[Bnick166]

I'm using a SIMMS unit. You won't save money on it though. Not even sure they're still available.

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by 64speed

Only I could start a damn fight over the oil pump driveshaft. LOL

Ha, I'm pretty sure, no I'm absolutely positive, these guys would argue over just about anything with anybody, so you don't have to take all the credit

Some of these guys would be a real ball at parties eh?

[Kenth]

Pontiac used 2 different oil pump drive shafts, the stronger one were used for O-port engines.
D-port #534652, O-port #9794305.

[Lee]

Driving down the road, and all of a sudden the lifters start clattering - that is a BAD feeling, even more so when it is in your daily driver.

That is what I experienced about 26 years ago, when I reused the oil pump driveshaft on a rebuild, and it broke about a year later.

I have not reused an old shaft since then. CHEAP insurance against an easily avoidable failure.

[Steve C.]

And when going out to dinner avoid drinking expensive ice tea for a week or so and one can cover the shipping costs on the nice billet piece


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[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by Schurkey

What makes the fancy shaft different from the plain ol' Melling, OTHER than the price and some text "saying" it's "heavy duty"?

IS there a difference in strength?

Has anyone failed an OEM-level oil pump driveshaft that wasn't defective?

I have the sense that the "crappy" OEM driveshaft is the outlier, while the "HP" OEM shaft, the Melling, and the bling-y "billet" shafts are all functionally equivalent (i.e., they all work about the same.)

[neill]

once when priming an oil pump with an old screw driver and a drill I was unable to get the distributor in after. I had accidently spread the ears apart on the driveshaft. I managed to squeeze them back together and never failed but I probably just got lucky.

[dataway]

Hehehe ... the old "squeeze the ears" trick ... that is truly living on the edge there

I forget where I got mine, but I think it was black and kind of shiny, think I got it from Butler.

[Overkillphil]

Then there are folks who stress over an oil pump driveshaft bending, twisting or breaking so they buy a hardened one and then drive it with a polymer dist. gear.

[KEN CROCIE]

Stress proof is an excellent steel for oil pump drive shafts. Google it.
H-O oil pump driveshaft failures: We sourced RA4 driveshafts from GM and they forgot (?) to heat treat them. Unfortunately , some customers had driveshaft failures. We notified every customer who bought one and replaced every one, if the customer responded . It was at this time that we started making our own OS-11 shafts.

[64speed]

Originally Posted by Overkillphil

Then there are folks who stress over an oil pump driveshaft bending, twisting or breaking so they buy a hardened one and then drive it with a polymer dist. gear.

I have to use a polymer gear because I am using a roller cam

[Formulajones]

Yep that's pretty typical. 3 polymers here, no issues with those and I've been running something with a roller for close to 20 years. Can't say the same for oil pump shafts. Probably has a lot to do with the strength of the helicoil cut gears verses a couple of ears sticking out of a shaft.

[Steve C.]

Agree, not related. I've never had a issue with the BOP poly gear with a 80 lb oil pump. Many others report similar.

Onward.


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[GTO JONES]

I had one break, it cost me a 463 motor, not again.