Oil system won't prime - 20XE

Been cranking my rebuilt 20XE on the starter for quite a while now and the oil pressure light isn't going out.

It's a rebuilt engine, the block and head oil galleries were cleaned out before reassembly.

Before refitting the oil pump I packed the gears with vaseline which I heard was advisable in order to help the pump prime quicker. However I've just removed the oil filter and a lump of vaseline fell out - is there a chance it could actually be blocking the galleries instead of helping? The oil filter itself was full of oil though.

I also removed the bolt on the back of the oil pump and no oil came out of there. I removed the one on the front and some trickled out once I removed the relief valve and spring.

The top end feels very dry if I put my finger in the oil filler cap hole, although the cam lobes have a thin film of oil on but I covered these in oil a week or two ago, so I think it's actually an oil pressure system rather than a faulty sender or gauge.

Help :(

right i had the same problem with my let i took the plugs out and turned it over for 10 mins with no joy.

I decided to fire it up with the plugs back in and it fired straight up and the oil light went out.

i think the oil light might stay light up when your cranking although i may be wrong

Sounds a tad risky, I'd like to see the light go out before firing it up, I asked Sbs about packing the pump first and he said it wasn't needed on genuine pumps

Ah yes, I am cranking with the plugs out at the moment. Little reluctant to fire it up as all the advice I've heard has been to make sure the oil pressure is right/light has gone out before starting.

i was told exactly the same, not to fire up intil the light went out.

But with the oil pressure gauges i have the engine has to be running to use them lol

I had the same issue with my xe corsa, i turned the engine over for ages and the light stayed on so i started it up and it went out in about a second, although with my gsi i put a battery booster on it to turn it over quicker and the light went out by just cranking.

Is the O ring on the pick up pipe definately present?

You've just given me an idea; I did think it was cranking a little slowly despite there being no compression (plugs out), perhaps I'll try charging a different/bigger battery to see if it'll crank faster.

Graeme I'm fairly sure it's present as I was very careful to make sure I didn't forget it when fitting the pickup.

the oil pump is probly dry you will need to take the bung out of it and fill it with oil the turn the crank with a socket till it starts to pick it up once you do that try and crank it with the plug leads out

If everything is present and correct you should remove the plugs and crank and the light should go out, sounds like its either a duff pump or something else is wrong ???

i wouldnt be starting anything until the light has gone out !!! is it a genuine pump ???

It's a genuine pump but not new. Gears didn't look too bad and the mains on the engine the pump came off weren't scored so figured it'd be okay.

Edit: Looking at the pictures I took during fitting I can't see a GM stamp so not sure

Mills where do I fill with oil? The bolt on the back of the pump? How do I do that since it's facing down?

Youre probably worrying about nothing Iain. Cranking speed is usually too slow to get enough pressure built up to get the light to go out. The light on mine never went out either, until i actually fired it up.
Although i understand you have a lot more money in your engine than i did in mine, so are a bit more wary about starting it up. lol

I have charged my battery jumper so hopefully I can get it cranking a bit faster.