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fuel pump spacer

8K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  9824vHammer 
#1 ·
Im doing a p pump conversion on my 98 24v and im putting a mechanical fuel pump from a 97 on. I was wondering if you need the metal spacer between the fuel pump and the engine block? I just mounted the fuel pump straight to the block with a gasket untill i realized that you are supposta have a metal spacer. I can turn the engine over by hand and hear no noise or binding. So i was wondering if its necessary or not? Any advice will be great.
 
#2 ·
Hard to say with a 24 valve cam if the spacer is necessary or if the cam even has a lobe to run the pump.
Personally I would think that if the engine turns over freely that you're fine without the spacer but I would test to see if the pump is actually pumping before going too far.
You might want to ask in the 24 forums if anyone else has done the conversion.

BTW, good move going away with a prone to failure electric pump and using the long lived reliable mechanical pump.

 
#3 ·
I actually used a cam out of a 97. I was told by the dodge dealer that only trucks from northern states and provinces have a spacer and trucks from southern states dont. Any truth to that? Those mechanical fuel pumps are tryed tested and true unlike most of those electric ones.
 
#4 ·
Chalk up another Dodge dealer that doesn't have a clue. The "spacer" is the mounting bracket for the pre-filter/heater. If I were you I would source the prefilter assy, but trash the heater puck.
 
#5 ·
No, that is straight up incorrect information. All p-pumped 12 valves came with a fuel heater and strainer, the bracket for which was the spacer for the lift pump.


If you can turn the engine over twice (once cam rotation) without interference you should be good. But a spacer would also be easy to make if you wanted to.
 
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