Tom: You're likely going to have to find an older oil pump casting with the 'captured' thrust washer in the top to support the load. The Chevy M45 pumps do not have this washer. Nobody at Melling was able to tell me why the chevy pumps don't have it, and the GMC pumps they build do.
Me: What are your other customers with HEIs doing?
Tom: I don't know their setups, as yours is the first to fail like this.
My opinion is that is has to be the camshaft. This is based on the assumption that the majority of these 235 rebuilts are using Melling M45 replacement pumps and the owners/builders are totally unaware of the issues I'm dealing with. If its the engine block, I WILL sell this car and go into '60 Pontiac muscle.
chip
