More motor rebuild "first-timer" questions from me. Thanks to all for being patient and offering good advice. :D

As part of the rebuild of the motor on my 71SS, a new oil pump was included as part of the job which I need to install. The motor was rebuilt stock and they gave me a Melling M55HV pump which is a high volume pump. I would have thought they would have given me a stock replacement pump (like the M55). Yes/No?

Another question: How does the oil pump shaft attach to the oil pump? Does the sleeve simply sit on the slotted shaft of the oil pump and then it ends up in the hole where it will eventually meet the distributor?

Finally, the pickup tube/screen is really tough to slide into the oil pump. Do I gently tap it in? I don't want to damage anything.

Just want to make sure I do things right before I install the pan.

Thanks in adavnce!

The oil pump shaft slides into the oil pump into the slot, but it has a plastic sleeve that keeps the two together. This come in most rebuild gasket kits. Put the sleeve on the pump and tap the shaft into the gasket and it clicks into the grove.
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?mfrcode=FEL&mfrpartnumber=72665&parttype=1299&ptset=A

For the HV pump, it seems like a written standard that all rebuilds come with it. Not too sure why.

As for the pickup. I used the old pickup off my stock part, swapped out the bases with the pickup already installed.

But if you use the new one. Heat one side and freeze the other, press it in and then get someone to hit a spot weld on there so it doesn' come apart.

Andy, thanks for the reply! I was wondering what that little plastic sleeve that was among all the other gaskets was for. :confused:

But here's somethinge else, along with the Melling pump, the rebuilder guy provided a Melling oil pump shaft IS-55E which seems to have a steel sleeve already attached to the end of the shaft, which fits over the slotted shaft on the pump. I suppose this takes the place of the plastic sleeve?

Last questions, is it ok to re-use the old oil filter adpter? It seems clean and damage free.

Thanks again for the help!

If your using a HV oil pump you need to use the hardend pump drive with the steel sleeve, the plastic sleeve will not holdup causing the sudden loss of oil pressure. Autozone or Advance will loan you the correct pickup installation tool then either spotweld or use a bolt on pickup retainer like this http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category_10001_10002_21345_-1_10453