Oil Splitter Plug -- 360

moper said
I dont think you guys ever used an airless shot cabinet before...or ever tore down a small block Ford with the small pressed plugs and pipe plugs in the oil passages. If Chrysler says dont, I'll tell them they're wrong too...Their performance guys say otherwise. At least it's implied the plugs were removed prior to cleaning. MP p/n P5249704 "Mopar Engines" has this in bold.."Caution: the oil passage to the filter at the side of the block is a drilled hole.The output oil to the filter and the return oil from the filter are seperated by a pressed in plug. Be sure this plug is pressed into the pre-drilled hole until it bottoms out solidly." If they are pressing one in, I'dtake it to mean one was removed fromt he core block. The more recent Big Inch Mopar Small Blocks by Jim Szilagyi says "...the engine was completely disassembled and cleaned. All of the filing and moddifications got the block dirty, and it needed cleaning before final assembly." The first picture in the next section on fianl assembly is the small plug, and is captionned "The small cup plug was installed in the oil galley just above the oil pump. This plug is easy to forget, but it forces the oil to go thru the filter." Those are references I can find quick. I have found, as I said, two plugs stacked on on top of the other, because the previous builder missed it. I also found black nasty goo trapped there. No black nasty goos for my engines!


First of all you shouldn't assume anything. You have no idea of our experience or qualifications. Secondly I don't give a rat's *** about the small block Ford. That's my point. What must be done for one engine is not necessarily what must be done for another.

Thirdly neither of your references said to remove the plug. One just had the caution to make sure the plug was there (implying it probably wasn't removed by the builder) and the other didn't say why it was being installed. Could it have been hot tanked? Hmm, maybe, but we are not getting the full story.

So please if you want to remove the plug to clean then be my guest. Have fun, but stop misleading others that it is something that MUST be done or your engine will meltdown into a pile of molten lava.

If that's your opinion fine, mine is different.

BTW I've talked to Jim Szilagyi before and I have his work phone number.