Changing fuel pump rod slid down how do I get it back up?

1978 chevy 350|||Heres a great tip for the falling rod..





Chevy put a fuel pump rod holder on the block. Most just don%26#039;t know about it.





Look at the front on block, right there at the corner next to the fuel pump.





You will see 2 bolt holes. Most times 1 will have a bolt in it and other will not.





That upper bolt hole is a direct feed to the fuel pump rod well. If you remove and leave out bolt that hole will squite a stream of oil out.





If you take that bolt out and screw in a longer 3/8%26quot; thread bolt, the longer bolt will hit/push right against the rod and hold it in place once you take pump off.





No more messing with grease to hold it up. Just tighten up a longer bolt in that top hole on front of block.





Now as to the askers question. You could take the plate off. The way the pump bolts up is.. Block has big open hole, steel plate and gasket bolts on to block with 2 smll bolts.. Fuel pump then sits on that plate and bolts to block with 2 larger bolts.





If you cant get the rod up, just remove the plate and rod will slide right out into your hand.





You should be able to get a small flat blade screwdrive up uder edege of rod though and push it up some w/o taking plate off.





Engine needs to be turned so the cam is not trying to push rod down. The cam has a lobe on it that looks like a rounded off triangle, as engine turns that lobe moves in a circle and the peak of lobe press rod all the way down to work pump.





Once you get rod up, push it up in the hole and hold it there with your index finger as you have a buddy to turn the engine with a breaker bar and 5/8%26quot; socket on center bolt of crank closewise. You will feel the rod move up and down. Tell him to stop when rod is up





Now just use the bolt trick I mentioned to hold rod in place.. Bolt on fuel pump. Remove long bolt and replace with stock short one in that hole|||I%26#039;d get a long magnet and see if you can reach it that way.|||that sucks. Long slim needlenosed pliers or a tiny magnet glued to a pick or something.|||As I recall, the push rod slides %26quot;up%26quot; into the block and rests on a eccentric on the camshaft to move the pump plunger.





The biggest problem I%26#039;ve had is getting the rod to stay up in the guide as I%26#039;m installing the pump.


I usually coat the outside of the rod with grease to hold it in place briefly.





So I%26#039;m not sure what you%26#039;re having problems with.


It should simply slide back in at a high angle.|||I had that same problem with my 78 chevy K-10 (350) a couple of months ago, I took the rod out, plastered it with a heavy grease and slid it back up and the grease held it there until I could line up the pump and insert it, pain in the butt to replace a $25.00 part. It worked and that small amount of grease won%26#039;t hurt anything, learned from someone who used butch wax years ago for the same thing