[Tom Vaught]

Another thing to consider is that Chevrolet Oil Pumps do not resemble Pontiac Oil Pumps
(except that the both have Gears, a drive shaft to turn the gears and an assembly cover and oil by-pass system).

So using a Chevrolet "Experience" may not be the same as a "Pontiac" "Experience just as Mick B (Lust4Speed) has had.

Tom V.

[hurryinhoosier62]

Originally Posted by Tom Vaught

I have never brazed the pickup screen to the oil pumps I have used.
I have seen quite a few done that way in the 60s thru 80s.
I have always retained the pump screen by drilling a small 1 millimeter hole on both sides of the inlet boss on the pump. I cleaned up those holes internally with a small file.
Then I inserted the pump screen into the pump inlet and located it properly.
(The pump gears, by-pass parts, and cover were already removed).

Then I used a .9 millimeter (.035") drill bit to carefully drill thru the pump screen tube so that I had a clear hole thru both side of the pump inlet boss.

I use a length of .032" Aircraft Safety Wire and threaded it thru the holes I drilled.
Twisted the wire in the proper aircraft recommended fashion and attached the wire thru 4 aircraft bolts predrilled by the fastener maker. Again using the twisted wire aircraft approach. I have never had a pump screen or the bolts come loose doing this method.

Never saw a "Need" to safety wire the Pump to the Block. Those fasteners always seems to be at Torque spec vs the end of the pump fasteners and the inlet tube.

ONE .032" stainless aircraft wire is not going to cause any restriction to the oil flow.
And that is the medium wire size that is used in a lot of aircraft and auto racing applications.

I could have used the smaller .025" wire but a .031" drilled hole size is a PIA hole size to drill in the pump parts. Having the pump oil screen come off is not a fun thing after a engine build. It takes a bit of time to do the mod but I don't need a welding torch or any real fabricated parts, just some drills and the proper wire, and some time. I have a lot of time these days.

Tom V.

Mr. Vaughn, safety wire ( I prefer the .040 for oil pump pickups) is my preference. Then again, I spent many years using it.

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by ponjohn

That won't stop it from rotating.

True. My engine builder did this. His name is Jim Moran. He's retired. He used to run MBJ Machine in Granite City, IL. He's forgotten more about Pontiac's than most here know.

If you mash your pan, at least it'll rotate and not break.

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by Tom Vaught

Bottom Pic is the way your safety wire looks.

Top pic is the way my safety wire looks when attached to the pump.

Notice the multiple wire twists spaced closely together.

The top "Connection" would actually be the drilled hole securing the screen to the Pump Boss.
The other two connections (at 3:00 and 6:00) would be to the pump cover bolts.

Tom V.

The picture of the pump is from my engine. It was built by Jim Moran at MBJ Machine. Like I said above, He's retired now. He's forgotten more about Pontiacs than most here know. I like this approach. This is one of those things, do what makes you sleep at night.

Safety wire can be a good thing. I know. I'm a licensed Airframe & Powerplant mechanic.

[HWYSTR455]

My solution? Use an aftermarket pan with a pickup that has a strap.

When you spend 10k on an (non-resto-build or performance) engine, why in the world would you put a stock pan back on? Sure, you can tack a make-shift baffle in there, but why would you? Can't spend $350 or so on a good pan? After you've already spent 10k on the engine?

All but the stock replacement pans from Milodon and Canton all have pickups that secure positively, with a bolt to the plate. Only the Moroso pans don't. So just don't buy the Moroso pans. Done.

.

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

My solution? Use an aftermarket pan with a pickup that has a strap.

When you spend 10k on an (non-resto-build or performance) engine, why in the world would you put a stock pan back on? Sure, you can tack a make-shift baffle in there, but why would you? Can't spend $350 or so on a good pan? After you've already spent 10k on the engine?

All but the stock replacement pans from Milodon and Canton all have pickups that secure positively, with a bolt to the plate. Only the Moroso pans don't. So just don't buy the Moroso pans. Done.

.

Mine is a street/strip car. The factory pan and pickup are just fine. I've never had a problem with lots of muscle cars owned. These were factory installed and run hundreds of thousands of miles with little or no failures. Factory baffled pan and windage tray. I don't think it's taking much of a beating down there. I'll spend my $350 somewhere else.

[JSchmitz]

I'm getting ready to install a new oil pump. Thought I'd share my pics. I like Cliff's screw idea. I went with safety wire. Not quite up to A&P standards. I need to get some safety wire pliers. It's work just fine for an oil pump I think, The wire won't let it come out. The lip of the pickup is captured between the thrust plate and the housing. So, it can only rotate a tiny amount.

[JSchmitz]

This is a: Butler Performance PRO 60psi Oil Pump w/Pickup Screen BPI-M54DS-PRO

How do I get pics to not be turned?

[SRR]

I've never had a p/u tube fall out of a Pontiac engine but did have one fall out of a BBC 396 once and it was in a 1968 4 door HT Caprice. I noticed the gage would nose dive to "0" on left turns. Pulled the pan to replace what I thought was a bad oil pump to find the p/u in the pan. One thing I don't do is reuse a p/u screen, I think once it's been used it no longer has any "bite".

[KEN CROCIE]

JS: That's the way I do it. A stock pickup won't twist if you put it in the notch on the pump body. Also, no possible distortion when using safety wire.

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by KEN CROCIE

JS: That's the way I do it. A stock pickup won't twist if you put it in the notch on the pump body. Also, no possible distortion when using safety wire.

Ken, I consider that a compliment!

[tom s]

I have had one come off in all my years.That will be the last one.Tom

[Old Goat Racer]

Milodon pickup sideways pic. My cell phone does it.

[NeighborsComplaint]

Milodon pan with bolt on Milodon pickup in mine. Low profile pan with side kickouts for add'l volume.

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by Old Goat Racer

Milodon pickup sideways pic. My cell phone does it.

That's beefy for sure. The small pickup with large holes makes me a little nervous. I prefer the larger stock style pickup with a finer screen . Plus it came with the pump. Add $.02 worth of wire and your in business cheap.

[Dragncar]

I have a oil pump that the pickup was brazed on by my father in 1982. Used it for years, still fine.
I am doing some oil pump modifications right now. Will do a thread on it.
But anyway I had my pump body at work and the machinist was enlarging the tube inlet on the pump from stock (.748) up to .810. I will modify a Ford pickup with a cone shaped end (proper)
There is a issue with the Canton pickups. The I.D is barely 1/2" and the pickup itself is a rectangle (not good) Canton pickups have shown to have issues stabbing the throttle from say 3000 all the way to 6500 RPM with a momentary drop in oil pressure. It catches up but has shown itself on Luhn's oil system dyno and in their cars. The issue is not really there with stock pickups and pans, screen itself is bigger but the 1/2" tube is still barely adequate.
Luhn used to do the .810 tube like I am doing but now go all the way to a full 1.00" O.D. tube. It requires the boss to be milled off and a bolt on bottom plate and boss.

But back to attaching the pickup tube to the pump. The machinist asked me how I was going to attach it. I told him weld it. I have no problem brazing it or simply welding it. I am a welder and have access to all the specialty dissimilar metal rods and all that. But I know whenever you weld cast iron there is risk of it cracking. You can lessen the risk but it is still there.
The machinist told me to silver solder it. It makes the most sense. It is easy and very strong. We use to to "fabricate" hydraulic fittings in a emergency. It holds up to 1800P.S.I. of hyd pressure. Myself I have used it to install custom drain plugs on my GTOs gas tank and transmission pan by simply silver soldering a 1/2" fine grade 8 nut and use a short bolt and copper gasket. Had them on for 20 years.
Its high temp silver solder, not the stuff you use to sweat copper tubes together for your house,s plumbing. But the same process and just as easy, just need a oxy/acy torch vs propane for heat.
In sawmills we use it to hold the carbide/stellite teeth on giant saws.

The Canton strap you bolt to the bottom of your pump plate is a good idea. Solves the issue but the as I wrote the pickup tube size itself and the shape of the pickup are problems, bend is kinda sharp too. And if you want to use a weld on strap you will have to use the thin stamped steel plate. It has the 5/16 bolts so you can use them. But if you want to run the thick cast iron plate, better than the steel one because it is thicker, iron wears better than steel and it is porous you have to use the Phillips head screws that are countersunk. So you have to weld, braze, screw, wire or silver solder.
Their pumps are trick for a Mellings. Have the full 1.00 I.D tube, 15/16 I.D. and a 1/4" aluminum bronze bottom plate, something like that.
My pump will be one click down for from that but still won't have any pressure hiccups stabbing the throttle.
You might think only going up .062 on the tube I.D. is not that big a deal, but it is. Anyone who knows about the increase in flow with dia. increase knows what I am talking about. Its significant.