99 2500

Sometime in January I will be changing the camshaft in my 1999 pickup ( 2500 series, 4X4, 6.0 liter ) with 86000 miles, I would like to replace the timing chain and oil pump while everything is apart. Is it necessary to lower the oil pan to remove the oil pump?

mudz5.3

I think if you are careful you can get the oil pump out without lowering the oil pan. There is a bolt at the bottom, that holds the pick up tube on that can be a bitch to get to.

99 2500

Thanks for the info, hopefully I won't have lower the oil pan.

L-EATER

iTrader: (2)

Is there anything wrong with your pump and chain? If not I would suggest leaving it alone. These motors are very sensitive to the relief valve sticking in the pump after being disturbed. Take it from someone who has pulled the pan several times, bought a total of three oil pumps, several of the POS o-rings, etc, etc. I lost my last 6.0 indirectly to no oil pressure due to a stuck valve. As a side note, the last time I had it open I made a flange and brazed it to the pickup tube, then made a gasket and therefore did away with the problematic "O ring"

Slowverado

good luck man, it's gonna be a bitch. and really there's no reason to change either, but if that's what you want to do then that's cool. just make sure you have a pen magnet for when you drop a bolt in the pan

BenKey

iTrader: (1)

That many miles, I'd replace both. You should only have to drop your pan about a 1/2". That is only to get access to the pickup tube. I have almost 10k on my truck and going in for the second cam change and I'm replacing both.

XLR8NSS

iTrader: (4)

My dads '99 2500HD 4*4 has 175,000 with no problems from the oil pump. Might want to leave well enough alone.

99 2500

I remember reading a post where Farmtruc installed a cam in a 5.3 liter with 100000 miles and had to go back in the engine to replace the oil pump because it had no oil pressure when they started it up the first time. Would like to avoid a situation like that.

GREGGO

iTrader: (2)

If you want to get the cam in and not mess with it for a while, I say change it. Get a ported one while your at it. As for the chain, they are cheap enough to go ahead and replace also.

eallanboggs

iTrader: (1)

You MUST lower the oil pan a little unless you are Houdini Sissor Fingers. You need the space you get by lowering the pan in order to remove AND replace the pick-up tube BOLT to the pump body. You should remove the bolts on the front and sides of the pan and just loosen the bolts in the rear slightly. This will drop the pan enough to get the bolt out and in. You should put a few shop rags in the space you create when the pan drops so just in case you do happen to drop the bolt the rags will catch it and you won't have to completely remove the oil pan to retrieve the bolt. The magnet method that was suggested might work, but you'll probably win the lottery before that happens. I'd try the shop rags rather than temping fate. The ported oil pump is a good idea altho a little pricey. My oil pressure went up to 60 psi at idle after I installed a ported and blueprinted LS6 pump. The Rollmaster double chain is a good idea at this time as well. Be sure to orient the required spacer that comes with the double chain properly to allow the oil to flow at full capacity. It can be installed upside down restricting the pump output. I also removed the pump cover and took out the DRIVE and DRIVEN gears to make it a lot easier to get the pump pickup tube started into the pump body. This is a problem because the spacers required with the double row timing chain move the pump body forward about 1/8". This doesn't sound like much, but getting the pickup tube snout into the pump input port can be difficult and the "O" ring can get pinched if you try and force it. By removing the DRIVE and DRIVEN gears you get the extra wiggle room you need to rock the pump body just enough to get the pickup tube into the pump. When you put the gears back into the pump body be sure to note the "DOT" on one of the gears. The "DOT" faces outward. One more tip is to not tighten the timing cover bolts until AFTER you seat the crank pulley. You just thread the bolts in the then install the pulley. This makes the pulley and timing cover oil seal "CONCENTRIC" which ain't a bad idea at all. Then you tighten down the cover bolts. This is just a little thing, but sometimes the little things can add up.