Likely locking up because the stock gaskets are too thin.... You need to purchase a set of TA Performance oil pump shim gaskets. I'd also recommend ditching the extended gears and the spacer. Just run the stock oil pump gears with a TA booster plate instead.
What CJay said Have you checked pump gear end clearance? That’s what the gasket/s do. if you just put it together with a random gasket chances are that gasket is NOT thick enough to provide clearance for the gears (.002) as evidence by you saying it spins freely with the bolts loosened.
Thanks everyone... I don't know how or why the clearance changed by just taking the timing cover off and cleaning it up. Warpage maybe due to correct torque when assembled back together? Every fastener on this thing has been loose so far. Even the oil pan bolts were finger tight. I knew something was wrong when I went to stab the distributor back in and the pump shaft was locked up. I thought for sure some old gasket and RTV got lodged in the gears but it was clean when I took the housing off. But either way it's irrelevant now... I have a new cover, filter housing and gear set coming. There is a plate (booster?) between the housing and cover which I gather can be added by itself with larger gears? It's very old so it must have been added a very long time ago. I ordered a standard gear set so I think I have to eliminate that plate when I assemble it. Cutting it close for getting a bunch of highway miles on it before Power Tour.
Is the steel plate hollow like a gasket or solid like the gear facing side of the oil filter housing? If it is solid, it is a booster/wear plate to keep the gears from eating up the aluminum oil filter housing. If it looks like the middle plate, that is a booster plate and goes between the oil filter housing and the gears/front cover. If it looks like the left gasket, it is a high volume oil pump and you don't need that.
So the filter housing I bought has a metric fitting for a filter. Anyone know a good part number for a Wix or NAPA oil filter I can use now? Does Wix 51036 sound right? I have plenty of room for as big a filter as will fit.
First, read through this thread, https://www.v8buick.com/index.php?threads/oil-pump-clearances-and-oil-pressure.326597/ The Metric pump cover takes the smaller PF-47 or PF 52 oil filter I believe. The PF 52 is longer. The Wix number is 51036.
Yep, thanks. What's up with TA not having a retail web site? Gotta get on the horn to them Monday. I'm outta town till later in the week anyway.
A retail site takes upkeep and work. I'm guessing Mike doesn't want to do that. Calling them is easy enough.
Calling is a better idea anyway seeing as most of us have questions regarding parts and such, ordering from a website is only useful IF your DAMN sure what you need.
Hey all...question... The new oil pump gear kit comes with several different springs for choosing what I assume is desired oil pressure. I can choose 40psi or 60psi. I put the white 60psi spring in. I guess that makes the most sense but is that what I want for a 350? There's no call-out on the instructions for the other two. Thanks
Aftermarket parts (timing cover) SUCK. Pump went together great. Primed well over 60psi. But the distributor won't drop because the cam gear and dist. gear are offset. Old distributor wouldn't drop in either, until I took the gear off of it. So, screwed. I'm about to pull this thing and drop a new engine in...
I think that's why TA goes thru their covers they sell and insure the gear/ housing alignment is right. Or maybe buy them bare and machine them in house.
Update on the timing cover debacle... It's finally all back together. Tried to use an ATI cover from Rock Auto which was a disaster. Distributor hole was so far off the dist. wouldn't seat. Had to use the original timing cover again. That entailed drilling out and Helicoilng 3 water pump mounting holes. Put new standard oil pump gears in a new housing, and switching to the metric oil filter 1036. I used what I think was a .005" gasket/shim. Put the white pressure spring in (60psi). Trying to upload a video of it running after getting up to temp, but I get a security warning. It idles around 64psi, but pegs when given any RPM. Scary...never had that happen before.
Maybe if one dowel pin was removed on the ATI cover, you could have "tweaked" the cover to have the distributor drop in & have the gears mesh... just a thought....
