The pump can be removed if you don't mind being on the floor with the car on ramps or jack stands. Before you do anything else you should probably make sure the pressure relief valve is not stuck open. As long as you are to the point where you know you need to drain the oil, go ahead and do so. Then remove the side cover from the overdrive (being careful to release the accumulator spring by leaving the rear bolts a little behind the others as you go around). When you get the cover off and look in to where the pump sits you will see the relief valve. It is the same sized cap as on the operating valve. Take it out and see if there is debris or a stuck ball/broken spring etc. You may be able to restore pressure by cleaning this out and putting a new ball bearing in (I got a lifetime supply at Orchard Supply Hardware). If this all looks good you may have a pump problem. With mirrors and flashlights you should be able to see the pump piston go up and down if you turn the transmission mainshaft (which would be a trick from under the car). If the pump piston goes up and down and follows the cam lobe, and the relief valve is good you could still have an accumulator problem. If the pump is not operating normally and you need to pull it out, it is just above the oil screen when you take out the big plug on the bottom. It is withdrawn with a puller that threads into the bottom of the pump. I've got one, but it is possible to make one from a section of pipe a bolt with the proper thread and a little welding. The thing to remember if you do this is that the pump roller attached to the piston can be spun 180 degrees when the pump is removed. If it goes back in like this it can bend the piston rod and you will then have a real problem. The pump can be tapped back into place, but extreme caution is needed to ensure the roller is properly on the cam as you do this (and the relief valve must not be installed before the pump goes back in). You will see that where the roller is pinned is not quite symmetrical. The chances are that if there is a pump problem it pretty much has to be that either the roller is broken and thus not following the cam on the mainshaft, or the piston is bound in the pump body. Obviously if this happens the cam will shove it down and the spring will not have enough expansion force to put the piston roller firmly on the cam. If you need to remove the accumulator it is another post for that. Also not terribly hard to do, but do not remove the piston from the accumulator body unless you know the piston is frozen in place (which would not allow the OD to work, but you could still have pressure (I think). My guess, bad press. relief valve or bad pump. Relief valve easier than pump. Check it first. Laycock-de Normanville...where is Normanville anyway and just who was Laycock?
Hi Guest!
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
