Starting engine for the first time...oil pressure
If you take a large screw driver and turn the drive gear it will unmesh with the cam gear and slide up....then if you have small fingers or a HD magnet you can use that to pull the gear out of the block. Now as far as priming. I just my 318 re-installed in my car and I primed the pump in a bucket of oil and installed it. I have never gotten oil up to the springs with my priming rod. I usually use my 19.2V cordless drill and I kill a full battery running the priming shaft. I know it is pumping cause I can feel the drag. I then get everything set and fire up the motor. After running for a bit I pull off a VC to set the lash and there is oil up there. I'm not sure if the dril doesn't spin in fast enough or I don't run it long enough but even if I use the electric drill i can't get oil to the valvetrain with a priming rod but as soon as I fire it up there is oil up there.