oil pump help

[Ron Gusack]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

Ron, I think I said I used an old main cap. If I had a piece of aluminium plate on hand at the time, I would have made a test fixture from that. The cap is tapped for a pipe thread, with a hose and oil pressure gauge screwed into the oil passage. It ain't purty, jut a quickie with what I could find at the time, about twenty years ago. Works, so I still use it. I just don't get it out and show it off. :-)

I am not a professional engine builder. I just cobble my own crap together, and have helpped a couple of other guys in the past. Someone like Adger differs, I defer to them.

You've certainly helped me a ton over the years. I appreciate the guys that help us littles and I understand those that don't want to share info. You did say "old cap", but I thought you found fitment issues with your race stuff that you found by testing the race stuff. Here are pics of the cap I modified. I'll try to test tomorrow. I was thinking about using ATF for test fluid. What do you think?

[Ed Wright]

I have never put those plugs in a pump. Guess I'm missing something. I would assume ATF would be fine. I just figured hot zero wt oil would maybe be close to solvent. Could be wrong. That zero-10 stuff splatters like water if you spill it. It did show me where it was leaking at the mating surfaces.

[Ron Gusack]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

I have never put those plugs in a pump. Guess I'm missing something. I would assume ATF would be fine. I just figured hot zero wt oil would maybe be close to solvent. Could be wrong. That zero-10 stuff splatters like water if you spill it. It did show me where it was leaking at the mating surfaces.

I used ATF and read 60 with the blue Moroso spring. Switched to lacquer thinner, read 50 and saw the mating surface spray. I didn't see it with the ATF but wasn't really looking for it. I haven't tried the modified cap that Alan schooled me on yet.

I don't wanna buy a tool to remove the dowels if I can help it. I'm old and this could be my last ever build. I was thinking about the copper gasket that Summit sells for 4 bucks.

I really appreciate your advice on using thin stuff, cause I'd have never thought of it. I've been building engines since the mid 60's and never used an oil pump gasket before.

[Ed Wright]

I never have either. Was not aware they sold them. If the surface on the cap is smooth, and my Bowtie was, you can pass on that one.
I'm not trying to pass myself off as a pro. Not making any claims, just mentioning what I have seen.

[ss3011]

ATF is about the same viscosity as 20 weight oil . Lacquer thinner is very low viscosity, and without any lubricity , I am surprised the pump did not seize during the test . We used to use a test fluid at HydraMatic when we would test pumps, it simulated 200 deg Dextron 3 fluid . We got rid of it and used Heated Dex3 because it was more accurate to test pump efficiency with the pump and fluid running at operating temperatures. Clearances don't change much if the pump body and the gears are a similar material, but make a big difference if the pump body is aluminum, and the gears are steel . Also it is more efficient to have the regulator designed to bypass back to the suction side of the pump gears , a blowoff regulator would tend to aerate the oil in the pan . Aerated oil does not provide a good lubrication film for bearings . One of the purposes of a dry sump tank is to separate the air from the oil, so the pump is pumping clean oil. What would be great if someone would develop a Variable Displacement pump for these engines, then you would only pump what you actually need .

[Ed Wright]

Paint thinner is a little dry. Using solvent to check my relief valve setting, I pull the plate off the end and blow it all dry and lube everything before using it.

[Ron Gusack]

The order of testing was oil, ATF and then thinner, so there was some lubricant in the thinner.

[FED 387]

just make yourself a small slide hammer to pull the dowel pins out should not take more than 20-30 minutes to fabricate one up- couple of set screws, some steel rod a 1-2 pound weight and a small collar to fit over the dowel pins, do a little drilling and tapping and you have your dowel pin remover- proceed to surface all the mating areas of the pump and rear main cap ---then either reinstall the original dowel pins or obtain new ones from an industrial supply house--- thats the way we did ours--- FED 387

[Fred D Bartoli]

A carpenters claw hammer does a good job of removing dowel pins