Bast*** "Machine Shops/Engine Rebuilders" !
Back in the 1970's I trusted a machine shop to do some decent work for me on small block Mopars in Salinas, California. In 2005, I returned to the same shop to drop off a 318 for a stock rebuild.
This week I find the timing cover is pitting, resulting in a coolant leak around the water pump bolt that secures the belt-adjusting-brace for the alternator. When I removed the timing cover, I noticed the timing chain did even look damp with any oil (photo #1).
So I rotate the crank to line up a see thru spot in the camshaft gear to inspect the thrust plate bolts. What do I find? The lower bolt on the driver's side missing. The upper bolt on the passenger side without an oil hole evident (photos #2 & #3).
So I pull out parts from a 340 I dis-assembled a couple of years ago and I found the thrust plate and thrust plate fasteners in a plastic sandwich bag. Not sure, but the one bolt with a drilled hole doesn't look factory to me. The head is flat and shiny (photo #4; I am sure it works just the same).
So it's off the the fabricator to drill another bolt for the 318 (5/16"-18 per FSM). Just upsets me that after paying thousands of dollars for a rebuild that I have to back-track and cover all the non-sensical errors.
In a machine shop's defense, so far I can find no mention of the special bolt in the reprint of the "Plymouth 1965 Service Technical Manual" (photo #5). On page 9-40 the manual instructs to place the chain case cover over the locating dowels. Well, I have never found locating dowels there (as far as I can remember). The suggested torque is 15 foot-pounds for the cover and 30 foot-pounds for the water pump. However, on page 2 of the "Tightening Reference" chapter, the chain case cover (cast) torque listing is 30 foot-pounds, not 15 foot-pounds. The thrust plate torque listed is 210 inch-pounds (210 divided by 12 = 17.5 foot lbs).
On page 9-38 they make a big deal about using tool C-3509 on 273/318's after having first removed the oil pump/distributor drive gear. This is supposed to keep the camshaft from contacting the rear welch plug (when installing the timing chain sprockets/tightening the camshaft bolt).
Makes me wonder if the drilled bolt was a later factory change since no mention of it in the FSM. Did the poly 318 use a drilled bolt? Thank you.
Back in the 1970's I trusted a machine shop to do some decent work for me on small block Mopars in Salinas, California. In 2005, I returned to the same shop to drop off a 318 for a stock rebuild.
This week I find the timing cover is pitting, resulting in a coolant leak around the water pump bolt that secures the belt-adjusting-brace for the alternator. When I removed the timing cover, I noticed the timing chain did even look damp with any oil (photo #1).
So I rotate the crank to line up a see thru spot in the camshaft gear to inspect the thrust plate bolts. What do I find? The lower bolt on the driver's side missing. The upper bolt on the passenger side without an oil hole evident (photos #2 & #3).
So I pull out parts from a 340 I dis-assembled a couple of years ago and I found the thrust plate and thrust plate fasteners in a plastic sandwich bag. Not sure, but the one bolt with a drilled hole doesn't look factory to me. The head is flat and shiny (photo #4; I am sure it works just the same).
So it's off the the fabricator to drill another bolt for the 318 (5/16"-18 per FSM). Just upsets me that after paying thousands of dollars for a rebuild that I have to back-track and cover all the non-sensical errors.
In a machine shop's defense, so far I can find no mention of the special bolt in the reprint of the "Plymouth 1965 Service Technical Manual" (photo #5). On page 9-40 the manual instructs to place the chain case cover over the locating dowels. Well, I have never found locating dowels there (as far as I can remember). The suggested torque is 15 foot-pounds for the cover and 30 foot-pounds for the water pump. However, on page 2 of the "Tightening Reference" chapter, the chain case cover (cast) torque listing is 30 foot-pounds, not 15 foot-pounds. The thrust plate torque listed is 210 inch-pounds (210 divided by 12 = 17.5 foot lbs).
On page 9-38 they make a big deal about using tool C-3509 on 273/318's after having first removed the oil pump/distributor drive gear. This is supposed to keep the camshaft from contacting the rear welch plug (when installing the timing chain sprockets/tightening the camshaft bolt).
Makes me wonder if the drilled bolt was a later factory change since no mention of it in the FSM. Did the poly 318 use a drilled bolt? Thank you.
