Well, a simple job of replacing my radiator cap, hoses and thermostat has turned into a water & oil pump job, since there was a lot of play in the water pump pulley, and why not do the oil pump while I'm there.

This is on my 78 Chinook. 20R. I've got my 83 FSM and have looked it over. Sounds like I don't need to remove the oil pan or timing cover, like the FSM says to do. Right?

But anyways, any tips & tricks you've got would be nice. I've seen to put some sealant (rtv?) on the upper oil pump bolt, and pack the oil pump with grease.

Otherwise, what should I be doing? What should I use to scrape off all the old gasket, and clean up the timing cover surface?

Thanks!

 

You can remove the oil pump and water pump without taking off the timing cover, oil pan or head. I would use a razor blade to scrape the old water pump gasket off and finish up with a scotch brite pad to clean up all the surfaces before applying new sealant. The tricky part will be putting the little oil pump ring into place while holding it vertically. During a timing chain swap, they recommend putting the oil pump on the cover when its flat on the floor to ensure it doesnt come out of its groove.. maybe some grease will hold it in place ?

 

Alright, thanks.

Yeah, I've got the water pump off already, then decided to check the fsm on the oil pump, and it got right into removing the oil pan and timing cover. No thanks! At least not if I don't have to.

Ok. Razor blade then scotch brite. I'll see what you mean with the oil pump ring once I'm in there, I'm sure. Yeah, probably a little grease or something will be sticky enough.

Thanks!

 

just dont get the oil pump bolts mixed up ... the top one is a specific length , and if you use a longer one it will interfere with the timing chain tensioner , restricting movement . ALSO .. you will want to use "thread sealant" on that specific bolt , or you will have a slight oil leak



.

 

Thanks! I'm trying to keep each of the bolts in the holes of the old pumps as I take them out.

Thread sealant...google search is showing me loctite makes both. So definitely thread sealant and not thread lock?

 

YES , thread sealant .
that specific hole is open to the "oil splash" of the timing chain , and WILL leak if not sealed


.

 

Great, thanks.

 

Am I right that there's no paper gasket with the oil pump? Just the o-ring type seal that seats in there? So metal on metal otherwise?

 

That is correct about the o ring

The o rings I used were thick enough they stayed put pretty easy

I find it is better to put the new seal in before installing the oil pump.

I use a 90 degree 2 inch grinder with a aluminum disc to clean the surface of the timing cover .

I prime the pump with a oil additive working the pump till the oil is covering the gears

 

Great, thanks. Plan to get both pumps back on tomorrow.

 

Gotta love old vehicles!

A thermostat/radiator cap/radiator hose replacement job turned into a water & oil pump job, which has now turned into a radiator replacement job.

I must have pulled on the lower radiator hose outlet too much trying to get the old hose off, because I didn't have a leak before, but now I've got a very steady drip, and it's coming from the bottom of the fins on the drivers side bottom corner of the radiator.

Luckily at this point, a new radiator is just another hundred bucks added on to the project, and I can't complain about now having a new radiator, fan clutch (figured why not while I was doing the water pump), water pump, radiator cap, thermostat and upper & lower radiator hose...!

Plus oil pump.

 

The big radiator hoses have those tensioner clips to secure the hose. Sometimes if their position changes, it can leak. Try moving it around a bit to see if that can stop the slow drip before spending more $$ on new parts.

 

Tensioner clips? Are you talking about hose clamps? I put new hoses on, so yeah, the position definitely changed.

No, it's not dripping off the hose. It's dripping off the bottom corner of the radiator, and the hose is dry. If I look at the engine side of the radiator from above, I can see fluid along the little ledge at the bottom under the fins, that starts about halfway across the length of the bottom of the radiator, pools a bit at the corner, then runs down the corner and drips. Definitely not a hose leaking, which would be really nice!

I haven't even started the truck yet, and got the coolant circulating. It's just dripping out of somewhere, but not a hose.

 

I see. Thats a shame. I wonder if theres a way to patch it with fiberglass, J B weld, or some epoxy concoction. Those radiators aren't cheap.

 

Relative to what I've been spending on this truck, it's not a big deal. I found a Spectra Premium (which seemed to be the higher end of the typical aftermarket options) for $130, so that's really not too bad.

It's insurance that's ok with me on a 35 year old vehicle.

 

It was no doubt time for a new radiator.

Once this start to leak like that you will be chasing leaks till you get a new one.

Money well spent.

 

Yep. I pulled the old one out just now. The fins were wet from about halfway down, on the drivers side.

More money, but yes, I like that I'll be driving up passes in the summer in a very old motorhome with a new radiator, fan clutch, water pump, thermostat and hoses!