My 340 bare block

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Keven S. Clickner

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Some pictures of the 340 block that I received with my 69 Dart and parts package. What I'm going to show you here are some holes drilled in the lifter valley .
I thought that a friend of mine knew something about the past of this block , wrong. I was hoping he would be able to tell me where the machine work has been done and what these holes were drilled for.
A description first.
At the front of the block right hand side passenger side oil galley there's a hole drilled directly below the large hole going into the cam cover at the front wall. I don't exactly what that hole is for in the wall certainly not a drain into the timing chain area. It's about 9/16 in diameter maybe 5/8. The drilled hole is about an eighth of an inch diameter. And the same location on the left side driver side there is a center drill mark. As if they maybe were planning to drill a hole there in the left-hand oil galley.
Then looking to the rear of the block there is another hole approximately 1/8 of an inch. That hole is located in the passageway leading to the pressure send port.
I'll post a cpl. pics maybe some of you guys 'n gals might know what was up here and the thinking and reasoning behind it. I've read the Guitar Jones Oil mod thread I don't believe any thing like this was in there. I can always plug them. not a problem , and go with something I know a little more about like some of the guitar Jones mods.
 
Oops here are the photos

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Is that the original block to your car? The reason I am asking is that I have been searching for my original block from west central Indiana for the 69 GTS I bought in 1995. If it is not your original, do you mind posting the VIN? As far as the mods, I have had dozens of 340 blocks and have never seen anything like it?!?
 
They appear to be drilled directly into the oil passage. Not sure what the purpose would be. I see two holes in the first pic and one in the second.
I would drill, tap and install plugs in them.
 
I haven't seen holes like that before.
One of the tricks back in the day was to drill holes in the lifter valley to aid oil drain back to the crankcase.
 
Is that the original block to your car? The reason I am asking is that I have been searching for my original block from west central Indiana for the 69 GTS I bought in 1995. If it is not your original, do you mind posting the VIN? As far as the mods, I have had dozens of 340 blocks and have never seen anything like it?!?
The block is not original to my car , a '69 273ci . Believe it is '73 . But I will post vin within the next day . Sourced the block locally though . Sheldon il. 60966 .
 
I'd plug those holes if there through to the oil passage. If not, I'm pretty sure it will lower your oil pressure. 65'
 
I'd plug those holes if there through to the oil passage. If not, I'm pretty sure it will lower your oil pressure. 65'
Think I`d tap the two across from each other and tie them together , would have an equalizing effect on both sides of the block. the others I would plug-----------------------jmo
 
That block has a tube in the passenger side oil gallery. That means unless they drilled holes in the tube there is no oil to the lifters. If they plugged the feed to the drivers side gallery like they should have, there is no oil to the lifters on that side.

My best WAG is they drilled those holes to get some extra oil in the lifter valley in the hopes of getting more oil to the lifters.

I’d drill and tap them and plug them. You don’t need all that oil blowing around in the lifter valley. There is already plenty of oil there.

Just my best WAG.
 
Of the two locations at the front of the block only one is drilled through the other is just marked. At the back of the block sending unit passageway that is drilled also. Yes big bleed off from both of those locations. no tubes have been installed in oil galleries and there are no feeds blocked. I believe they were just at the beginning stages here and left incomplete.
Yeah it looks like taps set screws red Loctite. And I'll pick and choose from the Guitar Jones oil mods for what may apply to me
Just checking in to see if anybody recognized what might be going on there . since I have no history on it, it will be a little rework and restart.
 
Of the two locations at the front of the block only one is drilled through the other is just marked. At the back of the block sending unit passageway that is drilled also. Yes big bleed off from both of those locations. no tubes have been installed in oil galleries and there are no feeds blocked. I believe they were just at the beginning stages here and left incomplete.
Yeah it looks like taps set screws red Loctite. And I'll pick and choose from the Guitar Jones oil mods for what may apply to me
Just checking in to see if anybody recognized what might be going on there . since I have no history on it, it will be a little rework and restart.


In the top picture of post 2 is that not a crusty copper tube I see breaking thought the lifter bores? Or is it just some crusty crap in the gallery?

If there is no tube in there I have no idea what they were doing.

If you are going to do any oil mods, spend you time and money on the inlet side of the pump. Unless you are turning 8K plus, that stuff after the pump is just busy work.

Work on the inlet side of the pump. That’s were the restriction is, and it’s the best bang for your buck.
 
In the top picture of post 2 is that not a crusty copper tube I see breaking thought the lifter bores? Or is it just some crusty crap in the gallery?

If there is no tube in there I have no idea what they were doing.

If you are going to do any oil mods, spend you time and money on the inlet side of the pump. Unless you are turning 8K plus, that stuff after the pump is just busy work.

Work on the inlet side of the pump. That’s were the restriction is, and it’s the best bang for your buck.
Oil?
upload_2020-10-23_11-31-56.png
 
yellow rose :
If you are going to do any oil mods, spend you time and money on the inlet side of the pump. Unless you are turning 8K plus, that stuff after the pump is just busy work.

Work on the inlet side of the pump. That’s were the restriction is, and it’s the best bang for your buck.

Thank you for the insight above .
As far as what you're seeing in the photo there I am not sure . there is a pool of oil around the lifter bores and between. I painted some 140 weight for protection. Apparently they used a die grinder with a ball carbide and outlined below the lifter bore opening and between the lifter bores. And I no longer have any idea who "they" are or were. Laughing out loud.
 
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Work on the inlet side of the pump. That’s were the restriction is, and it’s the best bang for your buck.
This is something certainly in consideration for some time now for me. Is there anything you could recommend for light gauge tubing for the oil pump pickup? I don't have the ability to bend steel tubing here not even light wall stuff. I've looked for 5/8" seamless tubing mandrel bends but I haven't found any . I'd be surprised at this point if they're out there.
Was going to do a mock-up in something like flexible Appliance gas line. or soft copper tubing. I don't think the soft copper tubing would be strong enough as the finalized pick up tube even with some support to withstand what might be going on in an engine crankcase or chassis, vibration, impact and such.
 
Is that the original block to your car? The reason I am asking is that I have been searching for my original block from west central Indiana for the 69 GTS I bought in 1995. If it is not your original, do you mind posting the VIN? As far as the mods, I have had dozens of 340 blocks and have never seen anything like it?!?
And now for the restoration buff's the collectors and the sentimental, much appreciation respect from me to you.
The VIN on the Block to follow here directly.

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And for the aficionados of the best of the Worst in 70s shag carpeting . . .. I hope I haven't ruined the value here because I did pick out the remains of the orange shag that was embedded in the pan rail.
My comedic attempt aside if somebody has the balance of the matching Vin car parts for this engine block. I would certainly part with it for the time being. But after I sink some money into it maybe not so easily. there are no main bearing caps but I have two sets of 318 caps I was going to take to the Machine Shop to least get started with. At least so torque could be applied to the block for the checking of dimensional trueness or lack thereof. (Questions on that will likely end up in a different thread very soon as I will need some healing of my ignorance.)

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