Quick oil pump Question
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 792
Likes: 19
From: ME
Quick oil pump Question
LS1 how to covers oil pump replacement on an F body - not a C5.
Simply: how much more difficult is it to lower the oil pan on the C5 in order to access the oil pickup tube bolt? I'm thinking of doing a water pump and oil pump replacement. Thanks guys.
Simply: how much more difficult is it to lower the oil pan on the C5 in order to access the oil pickup tube bolt? I'm thinking of doing a water pump and oil pump replacement. Thanks guys.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 896
Likes: 1
From: Overland Park KS
I'm all 
on the answer to your question.
I helped with a cam installation on a 2000 LS1 f-body a couple of years ago which included the installation of an LS6 ported oil pump and double-roller timing chain. We had to drop the oil pan about 1" to get to the pickup tube bolt - which allowed just enough room for very limited (and tedious) finger-tip/tool access. After looking at my C5 I believe you'll have to do the same thing. When you replace the pump just make darn sure that you get the pickup tube o-ring back in place without mangling it or pinching it. In that 2000 f-body we didn't get the o-ring quite right and had to take the car back apart to fix it. It was pretty evident what was wrong by the 15psi oil pressure at startup (the car turned out fine in the end btw).
on the answer to your question. I helped with a cam installation on a 2000 LS1 f-body a couple of years ago which included the installation of an LS6 ported oil pump and double-roller timing chain. We had to drop the oil pan about 1" to get to the pickup tube bolt - which allowed just enough room for very limited (and tedious) finger-tip/tool access. After looking at my C5 I believe you'll have to do the same thing. When you replace the pump just make darn sure that you get the pickup tube o-ring back in place without mangling it or pinching it. In that 2000 f-body we didn't get the o-ring quite right and had to take the car back apart to fix it. It was pretty evident what was wrong by the 15psi oil pressure at startup (the car turned out fine in the end btw).
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 792
Likes: 19
From: ME
So I wonder if in the C5 you have to raise the motor a little off the motor mounts , or remove the front leaf spring and cradle? I'm just looking to find out how much disassembly I'm looking at for the pump replacement.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 889
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From: DFW tx
No need to lower the pan on the vette. There are some tricks to installing the o-ring properly. It has been a while for me, so I can't quite remember them. Some people end up pinching the o-ring on install which leads to air in the oil, low oil pressure, and fluctuations. The last thing you want to do is have to take it all apart right when you get it back together.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 7,370
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From: Slave to the evil empire
Cruise-In V Veteran
St. Jude Donor '04
Originally Posted by Jeff Jeff
No need to lower the pan on the vette. There are some tricks to installing the o-ring properly. It has been a while for me, so I can't quite remember them. Some people end up pinching the o-ring on install which leads to air in the oil, low oil pressure, and fluctuations. The last thing you want to do is have to take it all apart right when you get it back together.
You say your thinking of replacing the water pump and oil pump?
Why, if they're not broken then why fix em?
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Racer
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 413
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From: Pennsville, NJ
As said before, no need to lower the pan. I would (and I did) take a small piece of cardboard and placed it under the tube/pump connection so that the oil tube bolt would not fall into the oil pan. When putting it back together, just make sure the tube is aligned properly into the new pump. I think most vendors supply the thicker light-blue O-Ring, so it seats itself pretty good.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 792
Likes: 19
From: ME
Originally Posted by runamuk
You say your thinking of replacing the water pump and oil pump?
Why, if they're not broken then why fix em?