WOW 40 years. You must be as old as I am..

gonna be 60 in june jake yikes>>> i still think im a kid though

I will be 60 this year also. Scary .Can't seem to slow it down .I used to attempt to weld and got to where I could weld "pretty good" Got tired of what it was doing to my eyes. I have a friend that is a pro welder ,His welds look like a jeweler did them .So I just pay

I agree that there are a lot of motors running around out there just fine with just a spot weld, but on the flip side I have also heard the argument that it is best to have a full circumference weld to prevent any air cavitation, even with an interference fit.

Melling actually had the best solution to this problem with some of their Select series pumps - they used a pipe thread on the pickup and pump body. Only downside was that you were limited in some of the pickups that were used with custom pans.

Spot weld it. Had a client who had a welder weld his all the way around- distorted the pump housing- stripped the distributor gear- had to pull the engine and replace the pump and pick up.

Growing Old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

BTW, I have a few years on ya.

I wouldn't weld anything, but I'm bitter. Mine was welded last summer, lasted 90 hours. Cost me THOUSANDS. Not sure if my dude mig or tig welded, but it was a horrible job either way. I ordered a new pan from eddie young with BOLT ON pick up this time....

Buy a bolt on pickup tube and be done with it.

That was mig welded. You can see the wire sticking out of the weld. Poor penetration.

Although,i'd still have the spring out,a proper quick tack by a welder that knows what penetration is, works fine .I've used some hardin pans with the braced pickup that bolts to housing .I like em ..That being said ,i've never had a problem with a properly tacked pickup in a decent pump .BTW it looks like that weld was just laying against the iron pump .Welder was trying not to burn through pickup ...Not pro welding ....