Part 1. Preparation and safety
Objective
- Install the oil pump and pan.
Personal safety
Whenever you perform a task in the workshop you must use personal protective clothing and equipment that is appropriate for the task and which conforms to your local safety regulations and policies. Among other items, this may include:
- Work clothing - such as coveralls and steel-capped footwear
- Eye protection - such as safety glasses and face masks
- Ear protection - such as earmuffs and earplugs
- Hand protection - such as rubber gloves and barrier cream
- Respiratory equipment - such as face masks and valved respirators
If you are not certain what is appropriate or required, ask your supervisor.
Safety check
- Make sure that you understand and observe all legislative and personal safety procedures when carrying out the following tasks. If you are unsure of what these are, ask your supervisor.
Points to note
- Torque the oil pump bolt or bolts.
- If you have a cork rear cap seal, it's a good idea to coil up the gasket and hold it's shape together with a rubber band. This will give a pre-curl to the gasket and it will be easier to install.
- It's a good idea to let the pan sit for a minute after you torque the final setting. Then go back through all the bolts again.
Part 2: Step-by-step instruction
- Install oil pump
If the engine has a press on pick-up tube, make sure that the marks you made during Pre-Assembly are still lined up. If your pump uses some kind of collar to hold the drive shaft on, install it now.
Most pumps will have a solid drive shaft that just slides into place. Be sure to install this shaft in the right direction so that it slides into the block all the way.
Hold the shaft while you slip the pump into place and thread the oil pump bolt in. It is not usually necessary to use a gasket between the oil pump and the block. Also, gasket pieces sometimes break off and get into the oil system.
Torque the oil pump bolt or bolts, then check to make sure the drive shaft is fitted into its slot in the pump, since the block is upside down.
- Install oil pan gaskets
Make sure that the rod bolts are tight, then check your notes and the manual to make sure that you haven't forgotten to re-install other extras such as a windage tray.
Clean the block rail and the edge of the oil pan with some solvent. Put some dabs of gasket sealant at a few points along the block rail to help the gasket stay lined up over the bolt holes. Then put dabs of silicone sealer at the four points where the rear main seal and the front timing cover seal arch up, away from the block rail.
Lay the block rail gaskets in place. If they don't fit perfectly in the corners, you may need to cut a few small pieces with some scissors. If you don't have a one piece oil pan seal like this, then put the front timing cover seal on next.
Always follow the manufacturer's instructions, but in most cases you won't need any sealer for rubber or cork style seals.
Some gasket sets come with a few choices for the oil pan front and rear seals. Make sure you pick the right size gasket from the kit that will match your timing cover seal and oil pan. The same thing applies to the rear cap seal, once you have the right one, press it firmly into place.
If you have a cork rear cap seal, it's a good idea to coil up the gasket and hold it's shape together with a rubber band. This will give a pre-curl to the gasket and it will be easier to install in the curved slot on the rear cap. With all types of engines, after the front and rear oil pan seals are in place, you should put another four dabs of silicone sealer in each of the corners where the oil pan will curve from the block rail to the arch of the front or rear seal.
- Install oil pan
Lower the oil pan carefully into place.
Start with the four corner bolts. This will make it easier to line up all the others. Thread in the rest of the bolts a few turns by hand. You may need to bang on the pan a little to get some of the bolts to start in their holes, but make sure you don't dislodge the gasket or push it inside the block.
When the bolts are all seated hand tight, switch to a torque wrench. These bolts will also have a low torque rating, so make sure your wrench is accurate at low settings. Work around the pan from the center bolts in a spiral outward to the front and rear bolts.
With almost all oil pan gaskets, it's a good idea to let the pan sit for a minute after you torque the final setting. Then go back through all the bolts again. You will probably find they need a third circuit around for them to actually get to the torque specification. If your engine has a thin gap between the oil pan and the timing cover, it's a good idea to lay a thin bead of silicone sealer along this lip. Spread the silicone evenly with a finger.
Turn the engine back up-right. The short block is completely sealed and assembled.
