remove fuel pump eccentric

[bannind]

It seems like I need to remove my stock fuel pump eccentric from my 289 in order to put on the explorer timing cover. What is required to remove the eccentric? It looks like it involves removing the retaining nut, removing the eccentric and then reinstalling the nut and torquing it too the appropriate lbs. Is there something I am missing or something I need to watch out for?

thanks,
dan

 

[jghflys]

The fuel pump eccentric is held in place by the cam sprocket bolt and large washer. If you have a one piece eccentric there is a dowel pin that goes from the camshaft, through the camshaft drive sprocket and into the eccentric. The large washer on the cam bolt helps retain the dowel pin. If you remove the eccentric, you will have to shorten the dowel pin flat with the cam sprocket surface and install the bolt and washer. When you install the bolt and washer, make sure the bolt does not bottom out in the bottom of the camshaft hole. I also use medium strength thread locker on the bolt.

I don't have any experience with the two piece eccentric.

James

 

[jabranovich]

I've just taken eccentric and cut or machined the lobe part off and used the back part as a washer to fit dowel pin.

 

[bannind]

That is exactly what I was considering doing last night. I was gonna take it off and cut it down to it's backing and then re-install it. Thank you for confirming that it can be done.

dan

 

[lonesouth]

um, yea...so i just took out the eccentric and tightened the bolt back and installed the tc cover, water pump and fan last night...am i going to be crying later on down the road, or crying right now cause i have redo it?

 

[jghflys]

I've just taken eccentric and cut or machined the lobe part off and used the back part as a washer to fit dowel pin.

Have a ball!! Grinding 1/8 of an inch off a 5/16 inch dowel pin is a lot easier than cutting or grinding the rock hard eccentric.

James

 

[jghflys]

um, yea...so i just took out the eccentric and tightened the bolt back and installed the tc cover, water pump and fan last night...am i going to be crying later on down the road, or crying right now cause i have redo it?

If the washer for the bolt went on flat to the cam sprocket, the dowel pin was already short or maybe missing (doubtful.) Two piece eccentrics use a short dowel pin. If the washer was put on with the bolt, no worries. If you left the washer off, it's probably still ok because the dowel pin is a tight interference fit. The washer is insurance against the dowel comming out because it covers part of the dowel hole.

If you don't remember, you can get a good flashlight and look up through the slot for the fuel pump actuating arm in the timing cover where the fuel pump mounts. You may have to rotate the engine , but you should be able to see the bolt head and washer or the dowel pin sticking out from the front of the cam sprocket if it is the long one. I understand this may not be possible if the engine is in the Bronco.

James

 

[lonesouth]

It seems that the washer was not flush with sprocket. I tightened the bolt as much as i felt confident doing without using the torque wrench. Now for the stupid question...What is likely to happen if 1. The dowl pin falls out, 2. the sprocket retainer bolt gets loose?

 

[bannind]

Is it safe to pull out the dowel, grind it on the bench and then reinsert it - or is the engine going to fall apart if I take out the dowel?

Thanks,
dan

 

[jghflys]

Now for the stupid question...What is likely to happen if 1. The dowl pin falls out, 2. the sprocket retainer bolt gets loose?

There are no stupid questions.

If the pin falls out the sprocket may slip on the cam shaft causing the cam to be out of time with the crankshaft. The bolt shouldn't loosen because the direction of rotation of the engine tends to tighten the bolt even if the cam sprocket slips.

If the retainer bolt loosens the sprocket loosens and starts to move off the cam shaft. I'm guessing that parts will start rubbing that aren't supposed to rub and other bad things happen.

If I were you, I would take it apart and make sure everthing goes together properly. Use a torque wrench and some thread locker. It's worth the cost of some time and a few gaskets to prevent damaging expensive hard parts.

James

 

[jghflys]

Is it safe to pull out the dowel, grind it on the bench and then reinsert it - or is the engine going to fall apart if I take out the dowel?

No problems pulling the pin out it just holds the cam, sprocket, and eccentric in alignment. Nothing will fall apart. You may have trouble pulling the pin out, it is usually a tight fit in the camshaft. If you can't get it out, you can protect the parts from metal filings using tape and plastic or paper and use a small grinder or a stone in a drill to grind the pin flat with the sprocket face and then install the washer and bolt.

James

 

[lonesouth]

I was really hoping for more of a 'everything will be fine, bolt the rest up and have a blast!' response. Thanks for the input. Better do it right the first time, saves time, money and tears....

 

[bigmuddy]

fuel pump eccentric

Hey you guys I think I ran into the same problem? take a look at my post I threw up a couple of pics to show what was hanging on the front of my cam.
wierd thing is that my motor is an 88 EFI model and doesn't have any place to run a fuel pump at all.
Check it out and shoot me something back.

thanks Ben

 

[bigmuddy]

Here the link to my post:http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100574

Ben

 

[la77]

I had that same little thingy on the cam that came in my 88-93 mustang crate motor ( rebuilt) took it off and put a two piece eccentric on it. then later took it off when changed cam. running elec pump with efi now. I just grabbed the dowel pin with vise gip and pulled it out, grinded down the reinserted it, bolted back up and vroom vroom.

 

[bigmuddy]

Showing my ignorance here but why can't I just leave the dowel pin in place?
Not to mention I don't remember seeing a dowel pin.
Ben

 

[jghflys]

Showing my ignorance here but why can't I just leave the dowel pin in place?

You can leave it in place as long as the washer on the cam retaining bolt sits flat on the cam sprocket when you tighten the cam bolt.

First picture is 289 with a 406 cam sprocket and a one piece eccentric. You can see the dowel under the edge of the washer on the bolt. If you want one of these sprockets, get it from your Ford dealer. It's hard to find anywhere else.

Second picture is a 430 cam sprocket with a two piece eccnetric. The 430 sprocket is about 1/8 th inch thicker than the 406 sprocket and is the most common after market sprocket style.

Third picture is a 430 cam sprocket.

If you remove the eccentric from a 289 with a 406 sprocket the dowel pin shown just under the washer on the retaining bolt will not let the washer lay flat on the sprocket and will have to be shortened. If you repace the 406 sprocket with a 430 sprocket, and remove the eccentric you will not have to shorten the dowel pin because the 430 sporcket is thicker than the 406 sprocket.

The 430 sprocket with a 2 piece eccentric already has a dowel pin that is short enough to remove the eccentric because the two piece eccentric has a tab the protrudes into the sprocket hole. You can see it under the edge of the washer under the bolt in the second picture.

Hope the pictures help.

James

 

[bigmuddy]

fuel pump eccentric

Hmm, yeah good explanation. It just isn't what I had hanging from my cam sprocket and for the life of me I can't figure out what it would be for?

Here are a couple of pics. This is off an 88 EFI mustang motor.

Ben

 

[bigmuddy]

This was bolted to the cam sprocket.

Ben

 

[lonesouth]

Um, i think i had a two piece, but only installed one of the pieces when i did the engine swap....CRAP! maybe i have some pics of what i did.