Reverse rotation 318 oil pump drive gear

I'm finishing up the rebuild on my Chrysler 318 and am putting in the oil pump drive gear today. The book I'm using (How to Rebuild Small-block Mopar Engines, by Taylor & Hofer) doesn't mention reverse rotation motors.

In order to line up the oil pump drive gear properly, it tells you to put the number one cylinder at TDC and orient the slot so you can draw a line through it to the left-front intake manifold bolt. In order to put the #1 piston at TDC, it uses the damper pulley timing mark and front cover scale. However, my 318 times from the rear using the flywheel, and a mark back there in the bellhousing, neither of which are installed yet because it's still on the engine stand.

Two questions, then:

1) How do I find TDC on the proper stroke?

2) Does the oil pump drive gear line up the same way as a normal rotation motor using the intake manifold bolt for reference?

Thomas

Hi Thomas

If you have a look in the reference section you can download the Chrysler Marine V8 Reference Manuel.

On Page 59 it displays the firing order for the 318 Normal Rotation and Reverse Rotation engines.

You will see that the direction the distributor rotates is the same for both engines but the firing order differs.
This means that the oil pump drive, which the distributor slots into rotates the same direction on both engines as well.

So to answer your questions
Yes you can use the method described in your manual to line up the oil pump drive gear.

Regards
Rob

Hi Thomas

Before you go to start the motor for the first time prime the oil pump.
This is so you get oil pressure straight away when you go to start it.

To do this take the distributor out and the oil pump drive gear.

Get a long steel shaft and make one end of the same a the hex drive of the oil pump shaft

Put the shaft down into the oil pump, attached the other end of the shaft which is sticking out where you distributor should be to an electric drill. Spin the shaft up till you get oil pressure

If you have a cordless electric set it on a high torque setting so that when you get oil pressure it does not break your wrist.

Once you have got oil pressure put the shaft back in following the same procedure as before.

Regards
Rob