Hi all, just thought I would share a recent experience i had putting a 235 together for a friend. I had the machine work done at a shop that I have had great luck with in the past. They magg'd the block for cracks, bored the cylinders .030 turned the crank .010, .010 and replaced the cam bearings. When I picked up the bare block and crank I noticed they installed all the soft plugs. I assembled the reciprocating assembly in the block, installed the heads and dropped the entire assembly in, primed the oil system and fired the engine off to life. Everything broke in nicely. Checking for leaks afterward I found oil drips off the back of the bell housing at the back of the engine. My first thought was oh no a leaky rear main, but I used the best neoprene rear main and have never had one of those leak, this was the fifth engine assembly I have done with this rear main seal. I traced it up to the soft plug in the main oil gallery which is of all places underneath the mounting flange of the bell housing. It is practically impossible to remove the clutch housing with the engine in its saddle so out the engine came.
The evidence was clear it was a leaky soft plug. The fix will be me tapping the gallery with a 3/8 pipe tap and installing a flush pipe plug. I have got it figured out how I'm going to do it without getting metal shavings in the oil gallery. The oil passage to the rear main bearing is about 1/2" away. Stay tuned I will post more pictures tomorrow.
The point I'm trying to make is if you are going to go through a 216 or 235 tap these oil galleries and pipe plug them to eliminate any possibility of a oil leak. My 261 I put together last year had tapped oil galleries from the factory, for some reason this 1956 car block did not.
Chow for now,
Steve
Last edited by sstock; 02/14/20202:05 AM.
1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 cu inch, sm420, 3.55 rear, torque tube still,omaha orange, still 6 volt, RPO green glass, side carrier spare, all done In the DITY Gallery Video of the 261 running
1964 GMC 1000 305 Big Block V6, sm420, the next cab off restoration
Bummer! Lessons like that one, that take a backhoe to the bank account, aren't easily forgotten! I've experienced my fair share of them over the years, and I always try to share the information with anyone who is willing to listen. Thanks for passing this along! Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
The machine Shop I use has always installed the galley plugs with a sealant, never had any issues.
~ Craig 1958 Viking 4400 "The Book of Thor" Read the story in the DITY 1960 Chevrolet C10 "A Family Heirloom" Follow the story in the DITY Gallery '59 Apache 31, 327 V8 (0.030 over), Muncie M20 4 Speed, GM 10 Bolt Rear... long term project (30 years and counting)
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