I know it's easy to screw up... But any tips on how to get it right the first time... (In car install).

I figured I'd use liberal amounts of oil.... But any other ways to keep it from pinching?

 

This isn't fun to do with the oil pan on. I can imagine in a Fbody even worse.

I wiggled the tube back and worth and used a controlled amount of pressure to seat the tube by means of a channel lock. One jaw on the case of the oil pump and the other on the strip of metal welded to the pickup tube that prevents the tab from falling down the tube into the pan. I remember it taking a decent amount of pressure to fully seat the tube.

In the trucks you can actually pull the oil pan off while in the engine bay and unbolt the pickup tube. making it vastly easier.

 

It's not that difficult.

Lube the o-ring and put it on the pick-up tube.

Pull down on the pick-up tube with some gentle force(if that makes sense).

Rotate the oil pump back on the crank and thread a couple bolts in all while keeping the pick-up tube pulled down.

Once the pump is on you should be able to release the pick-up tube and it should be lined up.

Now just push the pick-up tube into the pump and install the bolt.

Install the rest of the pump bolts and torque to spec.

 

No need to cross your fingers?

 

Nope.

 

I had more of a problem getting the damn pick up tube bolt started..