found the little ****. first time i was happy i found a broken part...because if all the plugs were in i would not know what to do!
The single most important reason for tapping and putting a screw-in plug in its place.........................glad you found it and didn't fry the motor.
when i had the block bored out i told the guy to put in all the freeze plugs and the oil plugs. Dont know if it is his fault or it just happened
Looking at the picture more closely, it looks like the cam retainer was put in wrong, the tang should have gone over the oil galley plug.......although it would have held the plug in, you would have still lost oil pressure because the plug would have worked out maybe 1/32 to 1/16" of an inch. If you look at cam retainer you will see there is wear 360 degrees around the inner circle...........I would think this would mean it should have been reversed when it was installed...........................but it still wouldn't have keep you from loosing oil pressure when the plug worked its way out. You can see the witness marks the machinist used when he tried to stake the plug in...............press in plugs should always be replaced with threaded plugs................IMHO
I dont think it is, the retainer plate has two sides and one side says "BACK". so its on the right side, and there is no way the outlet can cover the plug unless if it was flipped on the other side (which is the backside). someone else confirm me if im wrong. i also was looking around online and other people put the plate the same way i did.
wait never mind im wrong about that, but i still think its on the right way though. that bump covers a oil passage i believe and helps lubricate the cam bearing.
You're right...........I guess it's been along time since installed a stock cam retainer. I believe that helps supply oil to the distributor shaft/gear.....kind of a splash system...........the reason why a lot of racers drill and tap for a little better oil supply.................like has been done here on my old 351w block.
I always thought that groove on the back side if the retainer lubed the thrust surface of the retainer/cam. Do I have it backwards?
your good, you just kinda scared me for a second! i thought i had to take the timing cover and everything off again
Dave, I think it is the Locktite Red sealant and not silicon..............at least I hope it's not silicon.
It is used to lubricate the thrust side of the cam against the cam plate and I suppose it could dribble a little oil to the chain, but that is what the holes in the galley are for and should supply enough oil to the chain.....but as I showed in the picture, extra oil to the distributor and chain can never hurt.................especially at higher RPM's Although this is what I use, I think the stock plate just has groves like John mention. This a picture of what I've used on all my SBF's.............it take the place of the OEM without any machining..........IMHO
