Dropped Oil Pump Drive Shaft

[Rick Parker]

Recently I had to replace a leaking piece of -10 hose that carries oil to the remote filter. Afterwards I wanted to prime all the lines by spinning the oil pump before restarting the engine to eliminate the possibility of air in the lines. I carefully removed the distributor twisting the rotor back and forth to keep the hex drive oil pump shaft from being pulled out of pump. I removed the distributor and set it aside. I attached the "dummy shaft" that I took out of another distributor and inserted it into my variable speed reversable drill. I then inserted the "dummy shaft" (without the gear) down onto the hex drive of the oil pump shaft ad spun it for about a minute until I was sure the lines were purged at which time I raised the drill & attached shaft straight up without thinking. "Clink"!, yep I knew what it was immediately. I had pulled the drive shaft out of the pump and it was now lodged in the hole out of the pump itself. Damn! I knew better than to do that, now what??
The remedy was actually easier than I thought. I was able to use a powerfull small 1/4" diameter magnet on a handle and pull the drive up until you can get a hold of it with your hand, then slip a piece of hose onto the hex drive distributor end then feed the entire length of the shaft back down into the hole and manuever it around (suggest clear plastic hose for stiffness) untill you can find the female drive recepticle in the pump. Once you are sure it is reinserted back in the pump stick a long skinny screwdriver down the hose and retain the drive shaft in the pump as you pull the hose off the shaft.
I was not looking forward to pulling the pan again to remedy this situation.

This could have gotten ugly real quick.


Rick

[blykins]

So you actually pulled the oil pump drive shaft out of the oil pump? The oil pump drive that I have (and most old ones I've seen too) have a little flange on them to keep them from doing what you just described. Actually to pre-oil my engine before startup, I just stuck a couple of 1/4" drive extensions with the appropriate socket down there and caught the end of the drive shaft...

[Rick Parker]

I should have said previously that I was using an aftermarket centerless ground 1/2 diameter shaft that has the hex ground for approx 1" on each end. The washer serves no purpose with this type of drive, but it is the only type I use.

Rick

[John S Peterson]

Rick: I got stuck at school so I didn't get a chance to get back to you, as a matter of fact I'm still here. Anyway I read your note and thought wait a minute, isn't there a little gizmo on the shaft that keeps it from being pulled up, or could it have been taken off? Besides that, I was doing some more of that blank-blank oil pressure testing and decided to check it at the fitting on the front left side of the block next to the fuel pump, and low and behold it's 65-70 psi, which is normal for a Cobra Jet pump, yet only 40-maybe just below 50 psi at the fitting on the top rear of the block.

I'm guessing my problem must be that the front cam bearing has shifted somehow enough to expose the oil hole dropping pressure to the upper end. Never made it to Sears Point on Sunday, by the time I hit Rio Vista anything over 3,000 rpm and the rocker clatter was louder than the pipes, so I turned around and limped home. I can't think of anything else it could be since isolating the upper from the lower!!! I don't have anything to do tomorrow anyway (single you know) so I might spend it down at school weeping on my pumpkin pie. I will talk to you soon. Have a great and safe Thanksgiving, or call, I'll have the phone on.

John

[Rick Parker]

Call me on my cell now.

Rick