indestructible oil pump shaft....WHY?

[Jac Mac]

Had a 302w that popped a circlip out of a lifter a while back. That circlip found its way down into the pan, wriggled in thru the pickup screen & locked up the oil pump. The stock drive then screwed itself up until it looked like a coarse thread bolt before it became short enough to lift out of the pump and then the light came on. Fortunately the owner "saw the light" & switched off. When I stripped the bottom end down there was no other damage [ I magnafluxed cam& distributor gears along with distributor/oil pump hex drives.]

Now if that had been an 'indestructible' type drive would we have got off as lightly, I doubt it. I have seen motors fitted with HV pumps twist up std drives just from a throttle jockey on cold starts. They then blame the pump drive. It is not the problem, just the messenger to a driver that wont listen.

Use the std shaft & keep a good scan on your gauge's/light's, this has never let me down yet!

A better use for the " heavy " shaft is as an extension allen type socket screw driver for awkward place's.

Cheers Jac Mac

[PROFESSOR FATE]

Jac Mac, Thanks for the reply. I just finished assembling the motor with the stock shaft. I was particularly pleased to hear that the stock ones are ductile enough to twist as much as you described. I never would have guessed that it would fail that way.