Oil Pump Removal

[JACKJABBA]

Can the oil pump be removed, when the engine is still in the car? Do you have to undo the engine mount and lower or raise the engine a bit?

Regards Jack

[cdraper]

I am afraid the simple anwser is NO!
Chris Draper

[types26/36]

Actual, the answer is yes, I've done it several times.
Brian

[Foxie]

I have a Spyder chassis. The last time I refitted the engine I left all the auxiliaries off, including the oil pump.

I then found a problem fitting the pump due to lack of clearance.

I was able to fit the pump by unbolting the end cover to get enough clearance to insert the drive gear into the block, then refitting the cover. Mark the cover before removing, it only fits one way.

Sean Murray

[miked]

I have done it on a baby elan with spyder chassis. It was a bit painful. I even filled it with oil and kept it at the right angle to keep it out of my sleeve. I would have thought the plus 2 to be easier.

note. The reason I had to remove mine on a restoration was beacuae I could not get oil pressure when cranking prior to start. Hence, the oil priming. I had put some in but it had stood for months since I built the engine.

Mike

[JACKJABBA]

Brian, did you undo the engine mount to change it?

Is it best to lower the engine or raise it?

Its the chassis thats in the way, not the inner wing. so may be different for a spyder chassis

Regards Jack.

[types26/36]

Jack,
Its been a couple of years since I did it, but if I remember correctly,take off the oil filter canister, take off the right side eng. mounting compleatly and I think I (raised) the engine, you can also get an assistant with the help of a bar to push the engine to the left. Although I never did it you could take off the end cover as Sean said, it will give you a little more room. It is a tight fit but it can be done in a Lotus chassis. Prime the pump well but you will loose a lot of oil as you fit it as you cannot fit the filter/canister first.
Good luck,
Brian

[Elanman99]

Instead of trying to fill the pump/filter with oil before fixing to the engine I suggest that you install it dry and pump oil into the engine via the gauge port in the block.

Use some sort of syringe or grease gun with suitable adapters. The same technique should be used after an engine rebuild prior to starting it for the first time

Ian Phillips

[miked]

Ian,

Re: priming down the gauge pipe.

I tried this with can after can with no success. The gauge is on the oil output pressure side of the pump. Isnt it the other chamber that the oil is needed to create the lift.

Might be wrong, but thats how I see it. I had to prime the pump and re fit it before it would show oil pressure.

Mike

[JACKJABBA]

Removed the end cover of the pump, but still not enough room to remove the pump. I ended up removing the right hand mount and removed it when the engine was lowered.

Hope it works and doesn't leak. I don't fancy go through all this again.

[types26/36]

<!--QuoteBegin-JACKJABBA+Nov 20 2003, 04:05 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (JACKJABBA @ Nov 20 2003, 04:05 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->

Hope it works and doesn't leak. I don't fancy go through all this again[/quote]
Jack,
Thats the "pleasure" of owning a Lotus.
Brian.

[LotusEngineeringBuff]

Hello,
I had the pleasure to discover this problem yesterday night while crouching under the car in the dark at about freezing temperature. Need to change the gasket between block and pump and maybe the o-ring too, see.
I was quite happy to be able to reach the 3 bolts, but yes I discovered I cannot back the pump away from the block enough to remove the end of the shaft from the block.
The housing actually butts against the steering column (RHD Plus 2, Spider chassis).
I was wondering if anyone has tried disconnecting the U-joint of the steering column to push it away...
Thanks
Fran?ois
At last working again on the Plus 2 after 4 1/2 years in storage

[mbell]

Hi,

Having removed both the pump in situ and separately replaced steering rack u joint. I'd recommend removal of the pump by removal of the inlet engine mount, one of the exhasust side engine mount bolt and raising/lowing the engine using a jack.

My experience of separating the column from the joint wasn't great. It was pretty well seized together and therefore difficult to remove, especially with limited option for leverage.

The end o-ring can be change with out removal of the pump, you need to be careful selecting a replacement as it is thicker O-ring that you'll obtain from a standard O ring set. Fitted with standard sized o ring and you normally get a bit of an oil leak, which could be the origin of your problem.

Cheers,

Mark

[LotusEngineeringBuff]

Hi,
Unfortunately, I had no success raising the engine with one exhaust side bolt still in place. It started nice, moved upwards a few centimeters but then stopped. Something must be in the way. I suspect the clutch bell against the body. In an case I tried to jack it further but I stopped when the chassis started lifting off the jack stands! And still the steering column was interfering with the pump about just as much as with the engine in place. I considered removing the last bolt of the L/h engine mount to push the engine to the side but I was too scared I would sweat hours until being able to place the bolt holes face to face and the bolts back in.
Therefore, I went the steering column U-joint course. That was relatively easy. Remove the u-joint bolt, remove the clamp in the cockpit holding the 2 parts of the steering column together, pull back the column as much as possible, push it HARD to the side and remove the pump. So happy to have the pump in my hands. I'll let you know how hard it is to put the pump back in and the steering column back together
Fran?ois

[mbell]

Glad you got it out. Is it a standard oil pump our high flow?

I believe the high flow has a much thicker cover that could cause more difficulty removing the pump with engine in...