Hi - I've just been testing the output from my autolube pump and may have messed up....
I was spinning the white wheel on top of the autolube pump with a drill, counting the revolutions when it seemed (it could have been my imagination) that the drill was finding it increasingly difficult to turn.
Then, I realised that the bike was in gear! Is that a disaster?
In my imagination, I fear that I've tried to turn the engine over with the pump shaft and broken an internal plastic gear.
I put the bike in neutral and checked the oil output and everything was fine, but I can't help thinking that I've broken something internally to the autolube pump and now it won't work.
Does the bike have to be in manual when spinning the white gear on top of the autolube pump or doesn't it matter?
Anyone got experience with this?
Thanks - this is one of the last things I need to do before I head for the open road.......

Ooops - the title should have been 'Testing Mistake'...


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. . . . FIXED

 

It's always helpful to identify the year and model you are working on. 

Your twinshock DT400?  There are no internal plastic gears for the oil pump.  If it's a different bike, many do have internal plastic gears.

Not a bad idea to run premix in the tank at first...  some continue to run premix with the pump just as added insurance.

Hi, apologies, yes - it's my DT400 twin shock.
So you don't think I could have done any damage by turning the white wheel on top of the autolube with a drill - with the bike in gear? I can't help feeling that I've been trying to turn the engine over with my drill, via the autolube pump - and stressed/broken something inside the pump. Many thanks for responding - it is appreciated...

DEET is the expert... 

In my opinion the plastic priming wheel would break or get damaged before anything else got hurt, especially on your bike as I believe the steel pump shaft is driven right off the end on the crank, no plastic parts. 

I have not seen a 400 oil pump. Does your plastic wheel have direction arrows? The '73 and earlier pumps have arrows to indicate which direction to turm to manually prime the pump. If your wheel has arrows and you were turning i it in that direction I believe you caused no harm.

Also how fast were you spinning it?

Might be wrong without a pump to play with but spinning in the right direction the pump just slips inside the gear wheel inside & can only drive back to the motor if it's turned the wrong way as the spring loaded pins lock that way. If that was the case [wrong way] it would have super high gearing trying to turn the motor many times to one reverse turn of the pump. Not even sure if its possible. Need DEET to put me right? please. Also how are you driving the drill onto the plastic wheel?. Interesting topic 'this'.

Hi - yes, was turning in the direction of the arrow.
I wish I had a 'spare' autolube pump to play with.
I used a 4" nail with a hacksaw cut in the end.
I didn't spin it fast. I guess 3 revs per second?
  
 

Ok that's clever. So going by the arrow in normal direction there's no way i can see that it can drive through to the motor. Maybe the drill was getting down on battery--if battery type. I'm out of ideas. Have a good day.
Might just add, unless the ump was dry & starting to bind up in what's moving spining like that. Very unlikely i'm sure.

If the pump is assembled correctly, turning the primer wheel clockwise (arrow direction) will not cause any issue.

It will also never become hard to turn.
As long as everything that needs lubrication has it,  and there is a place for the pumped oil to go, it will turn just as easy the first time as well as the one billionth time.