Is it time to shelf this oil pump?

[billbuilds]

     I have the oil pump from my 73 FX apart. The idler shaft is a lose fit in the body. Wiped clean of oil it will slide in the hole a bit when the body is turned from side to side. I know that this is supposed to be a nice tight press fit so outside of a new pump or atleast a pump body is there any fix for this? Thanks, Bill

[hotham]

Go to Vulcan for the best deal I  have found on billet oil pumps.

[billbuilds]

     Hotham,
     Vulcan, eh? Can you be a little more specific? I searched "Vulcan" but I did not see anything. The best deal I'd found on the S&S billet pumps in the past was thru Jireh but as has been mentioned here many times, Jireh don't carry S&S no more. Bill

[FSG]

http://www.vulcanworks.net/

[billbuilds]

     Thanks guys,
     Looks like a nice pump (their #3552) at a real fair price. I'm thinking that this is going to require the case drilling procedure for pressure relief of the cam chest - like the S&S billet pumps. I sent them an email to find out.  Bill

[Ultrashovel]

     I have the oil pump from my 73 FX apart. The idler shaft is a lose fit in the body. Wiped clean of oil it will slide in the hole a bit when the body is turned from side to side. I know that this is supposed to be a nice tight press fit so outside of a new pump or atleast a pump body is there any fix for this? Thanks, Bill

If the bushing only is worn and the shaft is OK, the body can be re-bushed if you can find one or make one. Properly reamed to size, you would fix your pump and be able to use it again. There's nothing wrong with a new pump, either except having to drill a hole in the crankcase. That's a non-starter for me.

[billbuilds]

     Ultrashovel,
     The portion of the idler shaft that goes thru the pump body is shiny - apparently from having been spun by the gears. I did not realize that there was a bushing in that area of the body - I thought it was just a matter of a press fit steel shaft in a cast aluminum body. I kinda doubted that there was a good fix for this type of slop but I had to ask.
     
     The folks at Vulcan did reply to my email questions stating that their #3553 billet pump does require the drilling procedure for cam chest pressure relief and that the S&S jig will work. Replacing my stock '73 pump with an oem one would cost close to four bills. A new billet pump is less than half of that. I'm wondering why the case drilling procedure would be a "non-starter" for you?

[Ultrashovel]

I could be wrong about the bushing so maybe that's not an option.

As to the holes, I just don't like drilling holes in the cases. if I could find an original pump that doesn't require it. My motto for working on bikes st that I won't drill holes. I guess it works fine when grafting a later pump onto an earlier Shovel and I know that many have done it but I just don't like it. That's just me. If it works for you, then it should be OK.

I replaced the oil pump on my 1982 Shovelhead about ten years ago after the crankpin wore out and sandblasted the inside of the engine for me. I had to look a while until I found a Harley-Davidson replacement at a dealer. I doubt you could find another new one nowadays.

The prices they get for the aftermarket pumps are terribly high. Remember, it's still going to have moderate oil pressure when you get through due to the design of the engine and the size of the pump. I think some of them claim higher flow and pressure but their prices ae higher to match.

Good luck.