Leaky Oil Pump?

[Ernzo]

My Oil pump leaks, seeps, and it looses about 1/4 qt a week. I thinking that I ought to buy a re-build kit. I have read here that the surface of the cover has to mate exactly with the housing, using no gasket, corect? No sealer of any kind?
IF i 'clean' the cover surface well, will that be sufficient? I have read that some have a machine shop put a surface on, I would like to avoide that step, looking to spend 3-4 hours on a Saturday.

[Crazy_Jeepman]

No Sealer, but there is a gasket. Comes with rebuild kit. Don't forget to get Vaseline to pack the pump bore with before you bolt the cover back on. I use the Vaseline to dress the gasket with as well holds it in place nice. ;)

[Ernzo]

Thanks JeepMan, I had done a search and reviewed some earlier posts on this subject. I will check the surfaces, perhaps block sand with 600 wt (wet), clean and dry everything, reassemble pump, pack with vasoline and bolt on being extra carefull with the torque, not too tight I assume (no wrench).

Any other ideas would be helpfull, I know the relief valve is there as well, I assume the kit has a new spring?

E

[Sgt. Dave]

If you decide to work the cover, get a piece of plate glass to use as a surface plate. Wet the glass, and the paper will stick to it. Plate glass is as even as a surface plate, and will give you a flat surface when you polish the cover.
Use mineral spirits to keep the 600 paper wet and float away the metal you cut off.

[Ernzo]

Good idea about using the glass, what about the housing??

E

[Lugnut]

I'll tell you what I ran into with the AMC V8 front covers as far as them seeping oil. It seems that this aluminum cover (both the oil pump housing and the end plate) is subject to scoring from things like an engine going sour and sending some metal thru the oil system. It doesn't take much to score the bore where the gears reside. Where there is scoring, you're gonna have low places where the aluminum has been eaten away, and you're gonna have high places where this aluminum has piled up, and sometimes these high places will actually have steel imbedded in the aluminum so it makes it very difficult to smooth out this end area, and even the sidewalls for that matter. When this happens the new gears will give you false end clearance readings because the gears are riding up on the top of these scored areas. You'll think that you've got a pretty good "slight" end-clearance between the gear ends and the mounting surface of the pump cover but it's only because the gear is being held off the bottom of the bore by this scoring. And, of course, if you've got scoring in the bottom of this bore, you're not going to have nearly as good of an oil pressure because oil is going to be forced back to the primary side of the pump thru these scored or grooved areas instead of being sent on into the oil galleys. I don't have a real great solution for this. If you think the scoring is minimal and will not affect a new "tight" motor very much, then go for it. If the scoring is too much, then you probably oughta look at finding a better looking used cover or just bite the bullet and spend the money for a new one. I guess this is why companies started offering this cover again after all these years. I think it's just a problem area and probably just not a good design to start with. So, it's just something we have to live with.
I noticed that Collinsbrosjeep.com has the cover for $299. But I think I've seen 'em cheaper than that. Good luck.
If any of you have a better way, please share it with us.

[Ernzo]

THanks Lug, good ideas and suggestions. Anyuone know if I have to drain out al the oil first?

E :confused: :confused: