i noticed a pretty healthy oil leak develop around my oil pump, so i ordered the appropriate gasket and seal. i have a good friend who owes me, and he offered to do the work at my place while i did other things around the garage. when he got into it, we just couldn't get the pump loose and decided to retreat, since i have an appointment at the trim shop monday. the guy at the trim shop is planning to put a drip pan underneath as insurance, anyway.

my buddy offered to yank the engine at his shop and basically redo all seals and paint the engine pretty. since it's getting a new interior and i have been buffing the paint, that sounds nice. i read the threads on here about pulling the oil pump w/ engine in car, and i understand it would be just as easy to yank it (thanks, dusteridiot!). that said, if i do this, what engine gasket sets are preferred by the fine folks here? i already have a realgasket valve cover gasket, and am familiar with the remflex. who likes which kits, and why? i'll be posting a similar thread in the tranny section. and yes, i did search, but the results were voluminous and my eyes are getting tired.

There are only a few "full gasket sets" available, and in most cases you may end up buying the set and then buying a different brand for some of the other gaskets, but compared to buying individual gaskets it used to be more economical to buy the full lit vs. parting one together.... (most likely you will buy the kit and a remflex manifold and exhaust gasket separately).

The most common 2 kits are Felpro and Victor Reinz.... both are comparable so it mostly boils down to availability and sometimes price...

Did your buddy pull the distributor before trying to remove the pump?... if he got all 5 or 6 bolts out of the body... that slight smack with the rubber mallet to turn it on it's shaft typically takes care of the stuck fossilized pump gasket...

sorry for the delay in answering, but i wanted to re-read my factory service manual before i answered. he did not pull the distributor. the service manual simply says, "remove pump." that's it (after draining radiator, etc.). i also have a stockel's textbook, which is actually more helpful on the subject. it actually has more pictures, and does point out that the oil pump and the distributor are not connected. however, although it is somewhat ambiguous in the photo, i suppose that the distributor gear might block the other gear in, but the text says that in engines where they are not connected it is not necessary to pull the distributor. however, i see how it could help.

we were hung up on the issue of the oil pickup tube. however, (i think in stockel's) i remember reading that the pickup tube is fixed, and it is implied that you just pull the pump off, perform the service, then replace the pump.

is the use of sealant advisable, or not? i like to use it when it is not an issue. if so, should i first affix the gasket to the block with sealant? or to the pump prior to installation? of course, if i don't use sealant, i won't have to worry about removing it down the road. i do realize NOT to use it on the o-ring. the factory service manual DOES have good info on the actual servicing of the pump itself. i actually like the externally mounted system. i don't like messing with oil pan gaskets unless the engine is on a stand, and even then i'm not crazy about it! i can't stand leaks.