[sfont66]

Had just enough time on Friday to install the oil pump, attach the pickup tube, reinstall the oil pan, front cover and harmonic balancer.
I bought new flanged hex head bolts for the pickup tube. This made it a lot easier to tighten the pickup tube bolts in the small amount of room provided, with the front cover off and oil pan lowered out of the way. Getting the O ring and tube into the pump wasn’t particularly difficult, but being 100% sure it was all seated together completely and correctly weighed on my mind. I did use a dull plastic probe to slightly push the O ring up into the pump while pushing up on the pickup tube. I put a couple of Zip ties around the new pickup tube bolts again as I installed them, it certainly helps prevent disaster in the event I accidentally dropped one in the pan. Once the bolts where threaded in a couple turns, I added a bit of blue loctite and cut the zip ties off. I was not able to get a torque wrench on the pickup tube bolts, so I tightened them up firmly with a open end wrench.

Next the front cover was installed loosely, and the harmonic balancer was installed and torqued. With the balancer centering the front cover and seal I torqued the cover bolts. Then a bit of ultra black rtv to the corners of the oil pan, and the oil pan went back in place. At first I didn’t think there was room for a torque wrench to access all the bolts, but thankfully there was.
Next I need to check PTV clearance, and measure for pushrods. I have adjustable pushrods, and lightweight checker springs, but I need to order a 8” caliper to measure the adjustable pushrod more accurately, and a valve spring compressor ,so I can swap to lighter springs and back to the .660 springs.
So I will get those items ordered, hopefully they will arrive before next weekend.