[Shotimes] SHO oil pump

[Bill Strobel]

I'm in Colombia and away from my references.  The SHO oil pump is external and IIRC it is aluminum with steel gears. I fool around with AMC cars and we have the same problem.  External oil pump (actually built into the aluminum timing cover) steel gears.  What happens is the gears eat into the aluminum increasing the clearances and you lose hot oil pressure.  No amount of replacing rod or main bearings ever completely cures the problem.  You must replace the timing cover in order to restore proper hot oil pressure. This was a problem for awhile as new timing covers were obsolete and any NOS ones commanded in excess of $500.  We now have a reproduction one and the problem has been solved.  IIRC the SHO 3.0 oil pump is obsolete too.  Used ones are usually in the same shape as the one being replaced.  The AMC hobby as a crutch during the time when new timing covers were scarce, developed oversize oil pump gears to help give new life to old worn out covers. This maybe a solution that can
 be looked at.  I don't know.  There was another equally popularsolution with the AMC V-8 milling the housing and using the stock gears.  Both solutions were done in an effort to restore lost hot oil pressure.  It is now Standard Practice in the AMC hobby replace the bearings both rod and main and the timing cover to recoup lost oil pressure.  It would be that way too for the SHO except the pump is now obsolete. 

   This actually points to a much bigger problem that will need to be addressed in the not to distant future.  The SHOs are still being driven hard but Ford is obsoleting parts at a pretty fair clip.  If something is not done pretty soon we will all have expensive planters sitting in the yard.  Ford is not the answer, the hobby is.  At some point reproduction parts will have to come on line. NOS parts will be absolutely impossible to find now that the net has made searching dealer inventories very easy.    Usually a factory will continue to produce a part as long as the tooling holds out. Once the tooling needs replaced then projected sales are weighed against costs.  Remember we have a low production car and Ford in its' money crunch is looking to cut costs anywhere it can.  If it decides to retool a part sometimes the new price is very expensive.  Example Chrysler retooled the V-8 AMC timing cover when it was scarce and now charges $650 for it.  The aftermarket gets $250 for their
 version.  It does not look good long term for SHO only parts, as Ford is in a big cost cutting mode and retooling low production parts for an aging car is not the way to be cost effective.  I think we are mostly OK on the common Taurus parts it is the SHO only stuff that will disappear as current stocks run out.  

 

Bill Strobel

93 MTX

White, Black Leather

All Stock!          

     




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