Okay,please pardon my ignorance here. I got a new chrome mechanical fuel pump from Santa for my 350 Chevy. Simple-2 lines,2 bolts-but my '77 Motor Manual says to hold up the push rod with "mechanical fingers" when installing the pump. If I had mechanical fingers,I wouldn't be asking. So, you guys who have done it, are there any tricks or tips I need to know to get this thing on? Does the push rod from the motor have to be set in some special location? Many thanks.
you can take a long bolt and thread it into the block until it gently bottoms out into the "fuel pump push rod"
Turn engine over by hand till the pump "rod" is UP at top of stroke... Then manually push it up[slick bastard!] and insert the pumps 'plunger" in to hold it while you start the two bolts.... Tighten both bolts evenly [back and forth] till it seats up solidly.
i usually pull the rod out and give it a coat of grease to keep it from falling out while i put the pump on.
I use the grease trick too. Sometimes it even works. usually it works better if you take the plate off, then pull out the pushrod (or catch as it falls out), clean it off good, and put lotsa thick wheel bearing grease on it, then put the plate back on with a new gasket, and then the pump.
Using a longer bolt threaded into the block is the easiest way. Make sure the rod is at the top of the stroke.
Thanks, but I seem to be getting more lost. What/where does this long bolt thread from and to? I understand that the push rod is driven by the motor moving the arm of the puel pump up and down,but not much more. If I take the rod "out" as thrasher suggests,how do I get it out,how does it go back in and will NAPA have just the gasket for the plate? Anybody got a diagram? I was pretty sure I could be this dense,but didn't figure it'd be over a mechanical fuel pump. I could just take it off and wing it-but there's not much room to work where it is and I would rather get it close to right the first time. Thanks guys.
There is 2 bolt holes (3/8) in the front of the block. One on top of the other. Matching set on the other side. Used for motor mounts on 55's.
the long bolt they talk about goes into the upper hole of the two holes on the front lower part of the block...they may already be a short bolt in there
Did you get this pump on?? Sounds like you know about the bar that operates the mech. pump. Just use your left hand index finger to push the bar back up into the block. While kinda holding that, use right hand to place the new pump. It's a little tricky but you should get it. Basically, your new pump will not fit if the bar in the block has fallen down after removing the old pump. You just need to push that back up into the block enough to clear the arm sticking out of your new pump. You should be able to pull your finger out right as your new pump is about to wedge your finger against the block. If the pump fits up flat against the block when you pull that finger out, then you should be good to go. Carl Hagan
I had the same thing over the summer. Its not really hard to put the fuel pump on....its only 2 bolts, but its tricky getting that rod to stay up there to put the pump on. I used some .35 MIG wire, bent it up to fit inside to hold the rod up, carefully put my fuel pump on so it was about a 1/4 inch away from the block. Then, carefully as you go thread in the bolts, slowly pull the wire out as you push the fuel pump onto the block. Like said before, if your pump sits flush against the block, you've got it.
ok guys, the top hole is the one ...just remember a couple of things...with the old pump removed, click the starter over while holding the pushrod up..you will feel when it is at the top of the stroke..remove the top bolt (note that it is very short!) find a bolt that is threaded all the way down to the head and screw it in by hand...if you use a wrench you can bend the pushrod..then install the pump, remove the long bolt and reinstall the short one with silicone or your sealer of choice on the threads... sealer is needed, and you will get a nasty leak if you forget to replace the bolt... been there, done that applies to all of the above good luck
Just an update. Thanks to everyone for their help. After about six attempts,I got the pump on. Not the pump's fault. To begin with,there isn't much room between the hoses,fuel lines,wiring,etc. that all seem determined to go through this little bit of space beyween the engine and the A's frame rail. Then, it turns out that even if there are 6 different positions I can rotate the pump base to, none of them actually allow access to the inlet and outlet fittings on the pump. So after two different trips to NAPA, I finally found right angle barb to fit the inlet and slid the pump in. Once I figured out the push rod really goes in and out,not up and down,it wasn't too bad. I cut a 6"x0.75" piece of vinly siding to use as a push tool,then slid it out after the pump was in. Think I'll label and save that bit (Tech Week?). So the pump is on. Haven't fitted the hoses yet or measured and run the line-I ran out of time and now it's really cold,plus I won't be off again until Sunday,so I don't know if it really works. More on that later. Thanks to all for the advice-oh,I never did figure out the two bolt holes on the block. They're threr,but they seem to be blind at the boittom and not near the puch rod. Oh,well. With the weird lower radiator hose, I didn't have access anyway. Boy, there's just not much room to work in there.
if the two holes are the ones facing forward down near the bottom of the block they could be the old motor mount bolt holes that gm kept sence the 50`s, there should be some on both sides of the block.i know they were still there up into the 80`s, not sure when they stoped putting them in.
The thru-bolt from front trick has been in GM handouts since the '60s. Seems like 12 years ago the 'Chev fuel pump wheel' still had room to be re-invented!
Just to add to this old thread, too bad my big block didn't have one of those. What a bitch! Sent from my SM-G900V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
your big block has a plug under the pump, and you can use it to drop the pushrod out, put some grease on the pushrod, put it back in, then install the pump before the pushrod drops back down.
I did see that, (at the end) in my ot truck it was not so roomy against the frame, got it by making sure lobe was up and hooked it, and held it with stainless mig wire. Sent from my SM-G900V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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