Oil pump install question.

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FlDart360

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Ok so the motor is out of the car and while I’m at it I’m going to change the oil pump. Can someone tell me the dos and don’ts of threading the oil pickup into the new pump? The book I have only address the height and alignment to the pan but says nothing about connecting the pickup to the pump. Do you use any type of thread locker? What are the common mistakes people make? Also would it be prudent to replace the front transmission seal on my 727 before putting the motor back in? Thanks all will check back after work today.
 
If it's a stock pan and pick up, the pick up needs to lightly touch the pan. It can't back out if done correctly. You can use some pipe dope on the threads if you want to.
 
If it's a stock pan and pick up, the pick up needs to lightly touch the pan. It can't back out if done correctly. You can use some pipe dope on the threads if you want to.


What about Locktight? Is that to extreme. I think i'm overthinking this.
 
Ok so the motor is out of the car and while I’m at it I’m going to change the oil pump. Can someone tell me the dos and don’ts of threading the oil pickup into the new pump? The book I have only address the height and alignment to the pan but says nothing about connecting the pickup to the pump. Do you use any type of thread locker? What are the common mistakes people make? Also would it be prudent to replace the front transmission seal on my 727 before putting the motor back in? Thanks all will check back after work today.



I tape two nickles to the bottom of the pick-up, then test fit the pan so the nickles hit the pan when placed on the block with no gasket to set the pick up height, then remove the nickles and install the pan...
 
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I could find it in any service manual, but I grabbed my 1973 off the shelf. So...1973 service manual, page 9-46, 9-47 and 9-48.

Starting with Engine Oiling Sytem at the bottom of the page...Installation (1) Inspect alignment of of oil strainer (pickup). Bottom of strainer MUST be parallel with the machined surface of the cylinder block. Bottom of the strainer MUST touch the bottom of the pan with 1/16 to 1/8 inch interference.

Emphasis mine.

This is why guys have oil pressure issues, think they "suck" the pan dry or a ton of other crap when the fact is they put too much clearance between the pan and the strainer.

It needs to touch. It's how it's engineered. Just like I've been saying since 1980 in my high school auto shop.

I've added the pictures because this place is crawling with professional bickerers and people who would argue with a stop sign around here.

You can't argue with the dudes who engineered the parts. Well, some of you can. And will.
 
View attachment 1715407071 View attachment 1715407072 View attachment 1715407073 View attachment 1715407074 I could find it in any service manual, but I grabbed my 1973 off the shelf. So...1973 service manual, page 9-46, 9-47 and 9-48.

Starting with Engine Oiling Sytem at the bottom of the page...Installation (1) Inspect alignment of of oil strainer (pickup). Bottom of strainer MUST be parallel with the machined surface of the cylinder block. Bottom of the strainer MUST touch the bottom of the pan with 1/16 to 1/8 inch interference.

Emphasis mine.

This is why guys have oil pressure issues, think they "suck" the pan dry or a ton of other crap when the fact is they put too much clearance between the pan and the strainer.

It needs to touch. It's how it's engineered. Just like I've been saying since 1980 in my high school auto shop.

I've added the pictures because this place is crawling with professional bickerers and people who would argue with a stop sign around here.

You can't argue with the dudes who engineered the parts. Well, some of you can. And will.


Thanks this is really helpful I would love to find a true manual like the one pictured.
 
Interesting about the pickup touching the pan with some degree of interference (the 1/16" to 1/8" as above), to keep pressure on the pickup. I have read that when the /6's came out, that was not being done at the factory and the pickup were just touching the pan. Customers supposedly complained about the odd noise from the lower part of the engine that would come and go. Can't recall if there was a TSB on that or not.....

Fast forward: Guess who installed a /6 pickup that was just touching the pan, and who now has a funny noise in the lower part of his /6? LOL
 
Interesting about the pickup touching the pan with some degree of interference (the 1/16" to 1/8" as above), to keep pressure on the pickup. I have read that when the /6's came out, that was not being done at the factory and the pickup were just touching the pan. Customers supposedly complained about the odd noise from the lower part of the engine that would come and go. Can't recall if there was a TSB on that or not.....

Fast forward: Guess who installed a /6 pickup that was just touching the pan, and who now has a funny noise in the lower part of his /6? LOL


Ford and GM did the same thing with their pick ups. My dad bought my mom a brand new 71 Maverick with an inline 6. Even with an extra quart of oil in the pan, every time you turned to the left the low oil pressure light would come on.

Turned out that one got off the assembly line with the pickup 3/8 off the floor of the pan. Set the pick up on the floor of the pan and it ended all that.
 
You can find them online. I found this one for my current car at a swap meet last April. I also have a few others I keep for reference.

Ok so I had another first time surprise when I was unbolting the headers. I don’t remember this happening on my small block 289 but I guess it must be a Mopar thing. Coolant coming out of the bolt holes when I removed the headers bolts? I hope this is normal? It wasn’t every hole. Do I just dab some RTV on them when I put things back together?
 
Ford and GM did the same thing with their pick ups. My dad bought my mom a brand new 71 Maverick with an inline 6. Even with an extra quart of oil in the pan, every time you turned to the left the low oil pressure light would come on.

Turned out that one got off the assembly line with the pickup 3/8 off the floor of the pan. Set the pick up on the floor of the pan and it ended all that.
The AMC 360 (and prob all the engines in that family) has a little plastic button riveted into the bottom of the pickup.

@FlDart360 One other tip. When installing the pump to the block make sure it stays seated until the bolts are tight.
 
The AMC 360 (and prob all the engines in that family) has a little plastic button riveted into the bottom of the pickup.

@FlDart360 One other tip. When installing the pump to the block make sure it stays seated until the bolts are tight.


I forgot about that. I've seen engine come in with the button still on and the pickup .375 off the floor. And they wondered why they need an extra quart and a half to keep the oil pressure up on the big end after a pass.

Had some BBC's come through with the same complaint. It's a problem.
 
The AMC 360 (and prob all the engines in that family) has a little plastic button riveted into the bottom of the pickup.

@FlDart360 One other tip. When installing the pump to the block make sure it stays seated until the bolts are tight.

I hear that's a common mistake thanks for the reminder.
 
Since I don’t know how quickly I will get this engine back in the car would it be a good idea to squirt some oil in each cylinder. I don’t know if any antifreeze might have dripped some ware it should not have when I rotated the engine on the stand?
 
Certainly, and wipe it all around. When I get coolant in the cylinders, I'll rotate the engine several times and wipe it off the walls repeatedly as the rings push it up.
 
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