What did you do today?

[Blue Chips 804]

On 7/11/2026 at 8:08 PM, ebinmaine said:

We'll keep the search going for the next few weeks and see what pops up.  

 

What are your "ideal" property characteristics? I keep fairly close tabs on the real estate market---not because we're looking, but just because it's an interest of mine. If I hear of something that might fit the bill, I'd be happy to pass it on to you. Feel free to PM me.

[Blue Chips 804]

I've been tuning up the oil pump for my Dodge M37, per some recommendations from Tony Smith, a gentleman who is well versed in rebuilding and modifying these flathead sixes.

 

I have an NOS oil pump and the original oil pump, which has VERY low miles on it. I compared several parameters, and found that the original pump was in great shape and actually had even better measurements/clearances than the NOS pump. Here's a photo comparing them (BTW, they are not clamped in the vise. I always use copper or aluminum jaw covers when clamping things like this.)

 

 

This pump has the cloverleaf-style rotors, which should put out about 10% more volume than the star-type rotors for this engine, according to what I've read.

 

I purchased a custom oil pump cover plate from Tony Smith that is flat within .0002" and thicker and more rigid than the original plate (original plate shown to the left of the new plate), along with a set of ARP bolts and washers of the appropriate length for use with the thicker plate. I gave the rotors and the end of the pump a very light dressing with a diamond hone plate, just to remove any high spots, and I ended up with .002" of end play, which should be about right. As with almost anything that I assemble, I cleaned the threads in the pump casting with a thread-chasing tool, solvent, and compressed air.

 

 

 

You can see that the new cover plate is at least twice as thick as the original plate:

 

 

I'm also considering drilling an oil hole near the top of the casting to improve lubrication to the shaft. I'll try it first on the NOS pump to make sure it goes smoothly before doing it to the pump that I'll be installing.

 

As mentioned, I'm also planning to convert the engine to full-flow oil filtration, and I'll be using the 'green' (heavy) spring in the pressure relief valve. I might even consider converting the pressure relief valve to an adjustable version, which I've done with a couple of antique tractor engines.

 

The pump will be completely filled/flooded with lubricant prior to final assembly, as it's a bad idea to run these pumps dry, even for a few seconds.

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Blue Chips