I've been freshening up my engine, I just installed a new oil pump and oil pickup, and on other's advice I tried to braze the pickup to the pump. Well I couldnt get the pump body hot enough with my mapp torch to braze it. I had the torch on there for probably about 5 minutes. Is there anything in the pump that this would have damaged?

 

I really don't know from experience, but i've been told that heating the pump that way can weaken the pressure relief spring inside it. Try to find someone with a MIG welder, and have them weld it for you. Theres no need to go crazy on it, just a quick tack will do to hold it in place.

 

Cfabe,

It is possible that given the temperatures achievable with Mapp gas you could anneal (soften) the gears or rotors in the pump, depending on the pump style you have. It is also possible to distort the housing, or weaken the relief spring as Hellraiser suggested. Dismantle the pump and inspect the gears (or rotors) and replace the relief spring for safety.

If the gears are disolored from heating, you'll have to find a place with a Rockwell hardness tester to check the gears for you. Check them against the hardness of your original gears. Most oil pumps should have gears or rotors that are at least deep case hardened, it not completly through hardened. Yours probably started out that way...

 

Thanks for the replies. I think given what a new oil pump and screen cost I'll just get a new one and not take any chances. Ahh the cost of learning.

 

Well, I decided to go ahead and test it seeing that we've got a tester here at work. One of the gears was slightly discolored, but the hardness was identical to the gears in the old stock pump, so I'm going to just put it all back togther and run with it.

 

The gears are probably good to go then. It's always better to know than wonder. As long as there is nothing distorted you should be in good shape.

 

considering the low cost of a pump i'd trash it and buy another. this time remove the cover and the spring before you apply heat. i don't weld the cast iron, i weld a brace from the pick up tube and bolt it to the pump body.

 

Anything geared is heat treated to a certain extent, to hard and it will chipe easiyl, to soft and it wont wear properly.

Trash it!