I really need a question answered ASAP please help

87WE4!!

Active Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2018
As some of you may have read in my intro. I’m new here.
Very very long story short I bought a WE4 brand new and it sat in my sisters garage under a car cover for 21ish years because my mom passed and she lent me the money to buy it. So it was too upsetting to look at. But my sister retired and sold her NY house and is moving down here. So I had to have my car shipped here. Now I’m really back into it.
So after replacing the entire fuel system from the tank to the rail and every fluid in the car. Ad well as the ecu (wouldn’t fire the fuel pump or display the check engine light). I cranked it a little without any power to the ecu to prime it a little. When I started it up the oil light didn’t go off so I shut it off right away. I remember having this problem a long time ago with my other Grand National and the pump was sucking air.
So I decided as long as I’m under the car might as well replace the pump gears and spring. So yesterday I picked up the oil pump and went to work. I pulled out the 4 visible bolts but I forgot about the bolts behind the cooler lines. I didn’t bother removing the lines because I figured I could just push that plate to the side. Anything oil and hose related I try not to disturb if I can avoid it out of fear it’s gunna leak when I put it back together especially on a 31 year old car.
Ok so this is my question. I don’t have a large enough socket to remove the fastener nut that screws onto the actual oil filter threads holding that oil cooler sandwich plate on. I’m going to buy that one socket today but I don’t know the size. I know it’s big but can anyone post up the size? I literally searched this entire forum as well as a google search and came up empty. Can anyone post up the size? And if that plate just slides right off or do I have to do anything else to get to those 2 hidden bolts to get this pump done.

Thank you all in advance
 
If it what Im thinking, isnt it 7/16? Did you try that size


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I think I tried that size and it was too small. It’s big and very thin

I found this from the internet and drew a circle around it
 

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it would have been easier to pull the cam sensor and spin the pump from there

filter nut is 1 1/8 and adapter just pulls away once adapter nut is off ..it uses an oring for seal and may need a new one to reseal
 
it would have been easier to pull the cam sensor and spin the pump from there

filter nut is 1 1/8 and adapter just pulls away once adapter nut is off ..it uses an oring for seal and may need a new one to reseal
Unfortunately I didn’t realize that till I read and educated myself on this platform. I was planning to pack it with Petroleum jelly then I figured as long as I have it all opened up I may as well replace the oil pump gears so I picked up a melling oil pump rebuild kit. But I forgot about that sandwich plate. Thank you so much for your input. You are a very big help!!!
 
You really need to pull the front cover to do it right. Not only can you do the oiling mods you found, but your stock timing gear has aged out and needs to be replaced. It'll also allow you to toss the hard plastic cam button for an upgraded roller bearing so it'll stop eating into the timing cover.

I've got some thicker O-rings too for behind the sammich adapter that won't leak like the thin stockers.
 
Unfortunately, I saw this message a little too late Mr. Brown. I just finished the job completely and thank God!!!! That metallic sound went away I bought an oil pressure test gauge and the pressure shot up while I was cranking it without the Ecu power wire connected to the battery. Once i felt comfortable with the oil pressure I connected the Ecu and she ran (I still haven’t driven it yet. Because I replaced all the rubber fuel lines with push lock injector hose, the fuel pump with a Walbro 255 a real one, the entire fuel tank it was black inside with 21 year old gas inside just did so much damage and literally are away at the edges of the tank, fuel filter, cleaned out my injectors ohm them out and tested then the all opened and slammed shut, cleaned out the fuel rail, replaced all the injector o rings, cleaned out the entire intake system and pipes, checked my turbo for debris or any shaft play, searched the entire undercarriage of the car for any wildlife or nests since it was sitting in my sister’s garage for 21 years and she said she had issues with squirrels getting in the garage years ago. So I never attempted to start this car till all that was completely done including all fluids but I held off on the transmission fluid because honestly I forgot how to properly do it. I think the car had to be able to start up to complete that job so I saved that for last along with the powermaster fluid).
So the first time I tried to start it after all of the above work. I had no fuel pump signal at all. Not even the 5 seconds prime. I gave power to the fuel pump test wire near the air compressor and it fired up. I also noticed no check engine light was lit with I put the car in ignition mode. I had power going into the Ecu. And I noticed a small split in the orange wire insulation that was doing this tiny bit of arking off some metal. So that was a no brainer. New ECU and ran a new power wire from the battery to the Ecu. Car primed and started right up. Oil light didn’t shut after about 4 seconds and I heard like a metallic sound. No knocking. This was a sound like I never heard before. As soon as my fingers could turn that key off I did. Trust me I understand about oil pressure. So I knew my pump had lost its prime so the only way I knew how to fix that was packing the gears with petroleum jelly. So when I went to order a $3 gasket the guy at Advance Auto marts told me he could get me the full oil pump rebuild kit with a gasket, both gears,4 different pressure springs, the piston (I guess that’s what it’s calked) and the o ring for the pressure relief bolt. For $23.99 and I had a coupon for $5 off any $20 purchase. So I figured why not. Can’t hurt to replace the internals with Melling gears. So I did the job today and it’s running like a great car. I still haven’t bolted up the new fuel tank because I hadn’t had a chance to look for leaks until tonight as by the time I finished I was wiped out. So I’ll do all that tomorrow and I’ll put my new tires on it tomorrow. Right now it’s up on 4 jack stands.
Mr Brown I do have a lot of respect for you. I was the guy messaging you on eBay the other day. I was the guy who thought that whole timing cover was only $100. (I’m so embarrassed. But that shows you how out of touch with prices I am with these cars). But my plan is to actually replace my entire timing cover with one of your special made covers. I just won’t have the money to do so till next month. I only get paid once a month because I’m on my pension that I worked 23 years for. But definitely next month if you have one ready to go I will buy it. It’s just I spent over 2 Grand between getting the car from Carle Place NY to Florida then buying all the parts I listed above. As well as 4 new tires. And Florida title transfer and tags. I’m officially broke till next pension check but I’m happy to say that she still runs. And I’m happy to be among friends that offer help. Like y’all did.
Thank you all again for helping my.

Ps pics below are of 21 year old gas and fuel pump. I admit I did this to this beautiful car. I don’t think anyone could understand why I couldn’t look at this car for a long time. But now it’s time to make things right with it. Only the best. And sorry no exterior pics will be shown till I find the best painter In Daytona and this thing shines like new.
 

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Unfortunately, I saw this message a little too late Mr. Brown. I just finished the job completely and thank God!!!! That metallic sound went away I bought an oil pressure test gauge and the pressure shot up while I was cranking it without the Ecu power wire connected to the battery. Once i felt comfortable with the oil pressure I connected the Ecu and she ran (I still haven’t driven it yet. Because I replaced all the rubber fuel lines with push lock injector hose, the fuel pump with a Walbro 255 a real one, the entire fuel tank it was black inside with 21 year old gas inside just did so much damage and literally are away at the edges of the tank, fuel filter, cleaned out my injectors ohm them out and tested then the all opened and slammed shut, cleaned out the fuel rail, replaced all the injector o rings, cleaned out the entire intake system and pipes, checked my turbo for debris or any shaft play, searched the entire undercarriage of the car for any wildlife or nests since it was sitting in my sister’s garage for 21 years and she said she had issues with squirrels getting in the garage years ago. So I never attempted to start this car till all that was completely done including all fluids but I held off on the transmission fluid because honestly I forgot how to properly do it. I think the car had to be able to start up to complete that job so I saved that for last along with the powermaster fluid).
So the first time I tried to start it after all of the above work. I had no fuel pump signal at all. Not even the 5 seconds prime. I gave power to the fuel pump test wire near the air compressor and it fired up. I also noticed no check engine light was lit with I put the car in ignition mode. I had power going into the Ecu. And I noticed a small split in the orange wire insulation that was doing this tiny bit of arking off some metal. So that was a no brainer. New ECU and ran a new power wire from the battery to the Ecu. Car primed and started right up. Oil light didn’t shut after about 4 seconds and I heard like a metallic sound. No knocking. This was a sound like I never heard before. As soon as my fingers could turn that key off I did. Trust me I understand about oil pressure. So I knew my pump had lost its prime so the only way I knew how to fix that was packing the gears with petroleum jelly. So when I went to order a $3 gasket the guy at Advance Auto marts told me he could get me the full oil pump rebuild kit with a gasket, both gears,4 different pressure springs, the piston (I guess that’s what it’s calked) and the o ring for the pressure relief bolt. For $23.99 and I had a coupon for $5 off any $20 purchase. So I figured why not. Can’t hurt to replace the internals with Melling gears. So I did the job today and it’s running like a great car. I still haven’t bolted up the new fuel tank because I hadn’t had a chance to look for leaks until tonight as by the time I finished I was wiped out. So I’ll do all that tomorrow and I’ll put my new tires on it tomorrow. Right now it’s up on 4 jack stands.
Mr Brown I do have a lot of respect for you. I was the guy messaging you on eBay the other day. I was the guy who thought that whole timing cover was only $100. (I’m so embarrassed. But that shows you how out of touch with prices I am with these cars). But my plan is to actually replace my entire timing cover with one of your special made covers. I just won’t have the money to do so till next month. I only get paid once a month because I’m on my pension that I worked 23 years for. But definitely next month if you have one ready to go I will buy it. It’s just I spent over 2 Grand between getting the car from Carle Place NY to Florida then buying all the parts I listed above. As well as 4 new tires. And Florida title transfer and tags. I’m officially broke till next pension check but I’m happy to say that she still runs. And I’m happy to be among friends that offer help. Like y’all did.
Thank you all again for helping my.

Ps pics below are of 21 year old gas and fuel pump. I admit I did this to this beautiful car. I don’t think anyone could understand why I couldn’t look at this car for a long time. But now it’s time to make things right with it. Only the best. And on exterior pics till I find the best painter In Daytona and this thing shines like new.

Any pictures?


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Any pictures?


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She’s not ready for exterior pics yet. But I would be happy to take a video of her running and host it on YouTube and post up the link. Honestly I was scared. I thought the motor was blown from that 4 seconds without oil pressure.
 
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