not in the service manual

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like_A_pike

like_A_pike

that's not factory
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hey all: so the 76 360 had some sort of catastrophic misadventure, so I'm putting a nicely freshened '71 340 in it's place. I'm close to priming the oil pump and reading old threads I came across some chatter about a plug that is in the motor near the distirbutor. Can't find this plug. (or a hole) will it become apparent when I take out the dist. gear? Also I had to use the oil filter base from the 360. Behind it was 3 holes and one was plugged. 340, all three holes are unobstructed. So I put the plug in the 340 and mounted the base...I assume I need that plug, no?

thanks (lots more questions to come)
 
The only hole I know about by the dizzy is the oil sending plug. When you prime the engine, put a mech oil psi gauge on it and see what ya get. Not sure about any of the holes to do with the oil filter base.
 
4spdragtop said:
The only hole I know about by the dizzy is the oil sending plug. When you prime the engine, put a mech oil psi gauge on it and see what ya get. Not sure about any of the holes to do with the oil filter base.
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There is a plug that goes into a oil passage below the distributor that should be changed. It blocks off oil from coming up the hole and leaking into the inside of the engine. This plug looses it's grip if the block is boiled. Many machine shops don't know about this plug. I will try to find a picture or description of this plug.tmm
 
toolmanmike said:
There is a plug that goes into a oil passage below the distributor that should be changed. It blocks off oil from coming up the hole and leaking into the inside of the engine. This plug looses it's grip if the block is boiled. Many machine shops don't know about this plug. I will try to find a picture or description of this plug.tmm
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike, is this on all sb's??
 
Yes as far as I know. I just thought and it may be in one of the main bearing bolt holes. I'm looking. tmm
 
A quote from "How to Hot Rod Small Block Mopar Engines book: "At the rear of the block near the #5 main, is the access holefor the vertical oil passage.It's drilled from the main cap parting area straight up to the rearof the right-hand oil galley.The trick here isn't the hole itself but the plug that is pushed in part way up. On a stressed relieved block, it has to be replaced. On any new engine build up, check to be sure it's installed. Without it, the engine ends up with very low oil pressure."


Still looking for a picture to show.. tmm
 
i think Dubobs got a link to it there. Yes just along side where the distributor gear would be, looks like. Thanks! I'll make sure it's there while i'm in!!!

as far as the oil filter, I am assuming there is an inlet and outlet but the 3rd hole was for something else (adapter?) it got fine pressure installed on the 360 so I'm betting the plug is needed.

lAp
 
perfect toolmanmike: I think I saw "fishy" tellin' about sticking a rod down the pressure gauge sending hole before. I picked up a small dowl but now I know that it shouldn't go farther than 7.75" down. I sure hope that one is there!! didn't realize folks were talking about two different plugs. Cleared up on the filter one too. Thanks all
 
so I have a bad feeling the push-in plug is not in there. I can get that dowl in nearly 10.5 inches. any chance this can be walked down the gally from the screw in plug above and tapped in??

lAp
 
Not a sb guy but by looking at the diagram posted the galley has a step down in the diameter beyond where the plug goes and it sure looks like the rear main cap will have to come off to install to me.
 
There is definitely a step there. It's a step drilled passage. Long or deep passages are step drilled. Usually 3 or 4 steps depending on how deep. Large at first and smaller as you go. Lifter oil passages are step drilled too. Yes the rear main cap will have to come off.. tmm
 
Is this the cap in which you speak?? Am I doin a rear main seal when I take this out?? other than oil pan gasket what else are we talkin' about hear? It seems folks are split on the gasket in the oil pump. should I put one in yea/nea??

wow I'm glad I looked cuz this aint in the service manual....

thanks ya'll
 

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So I put the dowl in the old 360 and it stops very close to seven and three quarter inches. the dowl went over 10 in the 340. so back into the oil pan and off with the cap. The picture shows the dipstick running through the galley where a plug should be. You can see the galleys pretty clearly in the picture. They come from the pump and would be forced to go into the oil filter by this cap then out of the filter above the cap and up to the rest of the passages. Without it, oil could recirculate or even bypass the oil filter and not build pressure.

thanks all and hope this helps others in the future. check those plugs!

cheers

lAP
 

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Good for you. You found the problem and a great photo too. The oiling system on all engines is just a series of drilled passages and remember they can only go straight. Angles yes, curves, no. The plug blocks off the hole at the bottom of a passage where the oil turns at a right angle and goes through another drilled passage. The oil passages are drilled in the block after the block is cast. tmm
 
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