428 Oiling system plugs

[Danr55]

I know there are restrictors in a 427 FE block but I just pulled the intake manifold on my 428 and found 3 ea. 1/4-20 allen head plugs laying in the lifter galley. Now I know that there are no plugs in the heads, I asked Edlebrock. I couldn't find anywhere in the intake manifold that would take the plugs, but after I put the engine back together, it would hold more than 40 pounds oil pressure, cold. Before I took it apart it ran about 60 pounds cold. I am unaware of any oil system plugs in the 428 block. Can anyone help?

[blykins]

There are galley plugs in the lifter valley on a hydraulic-capable FE block. They go on either end of that center oil "rib" that runs down the length of the valley between the lifter bores.

[Danr55]

Thanks blykins. I'll pull the manifold and look. Any idea where the third one goes or should I be searching for a forth one?

[blykins]

One in the front, two in the rear.

[blykins]

Actually, there's one more in addition to that in the rear....total of 4.

There's one in the front that goes in at an angle.

There's two in the rear that are at angles. There's one in the rear that's vertical.

I'm going by memory, I'll try to find you a good picture.

[redmt]

I bet the valve train was a bit noisy. That is the pressure feed for the lifters as I remember.

[blykins]

The 3 in the rear....

[blykins]

The one in front...



And don't forget about the ones that are horizontal, behind the distributor, behind the timing cover, etc.

[Danr55]

Idon't know how I could have missed a hole like that, but those sure look like the plugs. I'll pull it next week and see what I find. thanks for the photo. That is a big help.

[Danr55]

Well, I pulled the manifold and found the ports but they are plugged. See the photos. Now I'm puzzled again. Anyone have any other ideas? If it weren't for the oil pressure being so low, I wouldn't worry about them, but this motor has never blown 15 pounds of oil at idle. There is absolutely no evidence of any threads in any of the four ports.

[lovehamr]

Dan, if you're asking about the difference between the screw-in type plugs and the ones in your block, the ones in your block are just the stock type. If they are all there I wouldn't worry about it. You said 15# at idle, what idle rpm? When the RPMs jumped did the OP jump as well? If so, what did it jump to?

[Danr55]

This motor has always idled warm (185) at about 35# gage pressure @ 900 RPM. It generally runs 60-62# gage pressure cold and 48-52# warm at any operating RPM. Now I'm getting abour 42# cold at operating RPM and 15# @idle. The gage presure goes to about 40-42# at operating RPM warm. I'm not so worried about the oil pressure as I am about the change. I also need to figure out where the heck the plugs came from. THat really bothers me.

[Michael C Henry]

As I remember the oil flows through a series of intertsecting drilled holes that are pluged where they come to the surface. For the most part all FE engines are the same except for the 427 side oiler. The higher performance versions and themodified oness have screw in pipe plugs rsther than the pound isn soft plugs. The plug in the center forward facing oil gallery under the timing chain cover should have a orifice (small hole with a cotter pin that will move around, ever so little, to keep the hole from plugging shut) this hole. This hole vents any air in the oil gallery almost immediatly but flow will lessen when the oil arrives an dslow to a small streme spraying oil on the timing chain. Watch the cam thrust plate bolt holes. One of the threaded thrust plate bolt holes is also part of the oil gallery. Take care that thethreaded hole has a clear pathway for the oil flow to distributer shaft. We used to tap the threads in the older FE blocks ( those cams were were originally retained in ward by a spring and an alluminum bumper against the inside of the timing cover) and then take a rotarry file to the threads inside the hole make a clear oil path on one side of the bolt for oil th flow. Take care to not use too long a bolt , this where the oil that lubercates the distributer shaft tip just above the oil pump drive in the block. I had a friend that missed this and had the block and distributer shaft seize together. I used th clean up the (enlarge) the galleries (holes in the block) from the oil pump to oil filter hanger, in the alluminum oil filter hanger, and out to the block taking care to keep any holes inside the gasket channels, no use in undermining the gasket. Nice big smooth holes that do not inhibbit oil flow. You want flow mostly with moderate pressure. Too much oil volume and pressure ( pressure is established by bypass piston and spring inside the oil pump) will challenge the distributer drive ( usually the pin in the gear and the oil pump drive. Do not get carried away with shimming the relief spring to create too much oil pressure . The oil pump drive is only a 1/4" hex in cars but is 5/16" hex in trucks. The oil pump internal hex and that end of the shaft wear most. I used a blue printed high volume Melling truck oil pump and the heavey duty stepped oil pump drive shaft.

[davecobra]

Dan I had this problem with my 428, the restrictors for the heads that go into the rocker arms were missing, made my idle pressure about 10 lbs, and running pressure 35lbs, I took the rocker arms off and installed the restrictors with .090 holes and it fixed the oil pressure problem.
David

[Danr55]

THanks for the tip David. What I have since found out is that the rear main seal is shot and the rear main bearng as well. I've pulled the engine and am having the whole thing gone through. New mains and line reamed cam and main bearings. The whole rotating assembly balanced and then gonna put it back together and we'll see how it works. I'll be sure to check on restrictors for the rocker arms.

[mikiec]

Was ratboy near your motor? Get it fixed and running.

[Danr55]

No, no ratboy, just a Charlie. Found out the errant plugs belong in the end of the rocker shafts. Not sure how they got into the Lifter galley, but all is not well. The motor is out, cooked, magged and everything appears to be well with the iron. By the time I get back from Mexico, it should be almost ready to go back together. Roller cam and all.