GMRL

Ok I tried using Search but couldnt really find a clear answer.
I will be doing a cam swap pretty soon on the 02 TA pretty soon.
I ordered the ported/blueprinted LS6 pump as well.
What I was wanting to know is, if I dont disassemble the pump when installing it, I dont have to center it with .002 feeler gauges correct?
If I lower the pan 1/2 and inch or so to get to the pickup tube bolts I dont have to disassemble it, therefore no recentering is required, and all I have to do is slide it over the crank and get the gears lined up.
Is this correct?

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

I dont know what you mean about centering it to begin with. I just slapped mine on, and tightened it down. No issues. One piece of advice though: tie dental floss to the pickup tube bolt that way when you drop it down the oil pan, you can retrieve it. Just cut the floss with a razor after you get a couple threads in. This bolt is very frustrating.

Camaro396

iTrader: (14)

+1 to slapping it on and tightning it down. I did the exact same thing. I dropped my pan and still droped the bolt once. Thank god for the magnent. I then used the magnent to put it back in. I put the threads on the side of the magnent, stuck it in there and threaded it in slowly with my index finger. It somehow worked perfectly. Kinda like so:

marovetsm

iTrader: (25)

I picked up a new o ring when I swapped mine, pretty cheap insurance incase you pinch the stock one.

Scoggin Dickey

iTrader: (34)

Nice illustration :thumbsup:

Camaro396

iTrader: (14)

Sometimes I get bored here at work. Hahah.

vettenuts

iTrader: (4)

I have seen two people who recommend this. One is New Era Performance. So last night I went in to look at my ported pump and am trying to figure out if you use the feeler gages, since the inner gear is the only one in contact with the crank sprocket and floats, why won't it just fall to its own natural position afterwards? Also, there is no mention of this in the Service Manual so if it was that important, it would be in there. I haven't figured out the logic in it yet.

aerotest

iTrader: (2)

The centering is recommended to reduce pump wear but is not madatory. Make sure you follow the bolt tightening sequence when centering the pump. Will Handzel's book covers the procedure.

Zitty'sZ

iTrader: (29)

I disassembled mine and used two .002 feeler gauges to walk around the crank to center the pump . Once I was satisfied that it was centered , I left the feeler gauges in until I snugged the bolts enough to remove the gauges without the pump moving and then torqued the pump bolts . I then lubed all the internal parts of the pump with assembly lube . Worked like a champ for me !

SSCamaro2000

I agree very good illustration, you get an A+ for art class.

GMRL

So maybe its recommended to reduce initial startup wear? Well, it seems like alot of people have bolted it on without centering it and have gotten away with no problems. Plus if it was that critical it would be in the service manual as stated above. Ill follow the proper tightening sequence since its worked for everbody else. I also got a new o-ring. Also thanx for the magnet and floss tips, ill try one of those.

vettenuts

iTrader: (4)

Were you centering the inner gear or the pump housing itself?

Zitty'sZ

iTrader: (29)

The pump housing . After I felt it was centered , I left the feeler gauges 180 degrees apart and tightened the pump bolts , then lubed everything with assembly lube and put the pump back together . When I started the engine for the first time , I had oil pressure almost instantly .

vettenuts

iTrader: (4)

Couldn't this be done with the front cover on?

Zitty'sZ

iTrader: (29)

No, if you have and old pump laying around that you could disassemble , you will see that the inner gerotor gear is the gear that has the splines in it that mates to the splines on the crank snout . When you slide the oil pump on the crank there is very little clearance between the pump housing and the "male splines" on the crank , this is where the .002 feeler gauges are used . The gerotor gears are only about 3/8 of an inch or so in thickness , but the splined portion of the crank is maybe 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, so the housing naturally has to be in close proximity to the crank . I hope this makes sense to you as I may not be the best at describing things sometimes .

KCS

iTrader: (20)

Like what Zitty said, you're basically centering the oil pump gear around the oil pump drive splines on the crankshaft. You would need the front cover off to have access to the front of the pump. If it's not centered, it could load unevenly and cause a little extra wear, but I don't think it's too critical. Just a good idea.

vettenuts

iTrader: (4)

But the center gear floats so once you remove the feeler gages it can move.

Zitty'sZ

iTrader: (29)

I don't think it moves too much once it is installed because of the splines mating with each other . Remember , you are centering the housing on the crank ... not the gears , they will find their own center when they are installed back in the pump .

GMRL

Thats what I was thinking, for some reason when I read about it, I got it all mixed up. I couldnt figure out why they were trying to center gears.

This makes alot more sense though, and seems very easy to do.

keliente

iTrader: (22)

Right, because it's a matter of when not if