I am in the middle of changing my oil pump and I tried to do it the way I did it last time, which was jacking it up using the oil pan and bracing the rest of the engine with blocks etc but it didn't work that well this time.. Can someone suggest to me the best way to get the engine jacked up so I can remove the oil pan??

This is on a 1989 Chevrolet Camaro 350 btw.

TIA!

 

I personally have an engine hoist, and would not try it with out one. Did you seperate the tranny?

 

no not yet, I just got my book back so im going to take a look at it now.. It told me an alternate method of jacking it up without an engine hoist.. I wish I had one but I don't.

 

You'll never get the pan out with the flexplate/flywheel still attached to the back of the motor. This means, of course, that you'll have to drop the trans. No way around it- jsut won't come out with that stuff still in the way.

 

actually I just got it off.

I removed starter, distributor etc, and removed all the bolts with it jacked up using the oil pan, after that I put a brick and a piece of wood in each side of the engine mounts and thats holding it up enough for me to get the oil pan, off.. Just got to replace the pump now and im done.

 

I had to do this after I swapped in the T-56.....you never really realize how much bigger the bellhousing is till you try to jack the motor up. I ended up unbolting the pan and pullin it down as far as I could (bout 4" at the side rails) and shovin it over to the side so I could worm my forearm inside the pan to get to the pump. Hurt like hell but it saved me from having to drop the tranny AGAIN.

 

well, I exchanged the high ouput pump for a new factory one and I just put it in using the nylon thing it came with. The old one that I pulled out had a medal (or steel?) clamp or whatever it is connecting it to the drive shaft.. Should I consider that the one im pulling out could be a high output or do some oil pumps with stock outputs come like that? it also has a ping spring inside and has some stamped letters/numbers on the outside but I can't seem to find anything that matches them. If I have a high output oil pump in there I don't' want to put in a regular one in there.. Anyone know how to tell?

 

Who swapped in the 350? Was it ike that when you bought it or did you have it done or what? Some people do use a high-volume pump just on principle with every engine they build....then again somebody could have just put a steel sleeve shaft on a stock pump to keep from breaking the nylon sleeve.

I don't know of any way to tell the difference by looking at the pump...maybe someone else does. If you know who put the bottom end together ask them.

 

No, I don't. If I did Id probably shoot them
It was like this when I got it.

 

I'd be willing to bet whoever put the engine together used a high-volume pump. There's just no real reason to get a steel-sleeve shaft otherwise.

 

Welp, I put in a stock oil pump.. Later on when I decide to build the engine up I'll definately put in a high volume oil pump (I'll keep my old one with the steel sleeve for reference ;p). The car is back together, completely.. but I am having trouble getting it to start, it won't start at all, back firing etc.. I can't seem to get the timing right no matter how I do it.. Anyone got any ideas?? I tried doing it by the book but my distributer isn't quite like the book, its alot more, simplified, than the one in the book. I should have noted the positions when I pulled it out but I was in such a hurry I didn't even think about it, now its all back together and it won't start

 

The best thing to do when you lose positioning of your distributor is to put the number one cylinder to TDC and start from scratch. It will tell you the complete instructions in your manual on how to do it. As far as your distributor being more simple than the book, setting the distributor to fire number one cylinder when the number one cylinder is TDC is universal on these V-8's. If you cannot find the instructions let me know and I will detail them out for you.

 

Actually, I've already gotten to that point.. I think the problem I am having is the cap etc.. I don't know exactly how I should put the rotor before I put the distributor in. I will give it another try later on.. I just tried it but I think I missed something, now it shoots fuel or something (high pressured) up through the throttle body.. won't start, but its not back firing any more.. soo I think Im close.. I'll try it again in a couple hrs from scratch and see what happends.