Oil Gallery Screwed Plugs

[ampwhu]

probably because we aren't all dinosaurs now. most of my cars have been taped to metric sizes.

I work for an engineering company that has stopped supporting anything that's imperial. It's all metric now. It's easier to understand.

[les]

——— the dangers of farming jobs out, unless the exact requirements are stated, they will do their own thing! Even then it’s a risk.

[ampwhu]

——— the dangers of farming jobs out, unless the exact requirements are stated, they will do their own thing! Even then it’s a risk.

absolutely. I agree!

[ampwhu]

So I have now finished the oil gallery plugs. The machine shop hadn't taped deep enough so the plugs were sitting proud of the block face. I taped a bit more with the 1/4" NPT and fitted the plugs. They have been fitted dry.

Gallery plugs rear.JPG (71.02 KiB) Viewed 1420 times

Gallery plugs front.JPG (77.97 KiB) Viewed 1420 times

Phil, i remember further up you mentioned about an oil way that runs into the horizontal oil gallery from front to back. I couldn't find where this came from - to. Is it from the rear bearing cap? or from the oil pump somewhere?

I'd checked, checked again and treble checked the depth and the oil way was 14mm from the block face and my plug was 10mm deep so i shouldn't have blocked it off.

[philthehill]

The front main bearing has oilway that runs to the for and aft oil gallery. You must make sure that the front screwed plug does not foul or the shadow the oilway to the front main.
You should also check that the other screwed plugs do not foul or shadow the other oil ways.
To check that they are not fouled or shadowed run a suitable rod down the oilway before tightening the screwed plug - if the rod is nipped the screwed plug has been screwed in too far.
The rear screwed plugs in most cases have to be shortened to ensure that the screwed plug does not foul or shadow the oilways to or from the main for and aft oil gallery and allow the rear engine plate to be fitted without hitting the screwed plugs.
See photos No: 6 & No: 6a above for details.

[ampwhu]

out of the 4 plug holes, I could only see 1 that had an 'intersection' with another oilway. the other 3 looked clear and shining a torch down them, revelled no obstructions.

I can't remember which one now, but I think the one nearest the oil pressure switch hole. Do you have a better picture?

[philthehill]

I do not have any better pictures but the front and rear oil gallery oil plugs can foul and/or shadow the feed oil ways to the front and rear main bearings.

[ampwhu]

I understand now. In ref to your pics 6, 6a make sense.

I am sure that that oilway was 4mm further in from the plug I fitted.

as always, thanks Phil.

[ampwhu]

Front of the block

Front block.JPG (55.19 KiB) Viewed 1380 times

Back of block

Back block.JPG (63.29 KiB) Viewed 1380 times

Phil i need clarification on this before i progress.

On the front of the block, i have pushed a welding rod through the main bearing oil hole up to where the plug goes. Screwed in the plug doesn't interfere with the rod.

On the rear of the block, where i have foolishly overtightened the plug and snapped my bit in there i now cannot move the plug. I seem to remember there being another oilway meeting this but it definitely doesn't come from the rear main bearing. If i push a rod through the bearing hole it doesn't go anywhere near it. I can't see where this bearing would get its oil feed from.

What is the oilway (its around 14mm in from the block face)? I'm now a little worried I've blocked this.

[philthehill]

Bad luck.
See the cut away block section in my post above. You can see the oilway from the O/S fore and aft oil gallery to the rear main and where it passes around the body of oil pressure relief valve.
To repeat- the oilway from the O/S fore and aft oil gallery to the rear main is intersected by the body of the oil pressure relief valve. The valve is waisted so oil flows around the outside of the valve. Therefore you will not be able to push a rod from the rear main to the O/S fore and aft gallery as you have done with the front main, you just have to be very careful when drilling and tapping the hole to ensure that when the screwed plug is tightened the plug does not foul or shadow the oilway to the rear main. The O/S rear fore and aft gallery plug has to be shortened considerably so as to be level with or just under the rear face of the block to enable the rear engine plate to be fitted.
You should be able to get that broken bit and screwed plug out with a bit of effort. When removed make sure that the screwed plug is shortened so as to clear the oilway to the rear main. Measure the distance from the rear face of the block to the rear main oilway and make the screwed plug a little shorter than the measured distance. Fit the shortened plug and secure the screwed plug with Loctite loc and seal.
Locked in place that screwed plug is not going anywhere. I took metal off the tapered face and rear face of the screwed plug to ensure that there was no fouling or shadowing of the rear main oilway.
Any problems come back on here.

[ampwhu]

Ok I think ive got that. The plugs are 10mm deep and that oilway is 14mm in from the block face. The plug is definatley flush as I have trial fitted the rear plate to confirm.

99% my head is saying I've nothing to worry about. but I've got that 1% that says I really should check by removing the plug. I've a feeling it will need drilling out

[philthehill]

You do need to get that plug removed otherwise you will only worry 'is it right'.
The oil gallery plugs do not have to be super tightened - just nipped up and use Loctite loc and seal on the threads and all will be ok.
We all do things like this so this situation is not new. I have had similar situations in the past happen to me and I have got round the problem and everything worked out well and right in the end.

Phil

[ampwhu]

this has turned into a ruddy nightmare now and i'm stuck.

I decided to remove the plug by drilling down the middle. I'm managed this ok. Then I attempted to remove the plug by using a stud extractor. One of those ones you wind anti-clockwise to remove. Well it has snapped off below the surface and i'm not sure how I am going to remove it.

Could anyone suggest a method of trying to remove it? I'm out of luck now and about to use the engine block as an anchor.

[les]

I imagine the extractor was/is tapered, otherwise knock it through with a suitable diameter punch, if its in the long gallery, punch it out from the other end, using a pretty long bar, assuming the extractor is protruding from the bottom of the plug. Other than that, if you’re clever you may be able to weld a stick to the face of the plug, depending how much is left after drilling the hole, and wind it out. No easy solution. Good luck.

[philthehill]

I will go with the suggestion made by Les. i.e. remove the front gallery plug, insert a long rod and knock the extractor rearwards.

Extract the extractor and if necessary drill out the oil gallery plug

A kindly suggestion - do not use so much force when doing the job.

Phil

[ampwhu]

I've had someone else look at the block today and they have agreed, that the plug doesn't need moving for the engine build.

I printed off the cross section of the block showing the oil passageways. All that was checked is whether you could blow air through the rear main bearing cap and air was coming out of where the pressure valve hole and the other holes. Reverse blowing revelled the same with air coming out of the bearing cap. What this tells me is there is no way that the plug has blocked the passage behind it. As previously mentioned, the plug is 10mm deep and the oil way was 14mm below the surface. seeing as my plug is flush with the block, both parties are satisfied that the plug can stay put. it doesn't leak so won't prove to be a problem.

as this is the last engine I intend to build, it will out live me! I now have 3 x 1098 and 1 x 1275 engine (to build) that will be sufficient for my needs. I think it's time for a cold ale and maybe a bag of cashews!

[les]

I thought you said you’d drilled a hole through the plug to allow the extractor to be used ? Is the extractor still in the hole?

[ampwhu]

Yes it is. Its technically closed the drilled hole. Believe me, I tried the suggestion on moving it but it bent the 8mm rod I used. It's not going anywhere.

[les]

Hopefully the swarf from drilling came out the other end! but If you’re happy———- it’s the sort of thing that would give me nightmares.

[ampwhu]

Yes all the swarf has been pulled out and cleaned with gun cleaner. I cant clean the block anymore! It