The oil pump is driven off the camshaft, by a drive gear. The gear itself is metal, but the part that clamps down is hard plastic. The plastic is cracked on mine. I can't find a replacement on Summit. Does anyone know where I can find a replacement, or should I even worry about it? I am building a fully forged 355 for a turbo application, so I don't want to make any mistakes.

 

This is a lot more common than people think, I have an extra one I can ship to you for $25 shipped that is not cracked. Just be carefull and don't tighten it down too much, that is what cracks them.

 

i went to the dealer to buy one since none of the parts stores knew what i was talking about. something like 70 dollars! mine wasnt cracked just wanted to replace it for that peace of mind. ended up just installing the old one after looking it over. ive heard of people using some kind of metal support or "hood" on them when they crack but not sure what that entails.

 

Try a local GM dealer....

 

It is much more common than most realize. Anything over say 15ft lbs and that thing will crack. Even though I've seen GM books claim 25ft lbs of torque on them.