427 Oil Pump Screen

[Ronald L.]

Pulled the oil pan to put on a new gasket, figured might as well pull the screen and see what was in there: gasket material, a leaf stem and a small o-ring. Figured cleaned it, soaked it but there is still something timkling inside that I cannot get out.

Went to get a replacement...

The opening size in ONE THIRD.

Here is the original with the replacement size opening drawn on this.

My thinking is that is too small and just another fluid restriction in the system,

thoughts any one?


Both Paragon and CCentral are out of stock for a week plus, any idea where they get the parts and if they will be of this same reduced opening size???

[Joe L.]

Re: 427 Oil Pump Screen

Pulled the oil pan to put on a new gasket, figured might as well pull the screen and see what was in there: gasket material, a leaf stem and a small o-ring. Figured cleaned it, soaked it but there is still something timkling inside that I cannot get out.

Went to get a replacement...

The opening size in ONE THIRD.

Here is the original with the replacement size opening drawn on this.

My thinking is that is too small and just another fluid restriction in the system,

thoughts any one?


Both Paragon and CCentral are out of stock for a week plus, any idea where they get the parts and if they will be of this same reduced opening size???

Ronald------


The part you have pictured is NOT a GM #3860366 originally used for 1965-66 Corvettes with big block. An original GM #3860366 is pictured below. I have to assume that what you have is an earlier aftermarket piece. However, I see no reason why it should not have worked ok. However, it's not configured as-original. I would expect that GM engineers devoted a lot of time to come up with this design, so I would always prefer this original design.

The GM #3860366 was only used for 1965-66. It was discontinued from SERVICE without supercession in July, 1983.

By the way, the original design used no o-ring for the oil pump tube. No 1965-74 big block or small block ever did. Also, no gasket or "leaf stem" was used.

[Ronald L.]

Re: 427 Oil Pump Screen

Thanks Joe,

What you show is the melling pickup, and readily available. The o-ring, about 1/4" in diameter, not clear where that came from. Gasket material? One would "think" if you drop the pan or valve cover to change a gasket, you keep this stuff out of the system!

thanks again, Ron

[Joe L.]

Re: 427 Oil Pump Screen

Thanks Joe,

What you show is the melling pickup, and readily available. The o-ring, about 1/4" in diameter, not clear where that came from. Gasket material? One would "think" if you drop the pan or valve cover to change a gasket, you keep this stuff out of the system!

thanks again, Ron

Ronald-----


The one I have pictured is not a Melling piece; it is a GM-original piece. However, I agree that the Melling piece for 65-66 Corvette applications is virtually identical to this piece. Given that you now know the configuration of the original piece via the photos I posted, you also know that the Melling piece replaces it perfectly.

This is NOT true for 1967-74 Corvette big block oil pick-up screens, though. All of the aftermarket pieces I have seen are NOT configured anything like the originals. I will post more on this later in a new thread.

[Ronald L.]

Re: 427 Oil Pump Screen

Joe,

Would seem logical that Melling could have been the supplier to GM for these, at least in the post production parts phase, if not right from the start. I plan to talk to them tomorrow, they are local to the area.

On the engineering thing, well, if at first you don't succeed try again. There's not a single OEM that has perfect engineers, period.

Was the 67 and up screen the same shape etc, just a larger opening?