Discrepancies in information on LA and Magnum series oil gallery plugs

408 swinger · May 12, 2025

Kern Dog said:
All of the pictures in post #1 are with a 1968 318 as shown here:

View attachment 1716404691

I think that there are 2 pictures with a thrust plate from my 1990 360 in the foreground but the '68 318 is behind it. You can see above that the crank sprocket is the single row, stock design. 4 screws/bolts holding the plate in place with no drip tab. This engine was from a car and used in a truck so it has a rear sump pan painted blue along with the valve covers.

Ok. Wasn't sure. My theory posted above is purely. "tounge in cheek". I really would have no idea the difference in thrust plates. But, going back to your OG question, the majority of LA(early and late), and Magnum V8 that I have disassembled have had the plugs. I have no concrete evidence that it HAS to be one way or the other. I do have a SBE Magnum coming up, I might have to do some experimenting.

Newbomb Turk · May 12, 2025

Kern Dog said:
Engineers….

View attachment 1716404654

In years of construction, I’ve seen “solutions” from engineers that make no sense and are impossible to implement. That is not to say that engineers are idiots, just that they are quite capable of mistakes that they refuse to acknowledge due to their education.
An engineer would probably state that the plugs and thrust plate with dead ends are necessary despite common sense telling you otherwise.
An engineer that had actual hands on experience is a rare and great asset. An engineer with clean, soft hands with zero real world experience is a variable that often comes up with Impractical and impossible ideas.

Kendog 170 · May 13, 2025

Kern Dog said:
In theory, it would seem redundant and pointless to have the plugs in place if the thrust plate looked like this:

Agreed, but if I had a chance to do it again, I would add the bolt with the hole on a double roller chain. JMO

66fs · May 13, 2025

I checked my stash of blocks and parts. Now I did not save any newer engines, except for one 318 Magnum. None of my early blocks have plugs, five 273s and three 340s. I also have a stash of 6 thrust plates. All of them are solid, no open side. All the HP 340's came with the hollow bolt, including the mid 70's HP 360s I sold off in the 80's. The tabs and funky thrust plates were not seen by me. I lost interest in the newer engines past the mid 70's, I already had the best ones I wanted. I would say they were running changes to try and make those worthless nylon toothed timing cam gears live.