Ted - thanks for the advice.  I'm looking around for the tapered type of gland.
Mike
'55 Glasstop - NE Washington State.

I use white grease on the oil pump inlet seals.  The Fel-Pro seals with the metal inserts are notorious for crushing the inlet oil tube if over tightened so be very cautious in tightening that particular seal.  All other seals including the oem Ford seals do not have those metal inserts.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

In response to DryLakesRacer "sneaking up" on tightening the compression nut between the oil pump and inlet tube, the shop manual says 10-12 ft lbs.  Is there a rule of thumb for doing this - like 1/4 turn after hand tight?  Don't have the necessary claw foot to use a torque wrench on it.
I have a Fel-Pro gasket set with the cylindrical rubber bushing with the integral metal washers on each end.  Does the rubber bushing get installed dry or coated with oil or something else?
Thanks for your input
Mike
'55 Glasstop, NE Washington State

Yes, I know that you can leave that retainer off the oil pump intermediate shaft.  Mine must have worked for some time and was not a problem.  It is my understanding that the reason for the retainer is so that the shaft does not come out when you pull the distributor.  It is a little difficult reinstalling the shaft from the top.  

I have had my oil pump and pan off many times for various reasons. I too found the retainer ring broken. I installed the pump with out one and it worked fine. With the last pump change out I bought an aftermarket shaft that came with the retainer. All my work has been done under the car which is not fun. When I install the nut squeezing the compression rubber tube seal I “sneak” up on it and it may need a flat or two on the nut after driving a few miles to stop a drip. If you’re working with the guys in Santa Fe Springs ….. they have been very helpful to me…

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

Thanks to all!  I assembled this engine 45 years ago and I was confused as the parts book does not show the steel ends to the rubber seal in the illustration.  Ted, you are absolutely correct, I did use a Felpro engine gasket set.  I had the machine shop lay the crank and they must have done a good job because all my leaks were around the oil pump and pan.  Yes, the Felpro seal appears to have compressed the tube making it look like it was purposely crimped in with the tube at the seal area by about 1/16 - 1/8".  I went to one of the local Thunderbird places in Southern California and they sell a rubber seal that is tapered at both ends.  They do restorations and repairs and told me they have used this seal for years and have had good success.  He also told me that the Felpro set comes with those metal ends.  He confirmed a copper gasket only for the tube inside the pan but the one that I used appears to be of a harder composite material.  I will use the copper one on the inside as per stock with no gasket between the outside nut and the pan.  I did notice that the shaft retainer for the oil pump drive shaft had broken in two and both pieces were laying on the flange of the pump.  Fortunately it did not cause any problems as there does not appear to be any way for it to wind up in the pump or or oil pan.  The Thunderbird parts place did not have one, so I am off to find one now.  Thank you again.!!! 

The oil pump inlet tube to oil pump rubber bushing you describe sounds like the Fel-Pro bushing.  The original Ford oil pump inlet tube bushing was rubber with no steel insert or washers.  The issue with the Fel-Pro oil pump rubber bushing is if it is overtightened, it will crimp and damage the oil pump inlet tube.  Once damaged, those tubes have trouble sealing until the tubes are straightened or replaced.

While the original oil pump inlet tube to oil pan seal was a copper gasket that fit to the inside of the pan, the Best Gasket replacement for that is a thin plastic gasket.  I have had zero issues with leaks at the oil pump inlet tube to oil pan junction when simply using a gasket at the inside of the pan and nothing on the outside of the pan.

Recently had a Y in the shop with a nasty oil leak coming from the back of the engine.  The culprit ended up being the square ‘O’ ring gasket at the cover of the gerotor oil pump originally being installed with a twist in the ‘O’ ring.  The pump was leaking badly at the twist in the square seal.  The oil pan and rear seal were removed anyway just to verify that there was no secondary reason for the oil leak and no problems were found there.  The same rear seal was simply reinstalled and with a plain Best Gasket round ‘O’ ring installed in the oil pump, zero leaks from the lower end of the engine after running for an hour.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

There are no washers that should go on either side of the rubber bushing.  The Fel-pro version of that bushing does use thin steel sleeves that fit into the bushing.  Those may be confused as washers but they have more of a top hat shape,

I think the gasket material for sealing the tube to the inside of the pan does not technically matter,  However, my guess as to why copper is specified is to allow for loosening of the tube for servicing the oil pump, without the risk of the gasket becoming stuck to one or both surfaces and possibly tearing.  There is no washer for the outside.  If you do use something, make sure it is very thin because thread engagement is already minimal.



Lawrenceville, GA

Here's what works for me:  I use a common round gasket at the inside location where rhe tube passes through the pan. At the outside of the pan I use a steel valve spring insert. A flat washer would probably work just as well but the valve spring insert was handy and it fit over the threaded area of the tube nicely. Install the pan as you normally woud. The compression seal at the pump end requires no washers and works well. I apply a generous amount of RTV around the threaded area of the tube where it passes through the pan.  insert the other end with nut and seal into the pump and start the nut but don't tighten it at this time. Thread on the large nut at the threaded end causing the steel washer to push out the excess RTV.  Alternately tighten the large nut against the pan and the nut in the pump compressing the seal. Wipe the excess RTV before it dries on the sode of the pan. Hopefully others will chime in too but this method is simple and works 100% for me.

64F100 57FAIRLANE500

I am ready to install my oil pump after removing the pan and looking for a rear main leak.  Fortunately, the seal is not leaking so I am not going to fix something that is not broken.  When the engine was assembled about 45 years ago, there was a washer at both ends of the rubber bushing that seals the oil pick up tube to the oil pump.  When I removed the tube from the oil pump, the rubber bushing was hard and it has what appeared to be a steel washer at either end of the rubber bushing.  The replacement one is only rubber.   The illustrations do not show the washers but the old one appears to have fitted to the inside of the bushing at either end.  Perhaps the Ford part number B4A 6698-A came with them as an assembly so they did not show the metal ends for this approximately 1/2" long rubber compression seal.  

There is a washer, part number B4A 6626-B that was on the inside of the pan between the flange of the tube and the opening for the tube.  The one that was there was a fiber washer.  Others have said that it should be copper.  Is the material of the washer important?  Also is is a good idea to put another washer on the outside of the tube between the pan and the nut that holds the outlet tube to the pan?

I am hoping to seal as many leaks as possible.  Thanks!!