Oil Galley plugs at Camshaft

Good evening everyone.

We have started putting together my 408 stroker and the block has nice plugs threaded into the two galley plug holes that go behind the timing chain tensioner. Those holes are covered on the timing chain tensioner. So I am wondering should we take them out of the block or open them up on the timing chain tensioner?

On the 318 that we took out of the Duster those holes are not even machined with threads and so the plate just covered them.

Thanks a lot

Doesn't the timing chain get oiled from around the front of the camshaft and drip onto that tab from there?


It's supposed to come from that hollow bolt. Most everybody throws the thing away. If you look in the How To section, @krazykuda Karl has a write up on it I believe. It's a factory modification. I don't know when they started doing it, but I've torn down lots that were factory engines with that mod done. No way would I put one together without it. To answer your question more directly, no, there is no "purposed" oiling of the timing chain without that. It just "gets what it gets". If you can improve upon that with one drilled hole, why not do it?



Put the two oil galley plugs in that go on each side of the camshaft behind the camshaft thrust plate...

The timing chain is oiled by the top bolt hole that is on the passenger side for the camshaft thrust plate...

Read this how to article to see how that all goes together, I explain it in here...

How to Assemble the Front of a Small Block