1500 4x4 5.7 oil pickup bolt install, the easy way

[Gregket1]

So I’m in the midst of a cam/lifter/oil-pump swap on my truck. Everything I could find about changing the oil pump on the 4x4s is ridiculous: drop the front axle, drop the cross member, raise the engine, remove the oil pickup tube and windage tray, all to get out that one stupid bolt holding the tube to the pump. 5.1 hours shop-time if you have a fully stocked shop. Yikes.

I bought everything needed to do that but really didn’t want to. I decided I would try the hemi car engine trick of pulling the bolt from above the oil pan. Getting it out I removed the chain tensioner, loosened the pump so it could be rotated a little, then a narrow open end wrench got the bolt loose and a pair of needle nose holding a rare earth magnet got the bolt out.

Getting it back in was a real pita. Needle nose+magnet saved me many times on the first day of trying by myself. I don’t think it would be doable solo. At least not for me. After sleeping on it my wife decided she wanted to try doing it together… 40 minutes later it was done. Here’s how:

She came up from below and sat between oil pump and a/c cooler. I reached over her head. We used the regular needle nose + magnet to lower the bolt into the pan and then work it up into the hole in the pick up tube. Once there I used a 90° pick in the recess of the bolt head to hold the bolt up and apply tension; my wife used very thin long nose pliers to grab the bolt by the threads until it was well started. Then back to the thin wrench.


The two of us working together, this was amazingly easy. Sure beats 5-10 hours to do it “the right way”.

I hope this helps someone in the future.

Greg

 

[Wild one]

So I’m in the midst of a cam/lifter/oil-pump swap on my truck. Everything I could find about changing the oil pump on the 4x4s is ridiculous: drop the front axle, drop the cross member, raise the engine, remove the oil pickup tube and windage tray, all to get out that one stupid bolt holding the tube to the pump. 5.1 hours shop-time if you have a fully stocked shop. Yikes.

I bought everything needed to do that but really didn’t want to. I decided I would try the hemi car engine trick of pulling the bolt from above the oil pan. Getting it out I removed the chain tensioner, loosened the pump so it could be rotated a little, then a narrow open end wrench got the bolt loose and a pair of needle nose holding a rare earth magnet got the bolt out.

Getting it back in was a real pita. Needle nose+magnet saved me many times on the first day of trying by myself. I don’t think it would be doable solo. At least not for me. After sleeping on it my wife decided she wanted to try doing it together… 40 minutes later it was done. Here’s how:

She came up from below and sat between oil pump and a/c cooler. I reached over her head. We used the regular needle nose + magnet to lower the bolt into the pan and then work it up into the hole in the pick up tube. Once there I used a 90° pick in the recess of the bolt head to hold the bolt up and apply tension; my wife used very thin long nose pliers to grab the bolt by the threads until it was well started. Then back to the thin wrench.
View attachment 539898

The two of us working together, this was amazingly easy. Sure beats 5-10 hours to do it “the right way”.

I hope this helps someone in the future.

Greg

Tooth floss wrapped around the threads so when you pull the long end of the floss,turns the bolt righty / tighty also works when threading it back in.
Welding rod or a straightened out wire coat hanger laid across the rocker stands helps hold all the push rods in line and makes installing the rocker shafts slightly easier

 

[Gregket1]

Welding rod or a straightened out wire coat hanger laid across the rocker stands helps hold all the push rods in line and makes installing the rocker shafts slightly easier

That is tomorrow’s starting project so will give this a try. Thanks for the idea!

 

[sawz]

I was able to get the pick up tube bolt out on my 2015 Ram 4x4 5.7, a little dental floss tied to the bolt made easy removal.

BUT, I can't get the tube to push down out of the way enough to get the oil pump off. Twisting the oil pump as much as I can and the other side hits the pan and won't move forward. Seems I'm stuck dropping the pan. All this to get my timing set up for the cam swap!

 

[jws123]

I was able to get the pick up tube bolt out on my 2015 Ram 4x4 5.7, a little dental floss tied to the bolt made easy removal.

BUT, I can't get the tube to push down out of the way enough to get the oil pump off. Twisting the oil pump as much as I can and the other side hits the pan and won't move forward. Seems I'm stuck dropping the pan. All this to get my timing set up for the cam swap!

I take the front bolts out the pan so it drops just a little and then bend the pickup down with a pry bar is it ideal? NOPE but it works every time then i pull the oil pump then reverse re install bend tube back up put bolt in. beats dropping the front axle ECT.

 

[sawz]

That makes sense as the rear pan bolts are covered by the transmission. Looks like a separate bracket at the bottom front of the transmission, so was going to start down that path tomorrow. It seems one thing is leading to another, then another etc.....I'll try taking most of the pan bolts out and see if it moves enough, if not, I'll tackle the rear bolts too.

 

[sawz]

I take the front bolts out the pan so it drops just a little and then bend the pickup down with a pry bar is it ideal? NOPE but it works every time then i pull the oil pump then reverse re install bend tube back up put bolt in. beats dropping the front axle ECT.

JWS123, is your pan metal or plastic? I'm reading some are plastic, mine is metal.

 

[Wild one]

JWS123, is your pan metal or plastic? I'm reading some are plastic, mine is metal.

All 5.7's in the trucks use a stamped steel pan,in the cars they use a cast aluminium pan.Are you sure you're not mistaking the transmissions pan,as it can be either steel in the older RFE transmissions,and composite plastic on the 8 speed transmissions

 

[sawz]

No I’m sure I’m dealing with the oil pan. Maybe that’s what I saw the plastic comments on though.

 

[Wild one]

No I’m sure I’m dealing with the oil pan. Maybe that’s what I saw the plastic comments on though.

Some vehicles might use a composite / plastic oil pan,but the hemi has never had one