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91 454 mâché animal fuel pump starboard

S

slauder

Regular Contributor
The push rod slid down after I greased the area to hold it back when I going in install new pump.
i cannot seem to slid it back now that it slimy. There is a plug in the cast that seems to for replacing the rod. It's the "star type" not square to remove it. It's a tool I don't have.

Questions:
is that a large torquex for my socket? Anyone know the size and what it's called?
Any tricks to heating it if it stuck? Don't think it's a good idea to light my torch even with wet towels around area.

any other ideas how to grab the rod and pull it back? I seem only have one hand and only a finger to slide it back. I was thinking to make special long needle nose type grabber with rubber tongues
 
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That's what that plug is for...you should NOT have to remove it to free the rod if it "just slid down"...it shouldn't take much to move it back up...you may find a scribe with a 90 degree bend useful...also seen bent hacksaw blades used.

Another thought to help getting the new pump back in - spin the engine over, by hand, until the lobe that drives the rod is on its "low spot"...
 
I just ran into the same problem this past weekend but on a 1981 454. I had the motor turned over to the low spot on the cam and I could move the rod up and down with no problems. As I was preparing the fuel pump, the rod slid down and I could not get it to go back up no matter what I tried. I pulled the plug and the rod dropped out. I packed the rod with grease and slid it back up into the block where it stayed. Put the plug back in and installed the pump.
 
When I was able to move the rod it was sliding almost all way into hole so I am at low point by luck.

Craig, I will try to get the plug out tonight. So the star inset on plug is torx, right? What size did you need? I only have a couple now.

I might be able to use a modified scrib (90 bend) to get the flat end of the rod and pull it back, but to hold it back a while as I install new pump will be same trick I have failed last weekend.
 
Every small block, & big block Chevy! This is a pain in the a$$ for sure! But, maybe a hacksaw blade bent 90degrees near the end, can get underneath it.
 
slauder said:
When I was able to move the rod it was sliding almost all way into hole so I am at low point by luck.

Craig, I will try to get the plug out tonight. So the star inset on plug is torx, right? What size did you need? I only have a couple now.

I might be able to use a modified scrib (90 bend) to get the flat end of the rod and pull it back, but to hold it back a while as I install new pump will be same trick I have failed last weekend.
Click to expand...

Slauder, my plug was a normal allen head. My blocks are older so I guess they changed over to torx in the later years. I'm glad my issue was on the port engine since I would have a heck of a time doing this on the starboard.
 
My bad.... I needed #8 hex socket on the end of my long 1/2 drive torque socket. After removing the plug, I jamming grease into rod hole and I was able to get the rod to sit back and stay. Fuel pump done. The trick to the grease was to remove the rod and get grease in hole then insert rod.
 
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slauder said:
My bad.... I needed #8 hex socket on the end of my long 1/2 drive torque socket. After removing the plug, I jamming grease into rod hole and I was able to get the rod to sit back and stay. Fuel pump done. The trick to the grease was to remove the rod and get grease in hole then insert rod.
Click to expand...

Ayuh,..... I guess I've been Lucky in life,....

On every SBC/ BBC I've had to change the fuel pump on,....
Ya took out the bolt on the front of the block, directly in-line with the fuel pump rod, 'n screwed in a longer bolt to just touch/ snug the rod,...
Just snug, don't scratch the rod,...

The rod stays put, til ya take out the long bolt,...
 
It's good to know about the long bolt trick. I did read ricks post about that years ago. The manuals I have seen describe the grease trick and don't mention the long bolt trick. So you catch the rod before the pump comes out, yes? That means you stopped the engine at the correct position to have the rod fully retracted away from pump arm. What position is that? I ended up tapping starter and adjusting after pump was out and observing to get the easy install position. being able to remove and inspect the rod had value too. Once that rod slid down all the way I was not able to grab it.
 
slauder said:
It's good to know about the long bolt trick. I did read ricks post about that years ago. The manuals I have seen describe the grease trick and don't mention the long bolt trick. So you catch the rod before the pump comes out, yes? That means you stopped the engine at the correct position to have the rod fully retracted away from pump arm. What position is that? I ended up tapping starter and adjusting after pump was out and observing to get the easy install position. being able to remove and inspect the rod had value too. Once that rod slid down all the way I was not able to grab it.
Click to expand...

Ayuh,... Cinchin' the bolt before ya pull the pump holds the rod til ya get yer finger under it,....

Then loosen the bolt, rotate the motor to where ya need it, 'n recinch it,...
 
slauder said:
The push rod slid down after I greased the area to hold it back when I going in install new pump.
i cannot seem to slid it back now that it slimy. There is a plug in the cast that seems to for replacing the rod. It's the "star type" not square to remove it. It's a tool I don't have.

Questions:
is that a large torquex for my socket? Anyone know the size and what it's called?
Any tricks to heating it if it stuck? Don't think it's a good idea to light my torch even with wet towels around area.

any other ideas how to grab the rod and pull it back? I seem only have one hand and only a finger to slide it back. I was thinking to make special long needle nose type grabber with rubber tongues
Click to expand...

the plug in my 87 454 crusader was an allen!!
 
metric 8 Allen / hex was what i needed after all too. Bondo has a great point about inserting a long bolt to catch the rod BEFORE we take a pump off.
 
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