After looking at Peter's pictures of the pumps teeth, I got scared. I'm over 200k also, at the price for a new one, it's getting replaced this weekend!

Riffraff Diesel: Melling LPOP

 

Practice makes perfect, when you are done we can do mine just for the practice.

 

Great write-up Peter and Stewart. I was only able to rep Peter. Catch you later Stewart.

I converted the first two posts to a PDF. Will be easy to save & print.

Edit: Peter or Stewart, If there is anything you want added or corrected in the PDF let me know.

 

Thanks Robin! Great work. Thank you.

 

I got the both of you guys yesterday. I'm really wondering if this is my problem or my GP's are toast? I have a hard starting problem when its cold out, and even now, when its 110* in PHX. Definitly gonna look into both areas.

Great write up guys! Very informative.

 

Just for curiousity and the possibility of another fix on my truck, my oil pressure will not move for about 3 to 5 seconds after truck is started. Kind of curious what others are and whether it should be instantaneous. If so I may be looking at the same replacement.

 

That was one of the things that led me to replace mine. Now, even with fairly old oil, it comes right up. Its an inexpensive and easy fix. Do it now before the cold weather sets in.

Riffraff Diesel: Melling Low Pressure Oil Pump LPOP

 

That is definately what I am concerned with, and I've noticed my starts starting to get rough. Followed your write up very nice BTW and think I will be doing it shortly.

 

Peter, quick question...

It looks like the Melling came with a new rotor assembly housing. My understanding is that the front of the lpop holds part of the front main seal with the damper have the other 1/2 of the front main seal in the back of it.

Did you have to put a new seal in the Melling housing or was one already installed?

Thanks!

 

Also, how did you get the balancer/damper torqued down properly? And were can I get this "flywheel lock tool" that Stewart speaks of?

 

Also did the Melling pump come with a new o-ring for where it mates to the front cover?

 

Yes it does

Riffraff Diesel: Melling Low Pressure Oil Pump LPOP

 

I'm asking all this because I might be buying one from you Clay. However, I just bought a stock one from Ford and it's just the 2 rotors and not the housing. They said that the rotors are what typcially fail and not the housing, which is fine cause my front main seal is still good in mine.

But I was wondering about the Melling, if it has the front main seal already installed in the housing or does it need to be added separately.

Doing some research, it sounds like the melling has the same volume as stock up to 2500rpm, from 2500 to 3K it's better, and puts out 10% volume more than stock at 3K. This interests me very much because I'm running big oil and when pulling the trailer which is a lot of the time, I'm at 2500 rpm +.

Will the stock unit I just bought work fine? Absolutely. Will the Melling for $15 more be better in my application... that's what I want to know.

 

From everything I read, the Melling is a mild upgrade. Nowhere could I come up with any flow #s. It does require a new housing mostly because the rotors on the Melling unit are not as thick as the OEM.

Melling has been "the" name in oil pumps for a long, long time. And for the price its hard to go wrong. As far as the transmission tool Stewart spoke of, I searched and searched and could not find anything. I am sure something of the sort is out there. Its just a matter of where. We tightened the crank pulley as tight as we could. I believe it calls for 80 ft/lbs.

 

This is the tool Lightning owners usually get whenever they purchase a lower pulley setup.







One end of this strap attaches to the torque convertor bolt with the other end attaching to the trans bellhousing inspection plate bolt.

In taking the pictures to post here, it dawned on me you can just use a box end wrench to achieve the same results.

Remove the bellhousing inspection cover. Using a breaker bar and socket, rotate the engine via the crank bolt until you can access one of the torque convertor bolts. Put a box end wrench vertically on a convertor bolt.

Re-install one of the trans bellhousing inspection bolts (just a few turns, not all the way) and rotate the engine again with the breaker bar until the wrench makes contact with the bolt. Snug it down on the wrench and then with the engine locked in place, you can break the crank nut loose.

Rotate the breaker bar counter-clockwise to remove the nut. It's a standard threaded bolt, righty-tighty, lefty-loosy.

Or just get a piece of flat stock metal, drill the holes, bend to fit, and you got a trans lock device!

Stewart