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Maintenance / Fuel Pump install on 396
« on: April 14, 2023, 05:46:23 PM »
Hi CRG Experts,
This is a Towanda 396 that had a leaking fuel pump. I viewed some youtube videos and the car manual about how to go about the removal/install process.
Some of the videos mentioned installing a fuel pump fastener into the top hole of the engine block to hold the push rod between the camshaft and the fuel pump in place, unfortunately on this engine there is not enough clearance between the water pump outlet and the block to be able to do this on the upper threaded hole. Other videos suggested using a hacksaw blade to hold the pushrod in place before removing the fuel pump, installing new fuel pump without disturbing the position of the hacksaw blade, then once aligned removing the hacksaw blade just before snugging the bolts, which is the method I tried, unfortunately this is a blind installation with no visible means to tell if the pushrod remained in the proper position.
There are currently no fasteners in the 2 locations (see fuelpump1 photo) on the front of the block, and there are no signs of oil leakage from either fastener location. I'm not convinced these threads go through to the interior on this block to clamp the pushrod in place.
There is a plug directly below the fuel pump (see fuelpump2 photo) which may provide access to the pushrod from below as well in some fashion?
If the pushrod somehow dislodged from its proper location during removal/install, is there any harm in trying to crank the engine (I presume no fuel so no firing would occur), or could this cause internal damage to something?
Any/all advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thx,
Jeff
This is a Towanda 396 that had a leaking fuel pump. I viewed some youtube videos and the car manual about how to go about the removal/install process.
Some of the videos mentioned installing a fuel pump fastener into the top hole of the engine block to hold the push rod between the camshaft and the fuel pump in place, unfortunately on this engine there is not enough clearance between the water pump outlet and the block to be able to do this on the upper threaded hole. Other videos suggested using a hacksaw blade to hold the pushrod in place before removing the fuel pump, installing new fuel pump without disturbing the position of the hacksaw blade, then once aligned removing the hacksaw blade just before snugging the bolts, which is the method I tried, unfortunately this is a blind installation with no visible means to tell if the pushrod remained in the proper position.
There are currently no fasteners in the 2 locations (see fuelpump1 photo) on the front of the block, and there are no signs of oil leakage from either fastener location. I'm not convinced these threads go through to the interior on this block to clamp the pushrod in place.
There is a plug directly below the fuel pump (see fuelpump2 photo) which may provide access to the pushrod from below as well in some fashion?
If the pushrod somehow dislodged from its proper location during removal/install, is there any harm in trying to crank the engine (I presume no fuel so no firing would occur), or could this cause internal damage to something?
Any/all advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thx,
Jeff