Part 1. Preparation and safety
Objective
- Test install the oil pump and pick up tube.
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
- It’s a good idea to get a brand new oil pump for each rebuild.
- It would be a good idea to have an assistant with you to perform this task.
Part 2: Step-by-step instruction
- Install the oil pump
For every rebuild it's a good idea to get a brand new oil pump. If a new pump won't fit on the alignment dowels it is possible that one or more of the alignment dowels are slightly bent. If necessary adjust the alignment with a brass punch. Hold the drive rod in place and slide the pump into position.
- Install the pickup tube
Some pumps have a pickup already installed, on others the pickup either bolts on, or is pressed on. There are special tools to press on a new pickup but if you don't have one, use an open ended wrench that just barely fits around the tube and hold a punch against the wrench. Make sure the pickup tube is centered and the wrench is square against the lip on the tube. Ask someone else to help you, but be careful how you do this as accidents can easily happen. It's a good idea to have your helper use both hands.
The manufacturers of press-on pumps usually say that it's acceptable to bang the pick-up into place with the pump installed and tightened on the block. They also don't generally recommend that you weld the pick-up in place on the block. These types of pickups will be moveable by hand but should not be loose or wobbly. If it's really loose then you may have to weld it.
- Set pickup tube position
To set the pickup tube pull it into an exaggerated position that's obviously higher than the oil pan bottom. Lay the oil pan on the block and push on it until it contacts the block rail on all sides. Take this opportunity to check to make sure the pan rail is flat and was not bent when you were prying it off. Hammer it flat or replace it if it's bent out of shape.
Then, lift off the pan and rotate the crank to get a good place to place a ruler. Note the measurement and then tap on the pickup to drop it just enough to clear it away from the bottom of the oil pan. Now mark the pump body and pick-up tube at that position to make sure it can be reset if it gets bumped before your final assembly, or you could use the mark for reference if you need to weld it in place.
You should now be confident that all the internal components of this rotating assembly are operating smoothly and have the proper clearances.
