Does the oil pump bolt have to be safety wired?

[RalphM]

I just put the pump in with original bolt/ new lock washer. Then I got to thinking about all the ones I’ve seen with a a hole for the wire. This one does not have it, but I torqued it down to specs.
Should I be worried?

[DavidG]

I'd find a bolt with a hole in the head or drill one in the head of your present bolt. Generally speaking there is a good reason why they were safety-wired in the first place, at least on all of the early ones.

[JM 35 Sedan]

Why take the chance that if that bolt comes loose, and falls into the oil pan, it has the potential to tear up something in that lower end that can/will ruin the engine.

[Juergen]

Except for race cars and airplanes, does anyone safety wire bolts if they also use lock washers? Car manufactures find that properly torqued bolts with lock washers exceed the 100,000 mile warranties so are unnecessary. Once the bean counters took over at Ford after the war, safety wiring disappeared in the new models. Should you be worried? Not unless you need redundancy to be care free.

[51 MERC-CT]

Pumps to '48 used a drilled head bolt.
'49-'53 manual shows bolt and lock washer only.
It's like wearing a belt and suspenders.

For peace of mind you can wear the suspenders (safety wire)

[RalphM]

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I’m a belt and suspenders kinda guy!

[rotorwrench]

Ford used safety wire in the times up to and just after WWII. They didn't use the annealed stainless wire like we use in aviation but it worked just the same. They even used a lot more cotter pins in the early years.

[Brian]

I use loctite

[RalphM]

I tried to find my Loctite before putting it in, but I have no idea where it is.
I’m thinking I’m gonna pull it back out and drill a hole through the head.

[JM 35 Sedan]

Originally Posted by RalphM

I tried to find my Loctite before putting it in, but I have no idea where it is.
I’m thinking I’m gonna pull it back out and drill a hole through the head.

Great idea!! I can't tell you how many broken/non functional lock washers I've found while working on these old Fords in the last 63 years.

[deuce_roadster]

Lock washers are single use items. Not to be reused. Ask the airplane guys.

[J Franklin]

Originally Posted by JM 35 Sedan

Great idea!! I can't tell you how many broken/non functional lock washers I've found while working on these old Fords in the last 63 years.

During the depression everybody reused things that looked ok. I agree they are one use items. I use LockTite and washers for looks.

[J Franklin]

Originally Posted by JM 35 Sedan

Great idea!! I can't tell you how many broken/non functional lock washers I've found while working on these old Fords in the last 63 years.

During the depression everybody reused things that looked ok. I agree they are one use items. I use LockTite and washers for looks.

[DavidG]

The problem with using Loctite in that application is the necessity for the threads in the block (and obviously on the bolt) to be dry and completely free of oil. Oil is an ingredient of the assembly process for a rebuilt engine and the odds of some ending up in that hole in the block are not zero.

[J Franklin]

Originally Posted by DavidG

The problem with using Loctite in that application is the necessity for the threads in the block (and obviously on the bolt) to be dry and completely free of oil. Oil is an ingredient of the assembly process for a rebuilt engine and the odds of some ending up in that hole in the block are not zero.

Contact cleaner with a straw nozzle is the way I do it. I use LockTite on every fastener I use, except wood and sheetmetal screws! I use safty wire and cotters on places that they are intended along with LockTite.

[Ronnieroadster]

On the engines I build I use the safety wire no matter what year flathead it is.
Ronnieroadster

[JM 35 Sedan]

Good advice in general Ronnie, and especially good advice for anyone attempting a record run at Bonneville @ 200+ mph. What was your approximate engine rpm @ 205.744 mph?

[drolston]

What is the proper way to safety wire the bolts holding the differential carrier together? The safety wire that I cut off to replace an axle was tightly twisted double wire by some tool that I do not have. So far I have just run a single galvanized steel wire around through all of the bolt heads, and twisted the ends together. With that, no bolt can make more than an eighth of a turn. Good enough?

[JM 35 Sedan]

Originally Posted by J Franklin

During the depression everybody reused things that looked ok. I agree they are one use items. I use LockTite and washers for looks.

Most of the broken, non functional lock washers I mention in post #10 were on original cars being dismantled for the first time. Probably the only thing that kept that hardware together was rusty threads.

[Crankster]

Originally Posted by drolston

What is the proper way to safety wire the bolts holding the differential carrier together? The safety wire that I cut off to replace an axle was tightly twisted double wire by some tool that I do not have.

Safety wire or "wire twister" pliers are not really necessary, don't let that trip you up. Their primary utility is for long open runs.

I did a LOT of safety wiring in the .mil and only rarely used them. Like modern cars there is oftentimes very, very little room to work in and unfortunately the pliers were absolutely useless most of the time. Safety wiring does take practice, but the pliers are not critical to the task.

The idea is that the bolt or fastener will not loosen, (or wire installed in the loosening direction!) no nicks or excessive work hardening of the wire, and no sharp edges to cut or catch "pigtail" etc. There are even accepted practices for installing the lowly cotter pin. Search "safety wire techniques" for some instruction.