I had the truck towed back after losing oil pressure on the highway luckily 2 miles from town. The oil pump is frozen and the broken shaft won’t turn the pump. I took the plate off the pump to see what debris could have stopped it up, and there is not debris at the bottom of the oil pan or in the sump screen. I was going to see if there was a chunk of something lodged in the pump. Nothing visible. The pump shaft was broken in two.
How do I mark the distributor before removing it so that I can ensure it gets back in the right position?
I want to be able to prime the new Melling M 57 oil pump through the distributor shaft using a 1/4” rod attached to a drill.
Is it safe to assume that the cam and gears and whatever powers the distributor is in ok shape? I’m assuming the rod is the sacrificial part which broke when the oil pump failed and nothing farther up to the top of the motor also failed.
Thanks for the help and sorry for the greenhorn questions.
sam

 

Just pull the dist cap off and mark which way the rotor is pointing, then mark the base of the distributor with the intake. Have the cap off when you remove the distributor out, and lift straight up. Note how much and where the rotor moves to when you remove it, and be sure to have the rotor pointing to that position when you install it back. DO NOT turn the engine over after removing the distributor or your marks will be off.

When you put it back in there is a possibility the distributor won't seat fully because the pump rod won't line up exactly with the dist gear. Don't try to force it any. Bump the starter slightly a few times and the distributor should fall in place fall in place when the hole and rod align themselves.

 

If your going to replace the pump then use the M57HV.

 

Why would he want to put a high volume pump in that will cause even more stress on the drive shaft. High volume pumps are more of a high RPM thing.

 

Thanks for the replies. I have a silver sharpie laying around that I’ve been waiting to use on something. So I’ll take cap off, Mark rotor position, then dist to intake, pull it straight out. I have a 1/4” female hex socket I’m going to weld to a 3/16” rod to drive the pump to prime.

390Gashog, I usually try to be bully for stout but I read somewhere to use the stock oil pump. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

Well the HV pump upgrade is a common one on FE engines. It helps with the low oil flow issues that plague these engines. The oil pump driveshaft stress is minimal as its not a HP pump. The stock oil pump drive shaft I also suggest changing and using the ARP shaft as the stock is not very robust. The guys over at Survival Motorsports run a HV pump on stock builds.

https://www.diyford.com/ford-fe-engi...omplete-guide/

 

Be sure that the lock retaining washer is on the top end of the rod so it does not come out if the distributor ever has to come out. Trust me on that error.

 

Sometimes the nylon gear on the camshaft gear break off and are small enough to seize the pump.

 

I'm seeing galling on the rotors that only happens from oil starvation or low clearance. I would suggest pulling the pan and checking the pick up screen to make sure it is not plugged. up.

 

Hopefully the cam and distributor are not damaged.

 

ey
How do I determine if my oil pump Is still putting out the proper pressure? I have a guage in the dash but the pressure seems to come up slowly after starting it. Is it time to replace the sending unit?

 

For diagnostic or test purposes use a good old fashioned mechanical oil gauge plumbed at the sender port. These are inexpensive, less than $20 from the usual suspects.

 

Yesterday I put the new Melling M57 pump and the corresponding drive rod in, clip up from the bottom of the engine. I torqued the oil pan bolts down and put 6 quarts Schaefer’s 7000 10w-30 synthetic in. I marked the position on the dist and pulled it out. About this time the mail delivery brought the oil pump priming tool which is nothing more than a thick stock with a 1/4” hex on the end. I used a milkwaukee corded drill to prime the engine and it took some torque after 30 seconds or so.
My neighbor and I worked on getting the distributor back on. I used yardbird’s advice to bump the starter to get everything where it needed to be so that dist was on the cam gear and the end on the oil pump shaft. Thanks yardbird!
It’d been previously run a bit with the bad pump, so it was a bit clattery sounding on the passenger side, probably lifters starved of oil? I ran it a while, and oil pressure gauge responded well, and before long it sounds smooth, no clatter on either side. Did timing by ear, somewhere a bit above the middle safe zone.
There was a kind of sooty exhaust deposit left on the driveway from just the passenger side, probably because I left the choke engaged. It drove just fine afterwards, didn’t seem to lack power, ran smooth/non clattery.
I at first thought I had a seized engine after pressure dropped on the highway and I ran it a little longer, now it seems to run as well as it did before. I suppose I lucked out. What I spoze I should do is do a compression/leakdown test to get engine health. This engine was rebuilt 1998 in Broken Bow Nebraska for the PO, a reputable cattleman rancher, so they probably did a good job for him. I wonder if the Schaeffer’s oil helped it limp along after topside stopped getting oil after pump froze?
I forgot to mention all this happened after dropping off a rebuild core to be rebuilt at the machine shop! I’m thinking of putting the rebuild on hold until I test compression on this one.


I haven’t measured stroke but does anything here say whether it’s a 390 or 360?

Feel spoiled with the accessibility from the 4wheeler frame- no cross member in the way or jacking up the engine.

I took it easy on the RTV around the gasket this time And put a thin bead closer to the outside edge.

 

No need for RTV

 

Good deal. As long as the engine isn't knocking and the hot idle oil pressure is good, I believe you're fine.

I had an oil pump rod break on a truck I I repaired after I bought it with the oil pump rod broke.

I sold the truck and the rod broke once or twice with the new owner before he changed pumps. No other engine damage after all that, so you should be in good shape.