Fuel pump pushrod won’t slide into block

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Bextreme04

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Yes the cam should have the lobe for a pump, whats an electric pump I can get relatively affordable? It’s got just cheap parts store pump on it and another burnt up one inside of it. Guy had it mounted on the firewall I moved it to the frame
Best advice I can give is mount it as close to the tank as humanly possible and as low down towards the bottom of the tank as possible. So right near the switching valve and basically mounted to the bottom of the frame rail. That will make it pull no more than to the top of the tank just once to initial prime and then it will be mostly pushing fuel up to the engine and will be siphon fed from the tank, which shouldn't put too much strain on it. I would also recommend you wire it so that it is direct fed power through a 10 gauge wire from the battery. Use a relay to turn it on and off with ignition. Run the ground direct to the frame also using 10 gauge wire(as long as you have a nice big ground wire from the frame to the battery)
 

85K304SPD

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I will add to that, mount it away from the exhaust, where some air can blow on it.
I quit using a L98 in one of my squares, because I got tired of dealing with the electric fuel pump. The one that I have has the flat spot on the block, but it is not drilled at all.
 

squaredeal91

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Carter makes a decent one that does 5-8 psi on ebay for around 70$ it's a rotary style. part# P4070
 

Big _Betsy_Red

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I know its a difficult spot to get a good picture of what that material is exactly... Its 99.999% something you could get out if you spent a day whittling down an easy out to get it all the way down to it and gently heating up the outside of the block with a butane torch I betcha would work. What is the distance (in and out of the photo) of the smaller and larger diameter "bores"? I put bores in quotes because I am 99.999% sure that smaller bore is somthing stuck in the block and not machined into it. I wouldn't run a smaller diameter rod in there WITH whatever that is because it may slip and ruin the front of the block.

Once I used a puller for my harmonic balancer without the hardend steel tip and the mild steel shank of the threaded puller broke off in my crank shaft LOL. That was a fun day. The kit I rented from the zone didnt even have one X-D
 
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rusted nuts

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If it were mine I would use a drill bit that size Pack it with grease. Put A pair of vise grips on the end to turn it and turn nice n easy while I pushed in on drill bit. The grease is to catch the rust, burr, dirt. BUT! make sure that engine has the cam for a fuel pump 1st. good luck.
Is this hole something that can be enlarged or do I need to find a different rod or shave this rod or is there bigger issues or
Don't know what Ya got there Son but don't look like any fuel pump rod bore I ever seen.
 

iamtherealJayy

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I moved the electric pump from the firewall to the frame rail right in front of the passenger rear wheel. I’ll replace the pump if it’ll hold fuel but this one lost prime and I’ve tried everything I can think of to get it to pull fuel.
 

squaredeal91

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I believe It should work much better where you moved it too. What year is the K-5
 

iamtherealJayy

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1983, originally a 6.2 with 700r4 now it’s got a 350 and th400 sitting on a 6” lift
 

Durwoods85

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What's the engine out of originally? My 78 Malibu has a 350 Vortec out of a 97 Chevy truck and the block isn't even drilled for a mechanical fuel pump pushrod. I have an electric fuel pump on it.
 

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Do not try to drill that out. If you decide to have it drilled, disassemble the engine and have a machine shop do it properly, and then you'll know it's the correct diameter, correct angle, etc. By taking everything apart you can guarantee the engine will be clean and free of any metal debris, and also, if the cam is not mechanical fuel pump ready, you can add one that is. You moving the electric pump to the new location should help a ton to keep the electric pump from failing as often.
 

iamtherealJayy

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I have no idea I bought it knowing it was a vortec block and while I was under it I saw 088, the blazer was originally a diesel. If I have to pull the 350 out I’ll just swap to a carb block. I guess I’ll look into an electric pump that’s more reliable and low psi. Any recommendations?
The engine does have a cam with the lobe according to po, he stated he had an electric pump on hand so that’s what got installed.
 

texasmike

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Just for grins, since your rod is not new, make sure it is not bent. My rod was so slightly bent that I could not tell except by rolling it across a perfectly flat surface. What are the chances of taking a correct size drill and turning it inside the hole?
 

DoubleDingo

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Carb'ed Vortec 350; 1972 L48 350
I have no idea I bought it knowing it was a vortec block and while I was under it I saw 088, the blazer was originally a diesel. If I have to pull the 350 out I’ll just swap to a carb block. I guess I’ll look into an electric pump that’s more reliable and low psi. Any recommendations?
The engine does have a cam with the lobe according to po, he stated he had an electric pump on hand so that’s what got installed.
I don't have any recommendations on a pump, but someone mentioned a Carter pump earlier in the thread.
 

iamtherealJayy

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Rod is straught I stuck it in a drill and polished it with 600 grit sandpaper to clean it up.
 

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