[SusieQ]

Originally Posted by Tom Vaught

Looking at SusieQ's, oil pump picture, I have a question:

a) We already agree that the pump screen should not fit into the notch but the screen "lip" should be a bit lower on the pump and flatter on the bottom of the oil pan.

b) Most agree that a strap is not a bad idea to retain the pick-up to the pump.

So here is my question/ proposal.

If you mounted a flat strap on the bottom of the pump, (but not to the bolts closest to the pump inlet but the ones closest to the "notch" on the pump, and then located the screen so that it was more "flat" when installed in the pan (by welding the strap above the lip on the top of the pick up screen) then three things would happen.

a) The screen would be flat with the oil pan bottom surface.
b) The bolts/strap would securely keep the screen from vibrating (because you are not using the notch (which was cast in the pump housing for that purpose in the oil pump design).
c) The screen once installed could not come out of the pump because it could not move due to the oil pump cover "retention" fasteners and fabricated strap.

Tom V.

You could call it the Susie Q "Oil Screen Mod".

I think it's an interesting idea Tom, but I'm already going to weld the existing strap directly to the tube, so wouldn't an additional strap be redundant? And if I welded that secondary strap to the screen, wouldn't there be a risk of damaging the thin screen material?

I'll grind down the lip that prevents the screen from rotating downward to my desired position. Then I'll be drilling two holes in the strap at the tube and welding in those locations, as well as drilling a hole in the part of the strap that wraps around the tube, tightening it with Vice-Grips, and welding that. I can't see how it could ever move.