Guitar Jones said

OK, here goes. First things first, I purchased a 5/16 and 1/2 inch aircraft drill bits, they are longer. You may look at some of these passages and find that they may measure 1/2 inch at the outward ends but inside the block they can neck down considerably.

First we'll start with the pump, it needs to be disassembled and this passage opened up to 1/2".



This is the 5/8 I.D. pick up from Canton that bolts directly to a Melling HV oil pump to go with the pan I'm using. My car is a chassis car so I can use a rear sump pan. You don't have too but you at least need to configure a minimum 5/8" I.D. pickup tube.



Next is the rear main cap, this passage will also need to be opened up to 1/2". You'll have to turn it over and drill from the other side as well. Round off the sharp corner inside with a die grinder and carbide bit, oil doesn't like to make sharp turns. Also make sure the passage out of the pump lines up with the rear main cap passage and is not being partially blocked. You'd be surprised what you find.



This passage has a soft plug in it a couple inches down. The passage is plenty big enough down to the plug so you don't need to drill to it, I'm uncertain how big the passage is underneath it though so I will be removing it and running the 1/2 drill bit through it. If you elect to do this measure the depth of the plug first so you'll know you get the replacement in the correct spot. I know this info is available somewhere but measuring first will keep you from having to look it up.

Also in this passage is another 90* angle where the passage going to the filter intersects. Use a die grounder and round off the sharp corner being careful not to damage the wall of the passage right next to the main bearing saddle. It's pretty thin there.



This is the passage to the oil filter that intersects with the passage from under the main cap. Drill this passage to 1/2 also.



This passage is drilled to the center of the oil filter out port, drill this into the center oil filter adapter port, when you look inside the center port from the oil filter you'll find that it's not drilled fully to a 1/2". From here you can round off the 90* corner with your die grinder.



This passage is plugged unless you want to run a remote filter. I don't see the point in it with a stock block because you can't run an extra oil line to the front of the engine anyway so for a drag car I don't believe it to be necessary. Either way drill this passage to 1/2 all the way to the passage that feeds the rear main bearing. This passage is not perpendicular to the bellhousing surface of the block, it slants towards the back a bit.




This is where you drilled to from the back of the block, make sure it's fully open inside, use a die grinder to round off the corner and open up right under the opening as you probably couldn't drill all the way in from the rear. Also make sure your oil filter adapter bolt is a full 1/2 inside.




Next we'll move to the front of the block and the #1 main. Here I'm pointing to the left side lifter galley passage. Since I'm blocking the oil to my tappets I'm tapping this hole to 5/16-18 to insert a set screw and I'll red loctite it in. This effectively blocks any oil to the left side tappets and keeps oil going to the crank.

Next I'll be tapping the camshaft feed holes from the #1 and #3 main saddles installing a set screw and drilling it 1/8 to restrict oil to the cam on those journals and keep more oil at the crank. I don't want to do the #2 and #4 feed holes as these also supply the rockers on my LA engine but if you have a magnum you can restrict them as well.




Now for you guys running hydraulics this is the best thing for you to do. Instead of blocking the oil from the main bearing saddle to the left side galley, block the oil to the #1 main saddle coming from the right lifter galley. You'll then need to drill tap and fabricate a line from the right galley to the left galley such as this. Use either 3/8 hard line or -6 braided line.




In addition to what I've pictured and posted I have also drilled the passage from the right lifter galley to the main saddles with a 5/16 drill on mains 1,2,3 & 4. You don't need to drill #5 as it's already big enough.

I'll be reaming the right lifter galley, tubing it and screening in the valley in the months to come so I'll keep updating as I go.

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