hawkeye5766 wrote:

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This part came with my 4dr, spring of some sort. Hopefully one of you guys with a part # book can tell me what it's. NOS part# 3764554   Description: Retainer  Thx Jim

 

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 Maybe check with Wheaton? They may have an old parts catalog. 

Will check with some other parts I got with the car. Maybe they got mixed up in packages over the years?

Something is whacky there. I can guarantee you if you order a 3764554 from a GM dealer you will get a white plastic sleeve for the oil pump driveshaft!

hawkeye5766 wrote:

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This part came with my 4dr, spring of some sort. Hopefully one of you guys with a part # book can tell me what it's. NOS part# 3764554   Description: Retainer  Thx Jim

 

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         If the engine runs    throw the part in the attic     

hawkeye5766 wrote:

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427carl wrote:

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hawkeye5766 wrote:

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This part came with my 4dr, spring of some sort. Hopefully one of you guys with a part # book can tell me what it's. NOS part# 3764554   Description: Retainer  Thx Jim

 

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         If the engine runs    throw the part in the attic     

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 I would but I'm afraid of rats 

 

-- Edited by hawkeye5766 on Wednesday 2nd of July 2014 07:53:30 PM

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 No rats in Alberta.....just nice cars.

It was about 1978. My friend Ken was helping me assemble an engine, I believe a 327 for a 65 Acadian I drag raced. We were going to put the oil pump in and I realized I'd forgotten to buy one of those retainers. No problem, Ken just happened to be a son to the owner of the local Chevy dealer! At that time, I was a parts guy as I have been my whole life (lol) but I worked in a jobber store and we had nothing like that. Off we went to his house to ask his dad if he thought he might have a retainer in stock at the dealership, and if so, if we could get the key to get in to look for it. His dad had a reputation as having an incredible gift with numbers, he could add columns as fast in his head as most people could on a calculator, and his retention of numbers of all sorts including part number was on par with Rainman!

We went to his house, asked his dad and without blinking an eye his dad said "You need a 3764554" and proceeded to add "it's in Row C, Shelf 3, Box 2" or something to that effect! We absolutely howled laughing the 6 block drive to the dealership, knowing full well he was likely correct, and of course he was. Now keep in mind, this was a tiny dealer, one mechanic in the back and the owner running the entire front, parts/service/sales/phones/accounting, everything. Of course his sales volume on parts were very low in a town of 1500 with one other GM dealer. That's what made it even more incredible to us, he likely didn't sell more than one of those a year!

For years after, on vacations, fishing trips, whatever, when I would be with Ken I would say "What's the GM number for an oil pump retainer" and he would always know it. It's likely a dozen years now since I've asked him, I'll have to try it on him next time I see him!

His dad happens to be the father in law to our CP member Beau 69 who is currently documenting his 454 build and conversion on a thread here. If he reads this, he will just nod his head and laugh, knowing full well that's his father in law all right!

Great story, funny how you remember things for differant reasons. Ever have anyone put a tool in the wrong drawer in your tool box ( messes me up ). Some guys just know what and where everything is.

Great story Carl and its good to know its still available. When you buy an oil pump do you get this item with it or do you have to purchase it separately ?

 

Ian

The retainer does not come with the pump. I still have a box of the retainers I ordered in 1973 with about 6 left. There was about a dozen in the box and I still have the dealer order slip with it. I had ordered  a high pressure pump from a 1970 LT1 for a 350 I was building and no pump retainer and I had cracked the the retainer I had.I ordered one and a box of them came in and the parts man just gave them to me as he was charged for only one. Timmins Garage was selling a ton of  high performace parts and was  even giving out the GM high po catalogue for free back then. On one of my orders was a set of small block connecting rods with no wrist pin hole drilled and an over sized set of rod bolts. I had to get the rods drilled to my piston height. 

 

Al

I did not recieve the retainer with my GM pump I purchased back then and did not get one with the TRW high voulume pump I recently purchased. I just ordered a pump pickup from GM and there was no retainer with it. Maybe someone took it or forgot to put the retainers in the box. Or is there another part number for a complete pump assembly.

Al

Hey Carl,

some of the pumps came with the retainer and some didn't. I can't remember which ones though. I have a bunch of them that they were throwing out at work.

Quiz:

726533

726534

3965774

any guesses?