So I was just looking around on here and came across some people losing oil pressure because they or their machine shop forgot to install the oil galley plugs. When I got the 360 block I checked to make sure everything was installed correctly, cam bearings, frost plugs and the other oil plugs behind the thrust plate, but I forgot to check the plug that is under the rear main cap! The short block is together, heads and rockers installed. But now I'm freaked out that the machine shop forgot to install it! They installed everything else perfectly, stamped my deck height on the block too. Is there any way to check if it was installed? Or is it rare for a machine shop that mostly works on dodge engines? I think I remember seeing it, but not completely sure.
Oil Galley Plug in 360
- Thread starter DartVadar
- Start date
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TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
Do you think you could tell by priming it and feeling/seeing the resulting oil pressure?
Inertia
Well-Known Member
I think you'll find it covered at length here
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=238890&highlight=oil+plug
post 28?
blewbyoutobad
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I have an engine going together in the garage. The plug above the rear main cap can be measured from the top of the block. Use a long (at least 10') small rod and place it in the hole on the rear of the block next to the disty hole. This hole is for your oil pressure gauge or sender. Mine dropped in 7.7" until it hit the plug. Someone on here said 7.5". Its an easy way to check without pulling the pan.
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http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=238890&highlight=oil+plug
post 28?
blewbyoutobad
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I have an engine going together in the garage. The plug above the rear main cap can be measured from the top of the block. Use a long (at least 10') small rod and place it in the hole on the rear of the block next to the disty hole. This hole is for your oil pressure gauge or sender. Mine dropped in 7.7" until it hit the plug. Someone on here said 7.5". Its an easy way to check without pulling the pan.
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That's what I was thinking, the oil pump and pan aren't installed yet but its easier to do that than take everything completely apart again. If I have good oil pressure its probable safe to say its there.
But isn't that plug so the oil filter gets oil? So if I primed the engine and if oil comes out of the oil filter adapter its there? and if not I guess I have to disassemble everything and install it.
I guess while I'm thinking about this are there any other plugs that I may have missed? All external ones are accounted for, and the plug that you can see by looking through the distributor hole is there as well.
I think you'll find it covered at length here
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=238890&highlight=oil+plug
post 28?
blewbyoutobad
FABO Gold Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Missouri City, TX
Posts: 388
Thanks: 26
Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts
I have an engine going together in the garage. The plug above the rear main cap can be measured from the top of the block. Use a long (at least 10') small rod and place it in the hole on the rear of the block next to the disty hole. This hole is for your oil pressure gauge or sender. Mine dropped in 7.7" until it hit the plug. Someone on here said 7.5". Its an easy way to check without pulling the pan.
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Friends Don't Let Friends Drive GM
Thanks that does help. But my oil pan isn't on yet, I left if off just in case I dropped something, I would have to take the pan off to get it otherwise. But because my oil pan isn't on yet could I just take off the main cap and simply look to see if its there? But can I do that? Obviously I'm not taking the crank out, but would It be bad to do that? Like I said the short block together.
But I assume the easiest solution is to just use the rod method, no disassemble required for that test.
TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
This one I don't know for sure, but I'd bet it could be looked up.
fishy68
Tyr Fryr's Inc.
Obviously you could remove the rear main cap and look up inside to see if the plug is there but as Inertia pointed out the easy way to check to see if it's there is to stick a clean rod down the port on the back of the block and see if it only goes 7.5~7.75". Sure sounds like an easy way to check to me.
That plug is there to divert oil to the oil filter but I'd bet that even if it's missing oil would still come out of the filter port if you tried priming it with no filter installed. I also believe if you have a filter installed you'd have oil pressure even if the plug is missing because that plug doesn't exhaust oil back into the pan, it just diverts oil to the filter. Without the plug installed the oil would just go straight to the crank, cam, etc totally bypassing the filter.
That plug is there to divert oil to the oil filter but I'd bet that even if it's missing oil would still come out of the filter port if you tried priming it with no filter installed. I also believe if you have a filter installed you'd have oil pressure even if the plug is missing because that plug doesn't exhaust oil back into the pan, it just diverts oil to the filter. Without the plug installed the oil would just go straight to the crank, cam, etc totally bypassing the filter.
Yea I will do that to see, the quickest and easiest way to check. I assume you are talking about the threaded hole that is beside the distributor hole? That and the distributor hole are the only ones on the back of the block.
I'm just really glad I didn't remember to check this after the engine was in the car.
The plug can be missing from the engine block and o will still come out into the filter. The plug is designed to send the oil down that passage and not that passage AND up and over and all around.
fishy68
Tyr Fryr's Inc.
Yep that's the one. That's where the oil pressure sender screws in and it leads right down to that plug. That would suck to find it out later, like others guys have. I always double check everything when the block gets back from the machine shop just to be safe.
Excellent, I will do that as soon as I can. I'm about 90% sure that I remember seeing it in there, but Its better to know for sure. And yea, Its much easier to check for all that stuff when nothing is put together. Thanks, this makes me feel better that its really easy to check if its there.
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