couple of questions regarding oil pump

lochenjons · #1 (**permalink**) 06-05-09, 08:03 PM

okay so i finally got my oil pan off. didn't have to even take the exhaust off! all i had to do was take off the little fuel line that runs across the crossmember and it slid right out. a little wary because there seemed to be nothing wrong with the pump that was in there. so heres my questions:

1. i bought a replacement cork gasket - it seems to be the same gasket that came off the car, is this gasket okay or should i get another one?

2. the oil pump driveshaft doesnt go as far into the oil pump as my old driveshaft did. its about 1/4 -1/2 inch too long now. does this mean I have to trim it? i see the wear marks on the shaft where it inserts into the oil pump i'm assuming i should trim it so that the wear marks are even with where they used to be?

also how hard is it to install an oil pressure gauge?

steelybill · #2 (**permalink**) 06-06-09, 05:46 PM

Are you sure it's too long ?? It goes up into the distributor if I remember correctly. I don't think it should need trimming. Did you buy a new pump? You didn't say you did. Make sure the shaft is all the way up into the distributor drive before thinking about cutting it off. No reason it wouldn't fit.

You may get scared if you put an oil pressure gauge in. These engines run a low oil pressure normally. Sort of like the Buick 3.8, which is 35 to 37 lbs max normally.

Why did you replace the pump ?? ( if you did) Low pressure ? A new pump on mine a few years ago helped the pressure a bit.

lochenjons · #3 (**permalink**) 06-07-09, 02:38 AM

yeah it is a new melling oil pump. and its not the distributor end thats funky, it slides in all the way to the wear marks... the end that doesnt slide all the way in is the oil pump end. it seems like there's no way around it.

and well to answer your question, i was driving it one night and the no oil pressure dummy light came on so i shut it off asap. no leaks, all the oil was in the sump, and when i started it up again the next day i heard a ticking noise so i figured it was the oil pump.

steelybill · #4 (**permalink**) 06-08-09, 01:41 AM

If you still have the old pump, take it to the place you bought the new one and ask why the new one is not right. I may be a production glitch, or even the wrong model pump.. I don't know about the 4.5 and 4.9, maybe they use a different set up (??) Just my opinion........

fleishman · #5 (**permalink**) 06-23-09, 03:07 PM

i got the low oil pressure, stop stop stop, warning about a month ago. I did some reading and found in a tsb that the valve on the oil pump can get gunked up. it suggested to load the system with 10 qts, run the engine at 1500 rpms for a few min, dump the oil, and do two oil changes in under 100 miles. I followed these directions with the addition of one qt of oil flush included in those 10 qts. worked great, not a tick or a warning since.

lochenjons · #6 (**permalink**) 06-23-09, 04:50 PM

thanks for the advice fleishman if i knew this before i would of used it.

i actually replaced the oil pump it wasnt that bad of a job just really time consuming wen you work full time

but thanks i hope someone else reads this and tries your method before they drop their oil pan!

steelybill · #7 (**permalink**) 06-24-09, 08:25 AM

That is a good piece of info alright. My '85 Fleetwood FWD is parked until I find out why the oil light is on at hot idle. I should have remembered ( it's the age thing) that I had a 429 Cad oil pump regulator valve stuck partially open years ago, and after cleaning the pump/plunger etc it worked fine.

steelybill · #8 (**permalink**) 06-25-09, 11:53 PM

I replaced the oil pump a few years ago. Getting the pan off a FWD Fleetwood is fairly easy. Flywheel covers, and then the pan bolts. I'm gonna be doing it again to check that pressure relief valve, probably tomorrow (Friday) Hopefully that's what my low pressure problem is. According to the manual, all the bearings can be replaced from the bottom on this model, if necessary.