So I'm getting ready to put in my new pump and really don't want to screw up the keyway.  I know putting superglue on the key is recommended, and I'm wanting to do that, but my key is really on the pump shaft pretty firmly.  Should I yank it out to superglue it or dab glue on the corner where the key and shaft meet?

I left mine in and put a little bit down the two edges, the front and the back. If it's tight I wouldn't take it out!

 

Make sure you use a mirror to see if the key is entering the gear correctly.

pulled it out.  It was snug, but glued it.  Now should be good.  My rear support bracket was actually missing, and there was a bunch of silicone around the solonoid of my old pump.  So glad I'm doing this. 

Make sure you get the updated bracket. The earlier year VP trucks had problems with the bracket breaking.

 

Where was the silicone? I guess I'm not familiar with a solonoid on the outside of the pump.

Here's the silicone. 

Odd

ive been running without a bracket for a long while. i know its there to support and such and eventually ill get another one as i dont know where the original went to

If the key doesn't move with finger pressure then it should be fine. But if it does move your best to super glue the key in place. I've had them spin up on me and block the shaft from going in. Then careful pull it back out to re-seat the key with glue. Make sure the arrow is pointing towards the pump.

Picked up the updated bracket from the local Cummins graveyard. 35 bucks was a bargain. Even came with a bonus bunch of bolts that had nothing at all to do with the bracket (they were sitting in all the holes like they belonged there... But didnt). Should have it buttoned up tomorrow.

I've changed 2-3 VP's and all had the key's were tight to the point i didn't mess with it. i mean it was easy to tell it wasn't going anywhere, "I think that because this was a real issue in the beginning that Most OEM BOSH Rebuilders glue or do something now to hold them in place.

 

Like Mike stated above "The danger is not when sliding it in the first time, it's pulling it back to get it to line up after the key has started into the spline in the Gear and wedged a little tight that causes it to pull free from shaft and then fall out of the Gear into front timing gear case,, IMHO..

 

One of those mirrors on the telescoping handle really is handy doing this.

Edited July 2, 201510 yr by rburks

My former 2000 was cracked on the exact same cover. The guy thought the VP was toast because it was leaking fuel out the back and was hard starting when sitting for a while. I bought the truck cheap, pulled the pump, found the cracked cover, tig welded it up and installed new o rings and reassembled. Truck ran great for the next 150k or so miles that I owned it.

Edited July 3, 201510 yr by diesel4life