So I picked up an oil pump rebuild kit as my oil pump is leaking badly where the pressure spring retaining bolt goes in. The kit includes the new clover leaf drive shaft and companion circular part of the pump that goes into the housing. Do I need to pack the vanes of it with grease to create a prime or would simply putting a film of oil on everything be ok? Also, do I need to drain the oil pan or can I leave the oil in there and just replace the pump and filter?

First time I'm ever doing this and I'm pretty sure this is the first time the oil pump has been off this car.

Thanks

Most likely oil will work just fine....BUT...the more cautious method is to assemble the pump with a film of Vaseline on the rotor and hub, you don't have to fill the cavities.

Once engine is fired The Vaseline will quickly dissolve into the oil and not cause any issue.

Ok. Thanks. Do I need to drain the oil from the pan or is that not needed?

No need to drain the oil pan. We ARE talking a big block motor right?

I clean them thoroughly and then coat all parts in thin engine oil thoroughly before assembly, the scroll, the rotor and stem as well as coat the pump inside where the scroll rides and the cover where it rides also.
Skip the vasoline or any grease in the pump
As far as the pump leaking by the bypass valve replace that gasket and retighten it again after getting the motor up to normal operating temps, do NOT over tighten it
Good luck
Let us know how it goes

Rebuilding a whole pump because of a leaking spring cap gasket?

It’s not a cap gasket. Seems to be leaking pretty good from the gasket at the pressure spring bolt. Losing about a quart an hour driving it.

Any tricks on how to get just that bolt out? Steering box is blocking it or the bracket for the motor mount is. I can’t remember which but I know it couldn’t get a wrench or socket on it from under the car.

Yes it t is a big block engine.

Pull the pump off if it's that tight, by the time you get it back together you'll have the thing full of grime and not holding pressure. I have seen the boss that holds the pressure spring crack.
I'd put a new pump on it at this point, there not expensive.

Hmm. What would cause that boss to crack out of the blue?

Once again the English language causes confusion, what you're calling a "bolt" is a "cap" in factory lingo.

It's been on motors I've gotten from yards or picked up used, at one time I had close to 20 rb blocks. Now I have 4.

ok, thank you for the correction John. I thought it was more of a bolt than something that short like a pipe plug.

Iowan,
I'm still confused as to what would cause the oil pump housing to crack? Its not like it is under that much torque or subject to abuse like the rest of the block.

I have no idea other than flaw in casting, abuse or over tightning of the cap.

Ok, so I finally got a chance to work on it last night. I pulled the oil pump off and when I got it out, I put the case in a vice and went to remove the pressure relief cap. The cap was a little less than snug which I'm guessing is why it was leaking. I pulled it all apart and checked everything out while I had it off, everything looked in great shape so I put it back together after cleaning it all up and oiling the internal parts with a thin film of 5w-20 that I had laying around. Didn't get a chance to fire it up last night but I'll take care of that when I get home from work today.

Thanks for all the help.

Gaskets shrink with age.

Understandable but I would have imagined something that was exposed to oil like that wouldn't shrink. I could see if the car hasn't been run in 20 something years which this has had starts almost every month to keep stuff lubricated.