okokok... dammit - couple q's

1. How in the hell do you get the oil pickup into the pump? Melling M77 pickup and cheapo Ebay 7 qt pan w/ pickup :disappoin (Yeah I know cheap parts are cheap for a reason, but I checked it out, and the welds are ok, and it's about on par with stock pans). The pickup tube and the hole in the oil pump are about the same size and won't fit. I don't want to bend/dent the tube by using a hammer, and can't get the friggin pickup and pump into a press without dropping one or both... How the F do you get the F'ing pickup on the F'ing pump? :1zhelp: Or is the pickup the wrong OD? :dunno:

2. How clean does the engine have to be on the inside? I had to heli-coil a head bolt hole, and obviously there were some shavings were it was drilled and tapped, but I blew it out (:naughty: ) with compressed air (:nono: ) and shop-vac'ed the shit out of it (:grinyes: ). I"m just worried that some minute piece of dirt got on to the crank and is gonna eat up my engine. :yikes: Do I just put it back together and fire it up, run it for a minute, change the oil, and repeat a couple times... same with the water passage, I know there's some crap still in there that I couldn't get out, do I change the coolant once after I get the whole thing back together or is it ok to "let it eat"?

1-soudns like you have incompatable parts.

2-nothing should have gotten past the rings so the crank should be fine. You've done what you can. As for as oil goes, what I do is change it )and filter) a 500, 1500 then 3000. Of course checking the filter and oil for anything that doesn't belong.

Well I did (still do) have the oil pan off so the whole assembly was open to everything... I wouldn't put it past my kids to put a friggin sandwich or some sidewalk chalk in there.

I was thinking maybe I'd spray inside the whole bottom end down with brake cleaner or something (maybe carb cleaner... that's a lubricant too), just incase there's some lint, dust, grit, etc from when I was working on the paint, or from the heli-coil, etc - BUT that'll take away the existing oil, etc ... and that's bad right?

And the oil pickup... do the press fit pickups just slide in, or do they take some "coaxing"?

Should just slip in and be retained in place by a bolt arm that goes to one of the main caps.

Should just slip in and be retained in place by a bolt arm that goes to one of the main caps.


Got the arm part, but the friggin tube won't fit in the hole! :uhoh: :evillol:

What do you think about spraying the bottom end with something, just to make sure it's clean?

I wouldn't go spraying anything around that might dilute oil during that all critical first start up.

So the pump didn't come with it's own pick up? What about the old one?

Negatory... no pickup with the new pump. The old pickup is welded to the old pump, and the new pan is a tad deeper, wouldn't work anyway.

For the S & G's of it, you have sized the pan up to block macking sure fit and bolt match and that you have the right one? :sly:

NOOOOooooOOO.. but I did set it on top of the old oil pan real quick and it seemed ok. I'll have to look at it again.

NOOOOooooOOO.. but I did set it on top of the old oil pan real quick and it seemed ok. I'll have to look at it again.

ohhhh boy :disappoin

ohhhh boy :disappoin

Dylan... why would you ever, in your right mind, even start to consider I do something correctly? What's the matter with you? lol

Dylan... why would you ever, in your right mind, even start to consider I do something correctly? What's the matter with you? lol

I need my prescription upped I guess. :rolleyes:

1. How in the hell do you get the oil pickup into the pump? Melling M77 pickup and cheapo Ebay 7 qt pan w/ pickup :disappoin (Yeah I know cheap parts are cheap for a reason, but I checked it out, and the welds are ok, and it's about on par with stock pans). The pickup tube and the hole in the oil pump are about the same size and won't fit. I don't want to bend/dent the tube by using a hammer, and can't get the friggin pickup and pump into a press without dropping one or both... How the F do you get the F'ing pickup on the F'ing pump? :1zhelp: Or is the pickup the wrong OD? :dunno:
The pickup should be a press fit into the pump. There should be a flange around the pickup's tube. Put the pump in a vice to hold it. Take a pair of vicegrips and open the jaws with the screw so when closed the jaws rest on the flange on the tube but don't crimp the tube itself. Now, tap the tube into the pump, it may take some doing, but it should go in there.

2. How clean does the engine have to be on the inside? I had to heli-coil a head bolt hole, and obviously there were some shavings were it was drilled and tapped, but I blew it out (:naughty: ) with compressed air (:nono: ) and shop-vac'ed the shit out of it (:grinyes: ). I"m just worried that some minute piece of dirt got on to the crank and is gonna eat up my engine. :yikes: Do I just put it back together and fire it up, run it for a minute, change the oil, and repeat a couple times... same with the water passage, I know there's some crap still in there that I couldn't get out, do I change the coolant once after I get the whole thing back together or is it ok to "let it eat"?
The cleaner the internals, the better. If you have doubts, button it all up and use an oil pump priming tool to pump some cheap oil all throughout the engine for 15 minutes or so. Then drain the oil and change the filter, refill with your oil of choice and new filter and fire it up. Do the break in....if it is a flat tappet, Lunati has an "improved" break in process...If you need/want it I'll post it. Drain oil and change filter after the initial break in.

I'm with morley on the pickup to pump installation. mine was the same way, they don't just slide in. i also believe there's a special tool available just for that purpose. summit carries it.

Why do I not remeber this being so difficult? :dunno:

who knows, probably different types of pickups available, whether it be bolt-in, press fit, or weld on.

All GM oil pickups should be pressed fit. Some will then be tack welded to the pump and others have an arm that picks up one of the mounting bolts..these methods keep the pickup from coming out or rotating in the pump.

Now I'm scared... I filed/sanded the outside of the pickup tube so the damned thing would go in... it STILL was not easy to get in there. Used a rubber mallet and some grease and whole bunch of cussing to get it in there...

You don't think I messed anything up do you? I hope not because that sumich ain't coming out, I'll have to buy a new pickup and pump.

Oddly the pickup head is slightly canted so that one side is about 3/16" higher than the other. I read in a bunch of places that you want the pickup to oil pan clearance to be between 3/8" and 1/2"... the way it worked out one side is just under 3/8" and the other is just over 1/2", so I wound up with the whole spread. Kinda odd, but I guess it works.

You should be fine. The pickups are supposed to be a bastard to get in, so they won't work themselves out.