Hi all,

 

I've been cleaning the oil pump of my engine (1.3 MH) and decided to open it so I can clean a lot more inside (hard to stop cleaning when you started to clean everything even if you know it's gonna be dirty afterward). Then I've noticed several notch or timing marks inside the pump. I didn't noticed that there was also 2 other timing mark/notch outside on the pump body.

I'm not aware of any kind of timing procedure for the oil pump. I mean, once you've disassemble it then you just want to assemble it back and it would be fine. But looking at those marks, I'm a bit confused on how I'm gonna assemble it back then. Are these mark intended for a particular timing procedure of the oil pump ? Or can I just assemble my oil pump without worry ?

 

I have cleaned and disassembled 2 oil pump :

- 1st one is from a 1991 MH engine and has part number 030 115 109

- the 2nd one is from a 1992 MH engine and has part number 030 115 109 A

I was a bit surprised since parts catalog like partsouq says oil pump part number is 030 115 105 E (I hope these are compatible)

 

Here is one of the mark on the pump body (030 115 109 has a single mark while 030 115 109 A has 2 marks) :

 

Here is another mark on the pump body :

 

Here is a mark on a part inside the pump ("gear" in English ?) : This mark is oriented inside the pump (meaning you don't see it when you open the pump but only when you remove the gear)

I will also check the drive chain tomorrow. I've cleaned it but didn't looked for a notch or a timing mark on it since I'm not aware of any timing procedure for the oil pump...

Edited 28 July, 20224 yr by cedreex

31 minutes ago, cedreex said:

I will also check the drive chain tomorrow. I've cleaned it but didn't looked for a notch or a timing mark on it since I'm not aware of any timing procedure for the oil pump...

Can't think of any reason for those marks, the oil pump isn't timed to deliver at any part of the crankshaft rotation but to deliver a constant feed.

 

When you re-assemble the pump it was recommended for similar pumps on Fords, that you packed the inside of the pump body with petroleum jelly (Vaseline) so that the pump had something to work with to provide the required suction 

Nice to hear that there's no timing procedure for the oil pump (would have been surprising for such simple designed engine but a confirmation is always better). I've checked the drive chain and it has no mark on it. Moreover it's sides are the same - which means it has no orientation. Maybe these marks where meant for the orientation of the pump's parts and of the pump relative to the engine.

 

The initialization of the pump is indeed a problem which must be considered (same for checking the clearance and torque specs for the pump). I didn't know about the vaseline but at first I was thinking that putting oil inside the pump (or putting the pump under oil for 24h) should be enough. I have an assembly lube which I'll use when re-assembling the engine (I'll be replacing my pistons rings, crankshaft bearing, etc...). Since I don't have vaseline, maybe the assembly lube would have the same benefit or would be better/easier than filling oil inside the pump ?

vaseline is very thick like grease so it wont run off and helps the pump begin to suck , im sure your local shops have it , called petroleum jelly most likley found with the baby stuff?   it melts easily and mixes in with the oil 

 

i dont remember what i did with my polo but had another engine that wouldnt prime ,so take steps to avoid this

1 hour ago, steveo3002 said:

vaseline is very thick like grease so it wont run off and helps the pump begin to suck , im sure your local shops have it , called petroleum jelly most likley found with the baby stuff?   it melts easily and mixes in with the oil 

 

i dont remember what i did with my polo but had another engine that wouldnt prime ,so take steps to avoid this

 

Indeed I've understand that engine oil is definitely not an option because it isn't as thick as petroleum jelly.

It shouldn't be a problem to find petroleum jelly. The thing is I already have assembly lube (which is also very thick btw) so if it can do the job then I'd rather stick with it instead of having to look for and buy vaseline for the oil pump. From my understanding of assembly lube use cases,  I assume it can be fine for this task but I may be wrong.

yeah sadly wont find out until you try to start the car 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vaseline-Original-Pure-Petroleum-Jelly/dp/B004345SP6/ref=asc_df_B004345SP6/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310879429615&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11283380439906392539&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006933&hvtargid=pla-437475663012&psc=1&th=1&psc=1 

I used the link you gave to find it on Amazon France (instead of UK).

 

It has indeed a cost advantage compared to engine assembly lube which is more expensive (4.55 euros for 50ml of jelly vs 19 euros + shipping for redline assembly lube). I believe both are suited for protecting the oil pump part before you prime it to build the oil pressure. I'll have 2 engines to rebuild so I'll definitely buy petroleum jelly and give it a try on one of them. I may stick with assembly lube for the 1st engine though. I believe it should be fine plus I think oil pressure doesn't take long to build on this engine. Don't get me wrong, I believe petroleum jelly is a very efficient and no risk solution for this task 👍

 

I won't be re-assembling the engine soon because I'm still cleaning/restoring a lot of parts right now. So when the time comes I'll have to find a way to check if the oil is circulating properly when I'll be initalizing/priming the pump. One of the best spot I could think of would be the oil pressure swith hole e.g seal a hose there and check for oil coming out, then check for oil pressure switch signal.

You will probably find vaseline in most supermarkets (might have their own branded version) and pharmacies, cheaper than Amazon