Oil pump alignment
 

I know when you take off your oil pump that you need to install the tool to keep the alignment on point. But let's say you're installing a new pump, I'm curious what the process is to get a new pump aligned correctly. Would you use the old pump and the tool as a guide?

When I did my stock pump, I just used red ink and put in back so no aluminum was showing. I too want to know about a new pump?

Just watched the Mellings pump install, it would seem to me to be more of an issue on how the rotor sits on the crank in relation to the housing VS what I thought it was the oil holes to the block being out of alignment. The bone stock pump has a sacrifice ring that centers the pump on initial install, hence it has to go back the same way. Don’t know about gm performance pump I would assume you take it apart and feeler gauge it.

I don’t buy the alignment tool BS with these pumps. The plastic sleeves on the mount bolts pretty much control the alignment of the pump. Also, the tools I have seen only position the pump in the vertical direction, what about horizontal? The pump would be just as likely to be misaligned in one direction as the other. I shimmed between the rotor and the crank on mine, although I still contend the pump would have wound up in the same location had I just bolted it up. Shimming the variable displacement LT1/4 pumps is not as simple, or accurate as shimming between the inner & outer rotors on a conventional pump.
About pumps: Does anyone make an aftermarket pump for our motors? When my motor was down, I was going to replace the pump with a Melling or other aftermarket part due to reports of pump failures – a very small percentage, I’m sure, but still, not unheard of. At the time, I was not able to find any aftermarket options. I would prefer a standard dual rotor pump vs. the variable displacement, vane type pump if it were available.

Look up the gm alignment tool, it's a thing, if you misalign the pump you can off center the hole and starve your engine of oil or cause premature pump failure, which one comes first is determined how off you are. Could happen immediately, could take years.

I used the alignment tool on mine, but I am pretty confident that it would go right back in it's spot without it. Wish I knew that before I spent the money on it.

Old thread I have a engine that had pump removed prior, so no way to use alignment tool i Searched alignment and this is a thread let led me here - thoughts?

My thought is I would just kinda put it together. Make sure it builds pressure before you fire it up. I just don't think it's really all that precise, the alignment tool is a guide but it can still easily be off just a bit. If it was that critical I'd think there would be dowels to make sure it sits exactly where they want it. I can't tell anyone what to do, but if it was mine I'd just put it together and test it out.

wow that is stressful, i didn't align mine when i did my cam swap but always think about it. Someone recently posted their katech oil pump and said it did not need alignment, obviously it is a billet oil pump and different product than stock but if you run outta options you might want to contact them or read a gm repair manual to see the install procedure.

So I actually bought the tool then resold it on ebay, it still cost me a good bit. I was wondering the same thing, like someone else already said it seems like it only aligns it in one direction. It also seems like the tool was an afterthought, I really question the shape of the tool, if it was meant to align in X and Y direction why is it shaped with curves that make contact with a curved pump? It makes no sense.

used pumps *should* be aligned.
new pumps, bolt right up.

Katech had me bolt up their new $500 oil pump.

Technically, you should use the alignment tool on a used pump. I personally never have and have never had any issues out of the cars I’ve done. They all run flawlessly with no problems/issues. When I got my Katech pump for my build, I just bolted it up. Still waiting on a couple of parts to finish it, but I don’t see it having any issues either.

What I don't get is that most people are loosening the screws that mount the pump to get some extra room to move the chain around to pull it off the cam sprocket. The thing is it seems like you would be just as much in danger of misaligning the pump as you would if you completely removed the screws, I think the through clearance hole in the pump is pretty big to I think it will move a little when the screws are loosened if I remember right.