420C Oil Pump Set Screw Question

[JDCrawlerdog3]

I need to replace the oil pump set screw and the cover cap (broken off by an old dump rake tine caught in track pad). I can get the old set screw out; the question is can I hold the oil pump in place by keeping the distributor shaft tight in rotation against the slot at the top of the oil pump so it doesn’t slip down until the new set screw is in place? Another option would be to remove the distributor and wedge a screwdriver, etc. between the pump and the block casting.

As I remember from a couple of 40 and 420 engine rebuilds in the past, the pump takes some wiggling to get the screw to aligned with the hole in the pump, and it will not stay in place and will slide down unless you hold it up and install the set screw. If the pump moves slightly after the set screw is removed, off comes the belly pan and oil pan to get things lined back up again.

Would like to avoid removing belly pan and oil pan for a simple screw. Any thoughts short of tilting the crawler on its side ?

Thanks.

Andrew

[boler76]

if it is still holding the pump I would just leave it until you have another reason to take the pan off???

[Lavoy]

Not positive, but I think you can reach the bottom of the screen through the drain hole and hold the pump up that way.
Lavoy

[JDCrawlerdog3]

Thanks for the replies. The screw broke off below the face of the block, so there are not a lot of threads holding the screw. Tight now, but don't want chance it. I will see if I can get something through the drain hole and hold the pump up that way.

Thanks.

Andrew