Hello all, ah here I go. So I my father-in-law is pretty mechanically inclined, but has no heart, he is suggesting that I don't try to do it myself. Now here are the circumstances, TRUCK- 96 ram 1500,with a 318 95k on her, oil light comes on after engine warms up only when not on the throttle, then oil pressure drops to zero at a stop light unless I ride the throttle a little to keep the rpm's over 1k. ABILITIES- I am no mechanic but I have done all normal work on vehicles, oil, water pumps starters, tranny fluid (dropping the pan) timming belts on smaller cars and what not, so I know I can figure it out. EQUIPMENT- I have access to a shop with a truck lift, air tools and pretty much all standard shop tools ever.
The question how long has it taken anyone here to do this or anyone that you have heard of. Also, aside from the pump itself, and the oil pan gasket what may I need to purchase to GET ER DONE!
Thanks for the help everyone and have a great rest of the week!

 

if you can do water pumps and timing belts, you'll have no problem.
instructions... http://www.pavementsucks.com/tech/rearmain.php

comments. on my 01, i also had to remove the bell housing/flex plate dust cover to release the oil pan lip, and to get it off, you have to remove the starter #@#@, which is awkward to get at. how stupid is that. my oil pan easily came out without raising the motor. getting it back in and w/o the gasket slipping off was a 2 man job, not hard, just took 4 hands. getting the dust cover back over the starter stud is overly hard, it would be easier to notch the stud hole out to make it easier. lastly, make sure the dust cover lip seats back in the right place or the flex plate will hit it. acutal oil pump time is about 10 minutes. all the bs is about 2-3 hours. btw, the oil press. sending unit is on the back of the motor, just to pass.side of distributor.

added.. i did not have to remove my exhaust pipes. try getting your oil pan off w/o removing dust cover, maybe yours will come off, i couldn't seem to get mine out.

 

You may find out (after pulling the pan and inspecting the pump) that you don't need to replace it after all. Someone on here found a bunch of crud blocking the pickup screen.

 

You can figure on about 1 hour. Drain oil. While it is draining, remove the passenger sideauxillary support strut that goes from the motor mount to the transmission. Put the plug back in the pan, and procede to remove the oil pan bolts (14 maybe?). Slide the oil pan out. There will be three bolts that hold the pump in place. Remove two. Then slide an oil catch pan directly underneath the pump, remove the last bolt, and place the pump into the pan.

Next, unthread the pick-up tube from the old pump and clean it thouroughly. Thread the clean pick-up tube into the new oil-pump. Prime the pump by submersing the pick-up in oil and turning the drive with a 5/16 allen wrench (iirc ?). Install the new pump by first inserting the drive shaft into the pump, and the turning the pump to align the bolt holes.

The oil pan gasket is reusable, though you may choose to install a new one. Reinstall the oil pan, making sure that the gaskettabs where the pan meets the transmission are inserted into thier holes (you will have no doubt as to what this means when you do it). Get all the bolts snug and then torque them outwars from the center in an orderly fashion, i.e center two- left and right, then the two-left and right-towards the front of the engine, then the two-left and right- toward the transmission, and so onspanning outward. Reinstall the engine to transmission support strut. You are done, unless you want to go over an hour....

As an added precaution you can remove the spark plugs, unplug the injectors, and crank the motor for 5-10 seconds. This will drive the air between the primed pump and the channel that it pumps into up into the valve covers.

Edit: it just occured to me that Isuck at typing

 

Read a trickto keeping the gasket in place during install. Tie the corners in place with thread (through the bolt holes). After getting all the other bolts started ... cut the threads and pull them out ... install corner bolts.

The FSM tells you to make 4 gasket guides. Cut the heads off of 4 bolts and slot the shafts (so they'll accept a screwdriver). Screw the studs into the 4 corners of the block before installing the pan with gasket laid in place. Start all the other screws and then remove the studs ... install corner bolts.

 

A couple additional things on this subject.

1) your truck has 95k, purchase a high volume Melling pump. This is a good option for higher mileage vehicles.
2) While you're still at the parts store, remove the oil pump from the box and turn the pump by spinning the oil pump shaft fitting. If it does not turn smoothly, have them provide a different one. I encountered this problem once and once was enough when you have a brand new engine and a bad oil pump.
3) A new pickup screen is not expensive. Consider purchasing one when you buy your pump.
4) When installing the pump, do as was mentioned and insert the oil pump shaft first then spin the pump until the bolt holes line up. *** Be extra careful that the pump is fitting exactly flush with teh engine block BEFORE you tighten the bolts. You will break the pump if it is not exactly right. This will cause no oil pressure, no oil volume, and probably a burnt up engine. I have seenseveral brokenoil pumps due to not being careful aboutmaking the pump and block fit flush.

As others have said, this is not hard,just be careful with the installation as the oil pump is as important to your engine as the heart is to the human body.

Gogo luck.