I may suck at searching, but this question/answer literally does not exist on the internet.

I'm doing a haulover on my motor. Not sure if I should simply rebuild oil pump or replace it outright.

Car sat for 1.5 years due to bad distributor, got new one. Cranks and runs now. Water pump, timing belt, and misc. maintenence parts on the way. Will probably just get a new oil pump because I need this car to be reliable, but am wondering what you guys think.

Not trying to save any money or anything, but simply wondering if a complete replacement is always necessary in regards to the oil pump. Kinda like how the helms will tell you to replace gaskets, when it's not completely necessary and you can just reuse it as long as you took care during disassembly or whatever...

Opinions?

 

I would buy a new one. IMO no sense messing around with something as important as an oil pump.

 

They're cheap enough to just buy a new one

 

OEM Honda .. get a new one

 

If your existing oil pump is in good condition you can 'blueprint' it to make it better than a cheap new one. Cheap new parts tend not to be very dimensionally accurate. Gear end play is very important. If end play is excessive, it can cause low oil pressure, especially at low speed due to oil bleeding around the side of the gears. If it is too tight the oil pump can prematurely wear out. Blueprinting an oil pump involves measuring and then correcting, if needed, the gear end play. It also involves making sure the passages in the pump are smooth and clear of casting flash and that all sharp edges are knocked down with emory paper or a suitable deburring tool. With a little work you can make a used pump better than new. Every brand new oil pump I take out of the box gets blueprinted before it is installed on the engine. End play specifications will be located in your service manual.