V8 pre oil

I am installing a 304 that has been sitting for a while. I read somewhere that you can take an old distributor, install it and use a drill to spin the distributor shaft, which in turn drives the oil pump. Doing this to get the motor lubed before actually starting it.
Has anyone done this?
I assume the distributor shaft turns clockwise (I never looked when it was turning)? How fast/slow should you run the drill? And finally, how do you know its working? ie pull a valve cover and run the drill till you see oil flowing?

 

I pull the distribitor out and use a broken screw driver end with a drill and lube away.

 

I do the same. Bought an extra large/long flat head from Harbor Freight, cut off the handle, put it in the drill chuck, and lubed up.

 

you'll have to remove the dist gear first
the cam drives the dist
no turny with the gear on

probably easier to make one as mentioned above

 

Have done it several times with Chevy V-8s. Requires another distributor that you can afford to junk. Need to machine off gear and all of the top of the distributor. Once the top is off, you can access the shaft and chuck it into your drill. Could probably leave the top on but it's easier to store in the tool box with out it. I cross drilled the shaft and inserted a cotter key at the top to keep the shaft from falling out all the time. This is a better solution than the screw driver approach mostly due to the fact that everything fits together like it came from the factory, and since you are using an acutual distributor, you don't have to keep the screwdriver tip from slipping out of the slot in the oil pump shaft and gouging up the side walls. However, it requires a lathe at home or machine shop fees to be done right. The big screw driver method certainly works and is far cheaper and easier. WOT on your drill will be more than enoough RPM, very little time and 1000RPM will be more than enough to get oil out of your push rods. A couple of minutes of that is all you need. Pete

 

I cut down an old screwdriver. Worked great. Thanks for the tips.

 

Oh and make sure you have all your preassure fittings in place when you do this. It amazing how far oil will fly when it comes out say a the hole for the oil preassure guage.

The answer is all the way to the otherside of a 2 car garage.