06-04-2012, 12:51 PM
I had already started some reassembly of my bare block, but as I continued on Saturday something was nagging me. I had spent over an hour flushing out all the oil and water passages in my block. Since there had been extensive machining on it, I knew there would be a lot of potential crap everywhere in these passages and such. But I had not pulled the plugs on each end of the block that seal the main oil gallery. This is a one inch bore that runs the full length of the block and supplies oil directly to the main bearings among other things.
It is a pain to do this because you destroy the plugs to remove them and you need replacements. After all I had spent so much time flushing everything, how could there be anything bad left in this gallery. But I bit the bullet, removed the balance shaft I had already installed, drilled out a plug on one end and used a long rod through that opening to pound out the plug on the other end.
Low and behold that passage was full of bad stuff: metal chips, hardened Loctite 574, Jimmy Hoffa, and other miscellaneous junk. I guess that flushing can move stuff into this gallery, but it's big and the passages out are small so the chips and things don't get out.
So for those who take take the block out, I strongly suggest not eliminating the step to access this oil gallery and make sure it's spotlessly clean.
Also, the PET lists both 25mm and 26mm plugs for the gallery. Mine is 26mm, which seems to be the alternate size. Make sure you order the right size replacements.
It is a pain to do this because you destroy the plugs to remove them and you need replacements. After all I had spent so much time flushing everything, how could there be anything bad left in this gallery. But I bit the bullet, removed the balance shaft I had already installed, drilled out a plug on one end and used a long rod through that opening to pound out the plug on the other end.
Low and behold that passage was full of bad stuff: metal chips, hardened Loctite 574, Jimmy Hoffa, and other miscellaneous junk. I guess that flushing can move stuff into this gallery, but it's big and the passages out are small so the chips and things don't get out.
So for those who take take the block out, I strongly suggest not eliminating the step to access this oil gallery and make sure it's spotlessly clean.
Also, the PET lists both 25mm and 26mm plugs for the gallery. Mine is 26mm, which seems to be the alternate size. Make sure you order the right size replacements.