this may be a dumb question, but i didnt pay attention to the oil pump shaft when i took it out a couple months ago. the shaft is straight, and then theres a washer loking thing(idk what to call it) made onto one side. that side goes away from the pump correct?
yeah I believe the umbrella looking part keeps it from coming out/falling into the pan if/when you pull the distributor.
looking down into the dist hole from the top, you will see where the drive shaft passes through the block. the lock washer will be located under that as said before,,,to prevent the rod from coming out when the dizzy is pulled.
you really dont need it.
thanks guys, i just wanted to be sure before i threw it all together
I read of someone losing the shaft into the oil pan, so I'd say you do need it.
the drive rod can get lost / dropped,, and im not sure why the clip gets lost so often during an engine build. My factory 3.8 did not have the clip and to my knowledge of ownership since 1990, it was never taken apart except by me once.
You too? I pulled my dizzy on my factory stock 3.8 when it had about 40K on it to replace the TFI module and pickup. When it finally turned the timing cover loose and came out, something went flying by my head. Looked behind me to see the OP shaft laying on the floor. I'm the OO on this car, so I know for a fact the engine had never been out of the car, nor otherwise tampered with. I guess sometime after original design in 1984, they decided the clip wasn't as useful as originally intended.
yep,,
and the trick to putting it back in is just as tricky.
barely stuff a long spare section of vac hose over the end of the shaft.
gently guide into its home<once there, you gotta rotate the hose off the shaft as to not lift the shaft out at all.
next is even more fun, line up the dizzy shaft to the pump shaft and all at the same time, make perfect alignment happen on the cam gear.