Quick fuel distributor oring question

[Jaceb-GLI]

So not surprisingly my ECO pump started leaking from the cold start.

I had a TD pump laying around. Resealed the cold-start lever area and away we went

Now it is leaking pretty badly. This time it looks like it's coming from the distributor head. I plan to pull the head for a metal headgasket, clean up, and maybe some ARP studs.

Needless to say I'll be pulling the pump again. Is it safer to change the oring with the pump off the car? I've read through the thread in the FAQ but it didn't really help out. The one link I found was dead.

Thanks anyone!

[8v-of-fury!]

Off the car, On the car is sketchy at best unless you know what you are doing..

Pump snout down, off the car.. not much chance for stuff to go awry.

[ORCoaster]

I like the baggie over the end of the pump idea to keep the O ring clean as can be until you get it to it's final destination.  Remember it comes apart a bit at a time and goes back together before the next screw is removed.  It can be done without fully disassembling the pump. 

[745 turbogreasel]

IMO on car isn't too hard, but if one seal is leaking, the rest will soon.

[libbydiesel]

I've replaced quite a few on the car but I know what I'm doing.  Not hard at all.  Did one a year ago on a neighbors ALH and it hasn't leaked since. 

[Jaceb-GLI]

I am confident I can do it on the car I was mainly curious if it was better to do it with the pump out. I'm pulling it out anyways. Thanks folks.

I understand that the othe seals will leak but I am doing this to keep the xar my daily until I can save the money for a Gile's pump.

[damac]

If the pump is already off, just clean the whole thing and reseal it all.  It might take you half a day for your first time just cleaning and resealing pump.  I have seen more than the head oring create those steady drips that are enough to get your coolant hoses wet and leave a puddle on the ground. 

[bbob203]

you need one of these

[smutts]

bbob203

, what a fantastic tool, I've been pondering how to neatly preload the plunger pump piston.

To recap, there are some shims between the wobble plate and the injection plunger. Moving the injection head to get at the "o"ring can allow the shims to fall out, and destroy the pump. If you are lucky, they stick in place like contact lenses and you are none the wiser how lucky you were and you get to write a guide on how easy it is to do this.
So you need to keep the plunger pushed back in the pump whilst the head is pulled forwards. That lovely springy thingy will do it nicely.

[libbydiesel]

I just cut off the appropriate length of and appropriate diameter drill bit.  I put that in the timing plug hole and use the timing plug bolt gently tightened down on it.  Even if the pump is off the car, if all I'm doing is resealing, I use the same method albeit with the pump clamped in a vice with distributor head UP.  IMO, it is a lot safer than trying to pull the head all the way off and messing with the little springs and getting the control collar socket lined up right with the lever...  Granted I've done that plenty of times successfully as well.  If pulling the distributor head all the way off then grease the little springs with vaseline to hold them in the distributor and pull the top off so you can make sure the socket and lever are lined up properly.