Small block Fuel pump replacement tips

[Longhorn Man]

This one comes up from time to time, and when I give these tips, there's always a few guys who have been spinning wrenches for a while that say they have never heard of this.

If the engine is out...or in a vehicle with enough room to access the front of the block by the timeing chain cover...then this is the way you'd want to do it. This only works on small blocks, big blocks don't have this feature.
Look at the front by the timing cover on the lower passenger side. You are looking for a bolt that seems to be there for no reason at all.

Remove this bolt, and find one about an 1/2 inch longer.

Once the pump is out, ensure the cam is turned so that the pump push rod is in the upward position. Odds are, it is already up there.

Push the rod up and screw the longer bolt in untill it hits the rod. Don't torque it down...just a little tighter than finger tight will do.

Personally, I like to place a dab of white lithium grease (commonly called duraplate) on the end of the pushrod. The fuel pump is one of the last parts of the engine to get oil, so this little dab will go a long way.

When done, make sure the bolt goes back into the hole. If not, you will have a massive oil leak that will have you scratching your head for a while. Some thread tape may be overkill...but overkill is better than not enough effort IMO.

If you can not access the front of the engine...or if you have a big block, then there are a couple things you can still do to make the job a bit easier.

Take a hack saw blade, and bend the last 4 inches or so just a little bit. Use a new onw that has never cut metal. It can be difficult to remove all the metal chips off that blade, but you KNOW they'll come off inside the engine.
Push the rod up with your finger, place the blade to where it is holding the rod up, then install the pump removing the blade after the arm on it is placed on the rod properly.


Still another way, is to place a blob of clean chassis grease on the end of the rod, and insert it into the hole. Right before installing the pump, stick your finger in there and make sure the rod is all the way up. The grease will hold it for a moment while you get the pump in place.

Like many ppl, i wasn't told about this untill AFTER I did my first pump replacement. I was unaware of any of these tips. I must have spent a good 4 hrs under my truck calling it everything in the book.