I've got a new crane 241 cam installed in my mk4 454 mags. I was installing a new Holley 110 gph mech fuel pump The pump would not stay even with the block top to bottpm as I tightened it down also it was really tightening hard. I turned the engine over by hand to get the pump lever off the ramp on the cam, but it made no difference. The housing ended up qracking. I was trying my other new pump and it is doing the same thing. I found the spot with least presure on the pump lever, it started easier but the went crooked again. I stopped before I broke another one. The bottom of the pump mating surface is touching the block, the top is 1/4" away.
What am I doing wrong?

It sounds to me like you are not getting the pump lever under the end of the fuel pump push rod. That damn rod wants to slide down and it is really hard to hold it up long enough to get the pump under it. If memory serves me, what I used to do was to pull out the pipe plug at the bottom of the fuel pump mounting, let the pump push rod slide out and I coated it with THICK grease and then put it back in. The grease holds the push rod up long enough for you to get the fuel pump arm under it. don't forget to put the pipe plug back when you are done.
Good Luck
Charlie

Fuel pump push rod. DUH, I bet you are right.
I didn't even think about that. I am an old Ford man and they don't use a push rod. I should've thought about that, the pump is mounted to low to be anywhere near the cam.

Thanks, That will help. After I buy another fuel pump.

I havent changed a stock engine driven pump in a while but I believe the pipe plug he was reffering to is actuallty a short bolt that can be replaced with a longer one to pin the shaft up during fuel pump replacment replacment and then you replace it with the the short bolt again when you are done.

You are thinking of a small block. Big blocks use a pipe plug directly inline with the pushrod. Small blocks use a short bolt 90* to the pushrod.

youre right