Drivers side Oil Galley Plug missing....installation in car possible???

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360duster

360duster

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Hi Guys,

got a call if i can check a noisy engine, 360 SB recently "rebuilt" by another guy. Ok, it runs, but with lots of Valvetrain noise from Drivers side. The owner, technically not skilled, got some new lifters after talking to the original builder…...ok, let´s try it and change out some lifters. I noticed before that some Lifters on this engine side are still Pretty soft. I managed to Change these with heads and intake on - without positive result, valvetrain still very noisy. Seems that Lifters do not pump up. Checked the other side of the engine, all Lifters hold the pressure. I told the owner about my guess…..drivers side oil Galley plug missing. Half an hour later intake was removed, and of Course the inner plug in the oil Galley was not there.

Ok, found some other wrong things and told him that i absolutely can´t turn **** into gold....but since he´s got nobody who can fix **** like this i´ll give it a try.

So here´s the Question: did anybody manage to put in this plug with engine in car? What Kind of tool has worked properly...i thought about air ratchet or sth. like this…...trying to avoid removing engine because i´m pretty busy with my own stuff. Car is a huge 72 Fury station....but i feel my Valiant has got more space around the engine.

thanks

Michael
 
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Somebody has claimed to have done this. If nothing else you could pull the intake Do a search here, it's on this site 'somewhere'
 
Are you talking the plug by the distributor on the inside of the engine?
If so yes that one can be put in with the engine in the car, I would remove the intake, and place rags around the area in case you drop the plug.
Just a socket to fit the plug and a common ratchet will do.
 
yes, the plug in front of the intermediate shaft, normally accessible from rear of block. Intake already removed...have no clue what tool is small enough to work there.

Michael
 
Buy a 3/8 npt plug with an internal hex head, use an Allen head socket on a ratchet, you can do it.
 
I just tried to fit a ratchet in there with the Allen socket, it’s a no go.
Use the Allen socket to start the plug by hand, then use a common hex-key Allen wrench to send it home.
 
You can get long hex sockets, or make one from a short and an allen wrench.
 
Why not get a plug with a male square head and use an open end wrench to tighten it up?
 
toolmanmike said:
They have hex head plugs as well.
Click to expand...

That would work too. He could even cut the head down some if it's too tight to get it to fit. Where there's a will, there's a way.
 
I ended up doing this on my dads 360 in his express. I dissassembled the engine had machine shop fo the work, and i reassembled it. I put all the plugs back in that i took out. Machinest found the one i missed and took it out. Never told me. I put it back together and it had the pumping down clattering lifters. I pulled the distributor and looked in with a mirror and found the open threaded hole. I was pissed. I stuck a shop rag down in the hole to prevent the plug from falling somewhere where it wasnt supposed to go, then i cut an allen key fairly short, and carefully got it started thru the distributor hole and tightened it up. Pulled out the shop rag, and stuck the distributor back in. I will never make that mistake again
 
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Another way is to use a gearwrench and a cut-off allen wrench, kinda like moparmat2000 said put rag down so you dont loose anything start plug by hand and put straight piece of cut-off allen wrench through gearwrench ( I think it will be 3/8) and drive home.
 
ok guys, thanks at all for your suggestions. luckily i have a block in my shop, i can test the next steps. fingers crossed, hope it works ;-)

Michael
 
I had a 360 LA I bought and built years ago.All the plugs were out of block ( I thought) On start up the left bank was noisy. Apparently the previous owner had punched the left front galley plug into the galley and left it in there for me. Took some doing to get it out. Luckily I didn't wipe the cam.
 
Also in that left aft oil gallery plug if you drill a tiny hole in the center of the plug. Like a machnests #50, it can help by spraying high pressure oil on the distributor drive gear area
 
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quit telling all the secrets
holes in the front of the galleys also oil the chain and can let entrapped air and foam out
 
Hey Guys, installed the plug this morning trough the Distributor hole.....used a straight piece of an allen key and a small ratchet wrench - worked ok. Engine is running smooth now, no more lifter clatter…..the guy´s a happy camper now :)

 
!!EXCELLENT!!

meme_excellent.jpg
 
Just remember a galley is the kitchen on a boat...a gallery is where oil moves thru an engine (or where you shoot).
 
here´s another pic of the Tools used...and yes, it could be done with engine installed ;-)

Thanks at all for the suggestions!

IMG-20190412-WA0003.jpg
IMG-20190412-WA0005.jpg


Michael
 
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