I have my 1956 Chevy fully dissembled with exception of these two plugs on each end of the block, in preparation to delivery to the machine shop. What is the best way to remove them? Or should I leave them and have the machine shop remove them? Thanks
You can drive a punch through and pry them out. I would just let the machine shop do it unless you simply have a hankering to see what's behind them. The large ones go to the water jacket. The small ones hide the camshaft.
~~ Jethro 1954 3100 Back to Life In the Dity Gallery 1951 3100 (gone) / 1956 4400 (still in the neighborhood) / 1957 6400 with dump body (retired) / 1959 3100 panel (in the woods junked) / 1978 Custom Deluxe K10 / 1993 S-10 4.3 / 2004 Chevy Crew Cab / 1945 John Deere H / 1952 John Deere B / 1966 John Deere 2510 / 1967 John Deere 1020
The really small ones with the arrows are the oil gallery. Top center one on the first pic is coolant,and the slightly smaller one at lower right is the camshaft.
The smaller ones would be easier to remove with a slide hammer and sheet metal screw attachment. They're pretty small to be prying them out.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
If you have the machine shop install new ones, make absolutely sure they're not wedged in crooked and they're as tight and leak free as possible. Nothing worse than having to pull the engine again to repair a leaky one. Not that that's ever happened to me. Just sayin'.
Matthew 6:33
1952 Chevy 1/2-ton 3100 Late '55 235/SM420/torque tube 3.55 Dalton Highway survivor (using original 216) www.truckwithaheart.com
If you leave them in there for the machinist to remove them, the likelihood that they will replace them with the correct ones will be increased, especially the cam plug.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
I don’t think it matters whether you remove them or whether the machine shop removes them. The more important thing is to make sure the machine shop does not install the new plugs. Once you get your block back, you want to be 100 percent certain that all of the machining junk, sludge, dirt, build up, is scrubbed out of the entire galley, both sides. That takes a little time, lots of hot soapy dawn and a long galley brush. Once clean, really clean and dry, then you can install the plugs. And truth be told, even if the machine shop tells you they are clean, you have to be 100 percent sure. And that requires you doing the cleaning.
For an install tool, order a fuel pump rod for a small block Chevy. It’s the perfect size with a nice little bevel on the head.
Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I did take the big ones out, but I think I'll leave the two small ones in the oil gallery for the machine shop.
