oil valley cover and pushrod guideplate on a 340?

[71swing]

Well hope somebody can answer my question.

I had an oil leak on the front of the intake, so I'm in the process of removing the intake and fixing the leak.

I now have the intake off. But have a slight concern. In the picture below you see a lifter valley cover/ pushrod guide plate. It has been about 5 years since I put this together with my father and can not remember for the life of me what is on the bottom of the plate securing the bolts on?

I understand that the cover is being held in place by the heads being bolted down but my concern is the bolt that is connecting the flex straps to the cover.

I would hope that a mopar design would not include a bolt and nut combo on the inside of an engine. Is it something that I should be concerned with maybe coming loose and destroying my motor? I don’t need a nut falling right on the cam as I pulling 6000 rpms down the track.

What is on the other side of the plate attached to the bolts?

I hope somebody can answer I don't really want to pull the push rods out just to take of the cover to findout it was not a reason for concern.

 

[64dartwagon]

there is typically a locknut on the other side. The bolt is not under very much stress as the strap/springs are pushing down the plate. That plate is not for guiding the pushrods but to retain the lifters in their holes if you loose a pushrod or upper piece of valvetrain. It keeps the lifter in the hole and your oil pressure up, and by keeping the lifter in the hole it doesn't bounce off of others and pushrods destroying things, plus keeps the pushrod from falling into the cam or crankshaft fragging that as well.

 

[grumpuscreature]

If it's been there for 5 years and hasn't fallen off yet, I wouldn't worry about it. Whatever that thing is it ain't stock. Looks like something cobbled up to keep oil off the bottom of the intake.

 

[64dartwagon]

Direct quote from the summit site.

These Milodon lifter valley baffles prevent hot oil from splashing on the intake manifold, thus eliminating power loss. They keep surplus oil out of valve covers by eliminating oil splash from lifter bores, and maintain oil pressure (during pushrod or rocker arm failure) by keeping lifters in their bores, except with roller cams.

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=MIL-32620&autoview=sku

 

[lhearold]

The ones I have seen had the nut tack welded to the bottom of the tray so it won't fall off even if you take the bolt off.

Larry