Oil pump pickup location
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 927
Likes: 0
From: Saginaw TX
Oil pump pickup location
Yes, I know it goes in the pan.. 
Have a fresh shortblock, new pump and pickup. (haven't got the pickup yet, but planning on new stock one). Question is how to set the installed depth correctly? Also I have heard for years to have it brazed to the pump. I tried to remove the pickup from the old pump and couldn't budge it. It was room temp, so maybe different when warm, but don't want the new one to fall off! Any assistance would be of great help. Thanks all.
Have a fresh shortblock, new pump and pickup. (haven't got the pickup yet, but planning on new stock one). Question is how to set the installed depth correctly? Also I have heard for years to have it brazed to the pump. I tried to remove the pickup from the old pump and couldn't budge it. It was room temp, so maybe different when warm, but don't want the new one to fall off! Any assistance would be of great help. Thanks all.
Drifting
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,979
Likes: 48
From: Lakeport CA
Service manual says to use a new one as the press fit won't be as tight after you get it out of the old pump. I got mine out, a little silicone & then welded a little steel strip (mig) to the pickup tube after drilling a hole to fit under a pump cover bolt. That way it can't move or fall out. I set the depth by setting a straight edge across the pan (w/ gasket in place) then to the bottom of the pan. Same measurement then from the block up to the lowest (highest since it was upside down on the stand) point of the pickup. Gave it 1/4 in of clearance.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 927
Likes: 0
From: Saginaw TX
Thanks for the guidance. Now I just have to get myself down to the local Chevy place and get one of them suckers. I mentioned brazing the pickup in place, is there a better way, (MIG or TIG)?
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Welding is fine, too. Just be careful of the heat. Modern thinking places the bottom of the pick up 3/8ths" to a 1/2" from the bottom of the pan. The old 1/4"-3/8" spec can cause a vortex at the pickup, resulting in a restriction. I've used 1/2" lately.
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 9,715
Likes: 27
From: Kempner Texas
Originally Posted by mash557
Again thanks for the info. Hope to get the bottom end buttoned up before I have to leave for the Dallas drag race.
I sometimes use some of my kids' play dough or modeling clay to verify the depth setting. I just make a little rectangular piece about 1" thick and lay the strip on the flat portion of the pick-up.
I then install the oil pan gasket and bolt down the pan. When I remove the pan I measure how much the dough/clay compressed; how thick it remains. The thickness of the dough/clay shows the clearance to the bottom of the pan.
A little oil on the clay keeps it from sticking to the pan.
Jake
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Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: eville in
Originally Posted by CFI-EFI
Welding is fine, too. Just be careful of the heat. Modern thinking places the bottom of the pick up 3/8ths" to a 1/2" from the bottom of the pan. The old 1/4"-3/8" spec can cause a vortex at the pickup, resulting in a restriction. I've used 1/2" lately.
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 927
Likes: 0
From: Saginaw TX
Pete K, looked at the piece on Jeg's site, it's up to 8.99. Could still use a similar piece, but weld to tube to prevent another fastener that could fall off. Thought about just making a 'fork' on the end to retain the pickup, but that would not help keep it from falling to the bottom of the pan. That would just have been too easy.
Great ideas from all of you. I had known about the clay idea, but wasn't sure about the clearance I was looking for. Now I have that dimension, so it'll be time to get with it.
Thanks again.
Great ideas from all of you. I had known about the clay idea, but wasn't sure about the clearance I was looking for. Now I have that dimension, so it'll be time to get with it.
Thanks again.
