We'll start this years ago. I bought a 500ci crate motor to put in my 68 charger. After a couple years driving it I heard a little tapping coming from the engine. I changed the lifters. That did not correct the problem. Then my oil pressure started dropping off which would give me lifter noise. I changed the oil pump, no change. The noise got bad enough that I thought a rod cap was loose. I pulled the engine yesterday and pulled the oil pan to see the damage. None, the engine is clean enough to eat off of. I don't know where the oil pressure went. I'm going to pull the pickup tube and check it today but it looks fine. My thought now is maybe galley plug popped out. I see one, my question is how many are there and where are they located? It's a weird feeling expecting to find something obvious then to find nothing. Comments are much appreciated !!

 

Welcome.

My first thing is cut the oil filter open and inspect the media. Then remove intake, valve covers and distributor to prime with a drill to see where there is oil flow with a gauge as well. There could be some lifter or cam lobe material blocking an oil passage.

 

Thanks Dan, I pulled the motor expecting to see damage or bearing material in the pan. Nothing. As long as it's out I'm going to go through it. Roller rockers ect. Might as well make it like I want it, just don't tell the wife. If I dip the block and blow out the passages it should be fine. I'll find out more tomorrow when I pull the pistons.

 

Does anyone out there know how many galley plugs there are and where their located on a 440?

 

Good Morning Rick,
Welcome to the site !!!! Sorry to here about your issues. That really sucks!! You raise a few question?
Did it ever have good Oil Pressure as far as you remember?
Kind of sounds to me like a piece of trash got stuck someplace if it had good pressure and then just started dropping in time.
I am not in the mind set that it is a oil galley plug. But one might be very loose? But if i remember correctly. if one of those are not in, you will have like almost 0 oil pressure, and it would cause a failure for sure.
I would pull the engine apart and start with a good inspection and take lots of photos Before & Afters.. Will be glad to help any way we can.
I am sure one or more parts have failed you !!!!
I like Coronet 500 idea of priming it with a gauge. But sounds like you already got to pulling the thing down.... Even if you put a fitting in the oil pick up hole with a hose in some oil and run the pump with a drill and see if the oil is flowing heavy or lightly at some points, may lead you in the rite direction?
As for how many Oil galley Plugs. Im not sure, been a little while and I dont have a block here at the moment. But it should not be hard to find out when you get this all torn down.

We are here to help the best we can...

 

 

Check your pump bypass, if you had a lifter fail that debris would go through the pump before the filter. Something could jamb the bypass open dumping all oil back into pan not building pressure.

 

I replaced the pump and nothing changed. I'm going to throw this out there. In the beginning I had oil pressure then lifter noise that only I could hear then the pressure continually got worse. Do you guys think that maybe I was sucking the pan dry?

 

It is a possibility to suck the pan dry... you should be Using the 3/8" pick up with at least a 7 Quart Pan??. But you would have to look at all the bearings for signs of oil starvation... No other damage or alignment issues with Cam or Main Bearings?
That Cam Bearing is not happy at all. I would look for more of those types of issues..

 

Have you also found all the galley plugs in place at this point of the tear down?

 

The galley plugs are there, I haven't checked for tightness. I'll pull the pistons tonight. I'm kind of expecting those bearings to be just as bad. The thing that makes me wonder about sucking the pan dry is I should have seen this problem years ago. Unless I was just on the verge with the oil volume. Seven quart pan is going on it when it's done. My deal with 7 quart pans is this. I had one on the 383 and in Denver some of the cross streets have trenches for water. Took out that pan in a trench.

 

Well let see how all the rest of the bearings look on the tops and bottoms of the rods and mains . Keep them in order and clearly marked. I’m sure question will come up. Look for any bluing and fine chips...
keep up posted!!🏁🏁

 

One other thing come to mind. Check the loosening torque the best you can. Also look for any of the caps that might have been walking!!🍻

 

I second this....

 

 

So number 1 is from the oil filter, number 2 is feeding the bearing, number 3 is where the piston for the fuel pump goes and 4 is the galley plug. It sure looks to me not having a piston in there would let the oil go right back to the pan, correct? That passage is open.

 

I changed out the oil pump and all the lifters came out good.

 

I would pull the oilpump apart, just two bolts once it's of the motor. Check for galing then pull the cap off the relief valve and look for debris.....

 

Look in the bore and see if it has a hole for oiling? But I dont recall the Fuel Pump Oil Push Rod being pressure oiled !
* as far as I know, the pump rod is cut down on the end that rides on the essictric and the rod is lubed from what if sling off the lifter and dist. drive gear, more of a drip style.*

 

I pulled the pistons today. The bearings didn't look good but 5 & 6 were bad. Not enough to mess up the crank, that is not blue, good. I didn't pull the crank, I think I'm going to take it to the shop and let them set it up. I recently moved and all my stuff is still in boxes. Gotta put the car on the road. I pulled the pump apart, clean enough to eat off of. I put a light through the oil port going to the cam bearing. I can see light in the cam bearing feed but not through the piston hole for the fuel pump. I think you are correct that it is its own entity and not fed by the pump. The more I think about it maybe I did run the sump dry. Sucks, but hindsight is 20/20. I can't think of any other explanation.

 

Ya, I did think the fuel pump push rod was pressure oiled. But some folks do some weird mods....
Sounds like your on the rite track. Kind of sounds like it starved for oil a short time. Like I said earlier. If you didn't have a 7-8 quart pan on and at least a 3/8" pick up tube that could have been an issue. You see that happen more with full groove bearing. Lots of thing to consider when building engines.. Also look at the rockers and push rod tips for damage, they could have got it also?
Sounds like a good Hot Tank and cleaning and new Cam bearings and a recheck of everything and you should be good to go...

Moving Sucks !!!! lol

Keep us posted Mopar On Broth'a !!

 

Going to build it the way I want it, don't tell mama. What mama doesn't know won't hurt her.

 

Mumms The word !!!!

 

That way she is only guessing at the divorce how much you have in it!