Pipe plug locations

[74desertduster]

So when I bought the 360 I am building now the short block was assembled but all the pipe plugs were in a box....want to make sure I don't miss any but my books don't show me where they should be.

What I have found so far...

2 on the rear of the engine
1 inside the oil filter mating area (also has a weird blob in that area looks like weld?)
1 on drivers side of block
1 on passenger side of block

And I think there is supposed to be one inside the distributor hole?

I have been using pipe dope to seal them, is that ok?

Any help would be appreciated as always!

 

[fishy68]

I use automotive type pipe sealer cause it's for higher temperatures. The one you referred to as down in the dist. opening is the one you install from the rear of the engine before you install the drivers side rear galley plug. You use a socket and long extension to install it. I attached a picture of it looking down through the dist. hole. That's all the screw in plugs I can think of. Make sure and install the press in plugs too. There's 2 up front that go behind the cam thrust plate. Also check to see if there's a real little one installed that separates the oil in and out galleys. It's easy to tell if it's installed by shining a flashlight down the oil pressure sender hole and look from the bottom to see if light is shining through. If it is the plugs not there.

 

[74desertduster]

Thanks! The two behind the cam retainer are not there and the one down in the distributor hole I have but will need to remove the plug on the back of the engine to install it....thankfully now and not learning of this later.

The plug down the oil sending hole I am still unsure of...I did shine a flashlight down the oil sending hole and no light was shining down inside the block...where is the plug?

Also, I read somewhere that there is a plug down deep underneath the rear main cap? I am worried about that one too since this block seems to have no plugs in it..

Thanks!

 

[74desertduster]

OK...the one down under the rear main cap is there......just not sure about the oil pressure sending hole one now...

 

[fishy68]

I believe the one under the main cap your referring too is the same one that's down through the oil pressure sender but I'm not positive. If you look at the rear of the engine you'll see 2 raised passages that start about in the middle and go out to the oil filter. Draw an imaginary line straight down from the oil pressure sender unit hole to those raised passages and right in between them is where it's at. It divides those passages. Hope that makes sense.

 

[xring]

I believe the one under the main cap your referring too is the same one that's down through the oil pressure sender but I'm not positive. ...

Yes, it is the same one. It is punched out from the top, comes out the bottom under the main cap.

 

[74desertduster]

So if it is there shouldn't I be able to gently push a piece if wire down through the oil sending hole to feel it either hit the plug or bottom out on the passage when it makes the 90 degree turn towards the oil filter?

Thanks!

 

[fishy68]

So if it is there shouldn't I be able to gently push a piece if wire down through the oil sending hole to feel it either hit the plug or bottom out on the passage when it makes the 90 degree turn towards the oil filter?

Thanks!

That's right. If it's there the wire won't go all the way through the bottom. In fact there's a measurement listed in some books as to how far down it is but I don't remember what book I saw it in. It's down approx. 6-1/8~6-7/8" if I remember right.

 

[xring]

So if it is there shouldn't I be able to gently push a piece if wire down through the oil sending hole to feel it either hit the plug or bottom out on the passage when it makes the 90 degree turn towards the oil filter?

Thanks!

If the plug is not there, your wire will go all the way through and come out the bottom of the block. The plug is what forces the oil to make the 90* bend to go through the filter.

That's right. If it's there the wire won't go all the way through the bottom. In fact there's a measurement listed in some books as to how far down it is but I don't remember what book I saw it in. It's down approx. 6-1/8~6-7/8" if I remember right.

I thought there was a lip inside the passage to seat the plug against, but I could be wrong. My block is still in the shop, I'll look at it tonight. If I had known there was a set measurement I would have measured mine before punching it out of there. In any case, I think it doesn't matter what exactly the depth is as long as the plug is in deep enough to go past the passage going to the oil filter.

 

[74desertduster]

Thanks...wire stopped...did not go all the way through.....

Seems like there could have been a better design..

 

[fishy68]

If the plug is not there, your wire will go all the way through and come out the bottom of the block. The plug is what forces the oil to make the 90* bend to go through the filter.



I thought there was a lip inside the passage to seat the plug against, but I could be wrong. My block is still in the shop, I'll look at it tonight. If I had known there was a set measurement I would have measured mine before punching it out of there. In any case, I think it doesn't matter what exactly the depth is as long as the plug is in deep enough to go past the passage going to the oil filter.

You might be right about the lip. I'm not really sure cause I have never had to mess with one yet. Your right that the only thing that really matters is the 2 galley's are divided and neither is blocked.

Thanks...wire stopped...did not go all the way through.....

Seems like there could have been a better design..

If you look at the block closely that's really the only way they could do it. They had to drill the galleys through then afterwards had to seal the input/output of the oil filter galleys.

 

[xring]

Re-read the original post, I see you say your short block is assembled. Just to be clear; the rear main cap would keep you from poking through from the oil sending unit hole even if the plug isn't there. Didn't realize you had the crank installed. You should verify the depth just to make sure the plug is installed in there.

Looked at mine last night, and I won't swear there is or isn't a lip there to seat the plug against. There is a groove of some kind above (on the oil pressure sending unit side) of the passage going to the oil filter, not sure it has anything to do with where the cup plug goes.

I'd be interested in seeing the depth spec for that plug.