Oil pump Installation question....help??

[goingballistic]

As many of you are aware, I'm building a 383, actually it's now a 388 due to over bore. I'm starting to put it back together and am onto the pan and lower assembly. the crank, rods, pistons, cam, chain etc are in and ready. Pan, heads, intake etc are next.

I purchased a Melling HV oil pump and mount stud and a nice pick up from Summit. Question: the timing chain cover came with a gasket set and one of them appears to be a gasket for the oil pump???? Why would the oil pump need a gasket? I can imagine that the pump, in theory, could suck as a venturi as it pumps oil up to the motor via the mount flange and guess maybe that it may "froth" the oil as it exits the pump and enters the engine.

What I don't know.........is there supposed to be a gasket on the pump?? I'd assumed no as it didn't come with one............I'm confused.....HELP.

Thanks.

 

[mvftw]

Not sure, but I think the HV has a gasket. I just installed the Melling High Pressure pump (55A), it didn't come with a gasket.

 

[mike weyman]

just a thought , but, when the machine work was done, did they open up the oil galleys??if they didn't there's a fair chance that the high volume pump could empty the pan before the oil returns from the block.mike

 

[goingballistic]

just a thought , but, when the machine work was done, did they open up the oil galleys??if they didn't there's a fair chance that the high volume pump could empty the pan before the oil returns from the block.mike

Mike good point, I opened them myself before the block went to the machine shop, I wanted to make SURE that it was done and not an oversight, so I bored them, checked them and cleaned them.

MVFTW, that's the pump I installed, as you stated it didn't come with a gasket, hence my question. I'm concerned that the mount point is above the oil and if the pump "pushes" hard it could "suck" air into the gap and potentially froth the oil leaving the pump and headed for the motor, this is making me nervous. I don't know how real my concern is which is why I'm asking you guys.
Thanks.

 

[curtis]

we have never put a gasket on the oil pump in any of our race engines and they are all high volume. only issue with oil pumps is getting the pickup at correct clearance to bottom of oil pan so you don't starve it or cavitate.

 

[Jack]

we have never put a gasket on the oil pump in any of our race engines and they are all high volume. only issue with oil pumps is getting the pickup at correct clearance to bottom of oil pan so you don't starve it or cavitate.

Ditto on both points. I've never seen an op "MOUNTING" gasket for sbc or BBC, but maybe they do exist. FYI, Some timing gasket sets come with water pump gaskets ... maybe it's a wp gasket.
JACK:gap

 

[goingballistic]

Jack, thanks.

I checked the gasket against the pump and it appears to be cut exactly for the oil pump, hence my confusion and question. The only reason I can see using a gasket in the first place is to stop air from being sucked into the pump assy and then pushed up the pump toward the engine during operation.
At idle I'm not concerned as the flow would be low enough it wouldn't cause any problem. At high revs I have this picture in my mind ( and may just be overly concerned) that air gets sucked into the mount gap between the pump and the block and bubbles the oil as the flow is much higher and faster at revs potentially causing a venturi effect as the oil is blown by the gap.

I'm not sure if there is even a gap there but once I saw a gasket ( which I have never used before on an oil pump) it got my engineering mind to wonder what would happen if I didn't use it......what's the worse that could happen if I don't install it. With over $4K in new parts and machining going into this block, you can imagine my worse case scenario......which is actually related to being castrated by my wife after blowing the engine :cry ....as you can see the engine blowing is the LEAST of my concerns....

 

[GTR1999]

For what it's worth, I just stripped down a virgin 72 vette block and there was no gasket on the pump.

 

[curtis]

seems to me where the gasket would be placed if you used it is where there is pressure which would tend to leak (if that is possible) out of the gasket area and not suck in air. I sereiously doubt the venturi effect theory. Don't worrry about it and don't put it in..... as it (the gasket) gets older and collapses, the torque on the mounting bolts will decline and the damn pump will fall off. I would worry more about that. Our 6K racing engines do not use an oil pump gasket.

 

[JohnZ]

No gasket.

 

[goingballistic]

Thanks for all the input, it's why I like this forum so much.

No gasket it is.

Thanks again.

 

[wishuwerehere82]

I put a Melling pump on my '82. No gasket came with it.

 

[motorman]

As many of you are aware, I'm building a 383, actually it's now a 388 due to over bore. I'm starting to put it back together and am onto the pan and lower assembly. the crank, rods, pistons, cam, chain etc are in and ready. Pan, heads, intake etc are next.

I purchased a Melling HV oil pump and mount stud and a nice pick up from Summit. Question: the timing chain cover came with a gasket set and one of them appears to be a gasket for the oil pump???? Why would the oil pump need a gasket? I can imagine that the pump, in theory, could suck as a venturi as it pumps oil up to the motor via the mount flange and guess maybe that it may "froth" the oil as it exits the pump and enters the engine.

What I don't know.........is there supposed to be a gasket on the pump?? I'd assumed no as it didn't come with one............I'm confused.....HELP.

Thanks.

when you install the oil pump stud instead of a bolt make sure the stud does not tighten against the rear bearing insert because you will have a big problem if it does