Need help with a new Chrysler motor with a bad valve tap

[2cars2much]

First off this 318 was rebuilt many years ago so theres no taking it back.SO I installed the motor and fired it up to break in the new cam.The lifters never stop taping,Good oil pressure 30 at idle 55 above idle.So I changed out the cam and lifters figuring the cam went flat,Checked rocker arms and shaft, pushrods, valve stem height, Everything looks good. Fired it up and it still has the same valve tap.Now after checking I see there is two pushrods offered.One has a oil hole threw the tube and the other is solid.The motor came with solid ball ends.The pushrods are 5/16x.083x7.500.I think that's the stock length.Do I need the hollow pushrods to work with a hydraulic cam??

[2cars2much]

Swapped out the push rods with the hollow type.Still have the same problem,Some lifters fill and some stay empty.The #1cyl. never seems to fill the lifters.Left side seems worst.Head Gaskets maybe??

[Groundpounder]

The oil flows from the pump to the right main oil galley (which intersects the right side lifter bores), to the front of the block. The #1-4 main bearings are fed directly from the right main galley. The left main galley (which intersects the left bank lifter bores) is fed from the #1 main. The oil pressure gauge taps in at the beginning of the oil circuit so you aren't seeing how much pressure you have at the end of the oil circuit. If the galley plug in the front of the left main galley is too far in, it could be blocking the feed from the #1 main. If the right side plug is too far in it would have the same effect, but it would also be starving the #1 main, rod, and cam bearings.

BTW, oil-through push rods are only required on the Magnum engines to supply oil to the rockers. The older LA series engines oil the rockers  via passages in the block (one on each side) which supply oil to the rocker shafts. If you have lifters made for the LA engines, they won't have an oil feed hole in the top to feed the push rod anyway.

[2cars2much]

First off a Big thank you for getting back to me.So what your telling me is the motor has to come out and the main galley plugs need to be checked,Also how would I know if they are in to far?

[Groundpounder]

You're welcome.

You can probably pull the timing cover off with the engine in the vehicle to check them.

Here is a pic (courtesy of a post on the www.forabodiesonly.com message board) of what the plugs (circled) should look like:
Note that when I refer to the left and right galleys, left = driver's side and right = passenger's side, so in that pic, the left galley plug is the one on the right.





Just realize that this might not be the problem. It's just an educated guess on my part based on your description of the problem.

Also, if this block was used in a high(er) rpm solid lifer application, that passage may be blocked off intentionally. In that case there would also be a tube pressed into the right side galley to block the oil going to the lifters on that side.

[2cars2much]

Iam going to take a break from this motor for now,And start thinking of a new crate motor.But if I go forward with this motor and find something I will post what I found.Thanks Again.

[2cars2much]

Groundpounder you were spot on. The oil plug on the drivers side had two plugs in it. I can only guess that the first plug was just a little small and was never taking back out, They just put in another plug behind the first one. No more valve tap. A Big Thank You Again.

[Groundpounder]

You're welcome, glad I could help.

[chief57]

hey gp. they thread those in the real race motors.

[Groundpounder]

Chief, Garbage Motors threads them on their production engines because they are incapable of holding the tolerances tight enough for a pressed fit.

[chief57]

wow, that was a quick response gp. i knew i would get one, just not that fast. i like them mopars a little more after bringing home the first place trophy from the drome sunday.
cars are all them same if you tipp'em over before you look at'em......

[Groundpounder]

I just happened to check the site from my phone at lunch. I knew you were fishing, but I figured I'd bite anyway.  lol

[chief57]

you have to be careful who you go fishing with now days.

[uticamike]

Chief, Garbage Motors threads them on their production engines because they are incapable of holding the tolerances tight enough for a pressed fit.

On the O'Reilly Factor they would call that spin but.... race engines do follow the standard GM practice of solid thread in galley plugs.

Sheet metal plugs are ...cheap...and not reliable in the long run.

Garbage Motors be damned. Tell that to the Mopar engineers that put hollow push rods in the Magnum engine line following a practice

GM has used since 1955.    1955!! what a year.  The world was introduced to the Small Block Chevy and UticaMike   

a very good year. 

[Groundpounder]

Chief, Garbage Motors threads them on their production engines because they are incapable of holding the tolerances tight enough for a pressed fit.

On the O'Reilly Factor they would call that spin but.... race engines do follow the standard GM practice of solid thread in galley plugs.

Sheet metal plugs are ...cheap...and not reliable in the long run.

Garbage Motors be damned. Tell that to the Mopar engineers that put hollow push rods in the Magnum engine line following a practice

GM has used since 1955.    1955!! what a year.  The world was introduced to the Small Block Chevy and UticaMike   

a very good year. 

lmao, I just knew you'd chime in on this. 1955 was also when the sbc introduced pressed in rocker studs that didn't stay pressed in.  It's funny that sometime in the 90's gm figured out if they changed the valve angle to 18* it would make more power. Mopar LA series small blocks had the 18* valve angle since the first one came off the production line in '64. You wanna keep going? I can do this all night!  lol