I am just looking for some tips on the oil pump change. I don't plan on pulling the head I would like to just do it by removing the chain cover oil pan and whatever other pieces absolutely have to be removed.

Any tips on what will need to be removed in order to get to the pump

 

I have done it with out head removal.

Remove:

oil pan
crank pulley
water pipe that crosses timing cover

be precise with your bead of hondabond for sealing the upper chaincase (where the timing cover meets the cyl head)

The rest you can prolly figure out.

 

so the alternator and those items are fine where they are?
This may not be as bad as I thought it would. I have deleted the ac and most of the other things that may be a pita already. Cool.
Do you recommend the stock oil pump? And if I went with an 04+ version is it a straight swap?

 

Make sure you get the updated pump. Search the board. There was a part number change in mid-late 2003. I did mine years ago. Hardtopguy posted the new number years ago. As a matter of fact, I have the box in my garage. I could ck tomorrow.

To go through the trouble, you definitely dont want some old stock pump.

 

^ yea as I have updated the oil jet bolts already. plastigaged everything and its all well within spec. I have straight 50 wt oil in a new built motor and I'm idling at 24ish pounds but it maxes out at 60 pounds. Its actually falling out of vtec after about 7500 rpms.
I probably did some damage to the pump with the bits of my piston ring before the rebuild. Should have had a new ne put in then.

 

Whoa, why are you running a 50 weight? Should be a 30 weight oil.

 

Its a fully built motor with 9:1 compression. not stock. FI motors are built "looser" and I also track it so a good redline oil that doesn't shear at high temps is what I need and use.

 

pump part number 15100-PCX-023.
pasting for future reference.
That is the updated pump number.

 

bumping for any other tips. Its in the process now. will be attempting to remove the crankshaft pulley tomorrow.