard replacement ones twist like a Twizzler stick and snap. That’s on both engines with 100k+ and a new rebuild with a stock pump.
Hey (or is it hay :shrug: ) don't be dis'n on no twizzlers man :jester:
Hey dick wad, :leghump: off.
You need some skin to hang here, so there will be nothing more mentioned about this comment, I will say there will be a swear charge added to your next bill.
You may get away with that on facepage but it'll cost ya here.
 
@CandyRed 88 Yeah that keeper on the shaft is supposed to go up towards the distributor not down towards the pump (if it was installed to the shaft at all). Otherwise the shaft will pop out and find its way to the pan whenever you pull the distributor. It's most easily recovered with a magnet (if you can see it) or through the front of the pan after you remove the timing cover. I had an oil pump drive shaft a few years ago that refused to let me pull off the distributor, due to my mushrooming the bottom of the distributor while changing the pip and getting too aggressive tapping on the gear seizing the shaft in the distributor, so I had to pull out the distributor still connected to the shaft (destroying the keeper in the process).

Long story short, I found that just dabbing a bit of RTV on the shaft-end and effectively 'gluing' it to the distributor (let the RTV set) allowed me to re-insert it on the pump end without too much pain. The shaft comes up when I have to remove the distributor, but it's easy enough to remove if I ever have to, and at least it doesn't fall into the pan each time. The right thing to do is drop the pan, remove the pump, reinstall the shaft and keeper (the right direction), but if you're looking to get by lightly gluing into the distributor end will save you a lot of hours of trying to get it straight down to the pump again and dropping the shaft repeatedly (and going through the same pain every time you want to pull the distributor).
 
Found the fix. Oil pump shaft popped out. I can see it a quarter inch away from the cam gears. Dont look to be damaged thank God. Thank you for all the tips and pointers guys.
You can slip a straw onto the shaft to hold it and place it back into the pump. Then push a rod thru the hole in the straw to seat it, and to remove the straw.