Technical SBC oil pump bolt torque help

So after watching a fairly well renowned engine builder on you tube install a sbc oil pump and he torqued the bolt to 50 lbs, I went and did so on mine and buttoned it all up. Later on I came across a spec chart on the web and it said 65 lbs.

Should I tear it back down again and get new gaskets or am I overthinking this?

ALSO :if I go back in, would I harm it if I loosened and retorqued the mains and rods also (I didn't assemble the bottom end).

 

Tear it down.

 

Get a one piece pan gasket this time, and make life easier when you find other reasons to pull it apart again.

Welcome to the joy of working on cars.

 

No your over thinking it.

 

50 will hold it. It's not a high stress situation. 65 is just the max torque for that fastener.

 

The well known engine builder torqued the ???
Bolt
Stud
Or nut &
Did the builder use
Molley or oil??
Different torque spec's for each, & other factor's can applie( titanium, grade 5-8-9 )
But if stock , OEM Gm bolt 50 is Ok

 

Stock engine, stock bolt, oil.

 

It will be fine!

 

So; factory torque spec's are just suggestions.

 

so if I go back in, would I harm it if I loosened and retorqued the mains and rods also (I didn't assemble the bottom end).

 

I would just torque them to the spec, not loosen them first.

The torque specs are indeed specs, some fasteners are more critical than others. You don't want the oil pump bolt to fall out. It will probably be fine at 50 ft lbs. It might not. There is one way to find out...and another way to not have to find out.

 

What if they were overtorqued, who knows.

 

Your oil pump will be fine at 50# ......

You should not mess with the rods and mains unless you have a reason to question the assembler,
if you do question his work, then by all means recheck them.....

LW

 

50 lbs may be ok but 65 is right. I would redo the torque as IF it fails it will do so when it is most inconvenient. The correct torque is calculated to give a Proof load on the thread, this is what holds it there without lock washers etc. As for the big ends and mains, if you are concerned about them, whats to say the rest wont concern you. Good luck. JW

 

Leave it as is, its a sbc unless your racing it you can't hurt it!!

 

And you don't need a gasket between the oil pump and cap.

 

I wouldn't worry about it at 50. I've never seen a pump fall off but I have seen lots of pickup sumps fall in the bottom of the pan. Best thing is to weld them on the pump. Ron

 

^^^ As carpok said if the pick up is not welded on you should take it apart do that and then torque to spec.

 

That's really sorta a toughy , you see web things say 60/70 , they are supposed to be 65 , i had one when i put the bolt in clean and oiled with fingers then started to torque pull a divit out of the cap about 3/4 inch round so must have been way over torqued or motor balance way out or bad casting , what i am saying is stuff happens , some people say 65 pds ok then give it another reef thinking that's better , rod bolts are 45 they don't fall off much , one thing for sure if your oil pump falls off you will know just what to do , get a good manual on how to rebuild a sbc , do it yourself every bolt , then you know what you have an who to blame

 

Ever time I button up and engine I go thru "what if I missed a bolt" kind of torture. Funny thing is, none of the engines ever tortured me back.

 

i check them all again before I button it up

 

I do it several times and it still messes with my mind.

 

Yes,,,I’m like squirrel,,,,I double check myself .
Then I go back and apply a dab from a paint marker,,,just as a visual check .
I saw that from the late model OEM s,,,,,seemed like a good idea to me .

 

I torque and mark the heads with a silver Sharpie, poor man's torque stripe...

 

Run it. At 50lbs it's not going anywhere. As others have said 65 is just the max for that bolt.

 

This post was started in 2015. Would have been nice if the OP had gotten back to us regarding what he ended up doing and how it worked out for him .... sigh

 

Friend of mine runs a hot-rod shop, job came in the owner wanting the engine replaced in his early T-Bird. The Y-block to be installed was absolutely gorgeous and obviously completely rebuilt (if I remember correctly the pan and intake manifold had to be swapped so they saw inside the engine), everything looking fresh and new so without any further inspection in the hole the engine went but after it was filled with fluids all hell broke loose with antifreeze spewing everywhere. Upon disassembly it was discovered none of the head bolts had been torqued down, in fact those bolts were merely finger tight which is why I double-check everybody's work , including my own.

 

A word of caution. Tightening the oi pump bolt can change the clearance of the rear main bearing. I have observed this myself when checking clearances. If the builder set up his desired clearance with 50#, I would not change it. It won't fall off.