Try starting it, its oil pump may take a while and revs to build up pressure again but the crank would splash bores so it should start, dont use diesel, its only usually used to clear stuck rings on pistons and do an oil/filter change

If you cant get compression take plugs out and squirt some oil into bores to seal the rings, and unless you have other problems it should start

Edited by bolt on 21/08/2015 at 19:54

If there is plenty of oil in the sump it won't hurt to start it, as long as you don't rev it, leave it to tickover for a minute or two and it might sort itself out, although if the pressure doesn't come up in about 30 seconds you have a problem.

The pump is in the sump on these motors.

If I remember rightly (its been a while) there are a few things to check re oil pump:-

1) Check the cam belt is OK as this drive the distributer drive (as someone else said check the rotor arm rotates when the engin turns over

2) There is a hex drive shaft between the base of the distributer and the top of the oil pump. This eventually rounds off leaving you with oil pressure, if the oil pump is still with lack of use this may have happened! I had one fail at 70mph on an automatic - oil pressure hit the deck but couldn't turn the thing off until I stopped. The autobox kept restarting the engine!

3) The oil strainer can become constricted with old/crap oil/sludge

If beem stood for a while than change oil and coolant (give cooling a flush) - Pay attention to the thermostat housing - these can become pitted and be difficult to seal

is there any other way to prime pump once its fitted and up the right way?

I believe someone has already suggested using petroleum jelly several posts above this one. ^^^^^

Never had cause to try this myself but it sounds logical.

no problems with big end or main bearing shells I have checked them all just in case, it was obviously an old piump that must of been reused last time it was rebuilt, the only problem I have is how to prime this pump once in situ as I previosly explaned.

Hello all I know its some time since posting my Queries on not being able to get the oil up and circulating, I have since taken the engine out. The pump was worn but still worked when oil was put through it, fitted a new pump primed with oil but of coa*** as soon as you bolt it on some of the oil drains because its upside down. put it all back together, filled up the sump with oil, and have discovered that if you leave the dizzy out you can actually see the hexagon drive shaft that the dizzy slots into and drives the pump, if you fit a deep 6mm thin socket and attach to a cordless drill you can then get the pressure up on the oil light and gauge this has worked fine once that was done and with dizzy replaced, the starter engaged and the oil light and gauge registered oil pressure. Job Done!!