Originally posted by cletis:
If you pack the pump with vaseline you'll squirt vaseline into your oil passages. I'm not sure this is a good idea. Sounds alot like clogged arteries. 
This was the specified method in the AMC V8 factory service manual. All my rebuild experience is with AMC engines. There is no clogging of the arteries with vaseline. The reason I mentioned that this may not be recommended for your engine is because my experience is limited to one brand.
When rebuilding something I used to keep a can of 90W gear lube with a small brush in it and brush a coat of lube on every moving part before assembly. I did this for engines or manual transmissions, (not on the synchros, though) and always had succesful rebuilds.
