Jim Hunt Asks… Can an External Pump Be Used to Pre-prime an LS7 Corvette with the Factory Dry-Sump Oil System?

Q:

I’m in the final stages of finishing a rebodied, mid-engine C6 Corvette titled “Caccia Drago.” The car has been under construction for a number of years, and its LS7 has not run for quite a while. I have turned the engine over by hand, but I am very concerned that since there has not been any oil running through the engine, the bearings may be damaged if I try to start it before pumping oil through the system.Am I being overly cautious? Is there some way to use an external pump to run oil through the system before I hit the “start” button?

A:

You can never