Mine is still sitting on my desk next to my keyboard. I'm still nervous about installing it myself. The shims are a mystery to me. It says to use the shims for proper "end clearance".... What are they referring to here? Clearance between the gears and the thrust plate? How can you measure that when it's inaccessible?
Adam, it helps if you understand that the gears actually stick OUT of the housing. The gasket, and/or shims is how you ADD the clearance needed from the cover to the gears. HTH ya!
To messure the end clearance, take the oil pump cover off ( the part the filter screws on to). Clean, clean, clean the gasket surfaces. Install new gears. Then use a flat edge (a 6 in. steel ruler works well) on top of the gears and mesure the distance between the gears and the housing. You should get some thing like .010. Then add up some shims to equal the amount you get and add .002. Then use some copper tac on the shims and pack the pump cavity full of petrolium jelly and put it all together (don't forget to use the proper torque specs ans sequence). Prime the oil system and you're done.
If your pump area is warped, you'll find that you'll get too much clearance in one spot and not enough in another. At one point my gears wouldn't even turn. If this is the case just keep messing with shims .001" at a time until it frees up. Err on the low side to avoid too much clearance and low pressure. You can do this guys! Be sure to screw your adjustable regulator in until about 1/4" of threads is sticking out!
i screw a pressure guage right on the block were the sending unit goes, then i compare it to the afermarket guage or the stock one, i feel this is gives a better reading, then i know what presure the stock guage is reading , note 10 psi per 1000 rpm is recomended just my 2 cents
Adam, one more thing. Use a micrometer (or a caliper if you don't have a mic) to measure the thickness of the two oil pump gears. My idler gear was .002" thicker than my drive gear. If you are shooting for .002" clearance, you can see where this deviation in thickness can make for a bad deal. I ended up using a surface grinder to remove the .002" off of the idler, but a mill would also work. Be sure to deburr the edges of the gear with a very small file when you are done (if you have to remove any material) ---------------------Mark D.
Do you have to get the booster plate to install the adjustable regulator. How hard is the regulator to install. I have a 430 with about average oil pressure with a 10w-30. thanks, will
No, the adjustable regulator can be installed separately. It simply replaces the end cap on the oil pump cover, and allows you to alter the spring preload, and the relief pressure. Stock 400-430-455 had 40 psi springs, so normal peak oil pressures were about 40 psi. We all know that is not enough when pushing these engines:Smarty: That being said, the adjustable regulator will only enable you to adjust peak pressures and will do nothing for low pressure at idle. For that, the booster plate is necessary.
can doing the oil mods to the block, crank and timing cover, lower oil pressure???? im just talking about the holes that are added or drilled larger. i just wonder if that takes away some resistance in the system and might effect low rpm pressure???
I installed a booster plate on a 350 while it was in the car like ten years ago. I was way dummer then and it took like 45 minutes. You guys will be just fine. The shims, if I remember, just temporarily wrap around the new gears so that when you drill for the pins, they'll be correctly located. Once again, If I could do it..................
