Technical 303 Olds engine build. A few questions

I have a few questions on assembling a 303 Olds. When installing the two oil galley plugs on either side of the cam at the front of the block, do you use some type of sealer or thread locker on the threads. The threads are kinda coarse, and I'm wondering how these plugs will keep the oil from leaking passed. Should the plugs have a gasket washer behind the head to seal against the block.

Is this the correct way for the cam button to be installed.

Can anyone tell me where these gaskets are used on this motor. I would really like to know where the six small washer like gaskets and the cork one go.

 

Paging @Paul to the front office

 

1. Should be fine. You are just plugging one end of the oil galley, and the other is a controlled leak. More important is to not forget the plug in the back of the driver side, that also has a hole in it for the distributor drive gear.

2. Cam button is the same way I installed mine. Don’t lose it because they aren’t repopped.

3. The small washer looking ones back up bolt heads, two for the valley cover and 4 for the valve cover bolts. The one bigger ring I believe is for the air horn on a 2gc carb, the smaller ones I’m not so sure. I am going off an open set I have but I lost a few because it opened years ago and they fell out.. so I bought a second set. I don’t 100% remember what I used, and whats actually extra. I have 55 324.

 

yes, what oldsmobum said:

just snug the two plugs up tight, no washers or sealant.

four of the six are for valve cover bolts, the other two of the six are for the valley cover bolts.

cork gasket goes under sediment bowl on fuel pump

 

Makes sense. I opted for the 59’ Carter unit without the vacuum pump so that must be why I have one left over.

 

Now I'm worried I may have forgotten to install the plug that oils the distributor gear. I remember seeing something mentioned about a special oil plug at the rear of the block when I was disassembling the motor. I installed new threaded brass plugs at the rear of the block. One was a 1/2" npt plug and the other on the drivers side was 1/4" npt without a hole, you can see it in the photo just above the crank flange. Is this the plug you mentioned, or is the other plug with the hole installed on the inside of the block.
I threw the original plugs in my scrap metal bucket, so I'll be digging through that tomorrow to see if I can find them and see if one has a hole in it.

 

I made a thread regarding this a few months ago… I felt like the available information was pretty cryptic, and the 1955 service manual doesn’t mention them at all.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/early-olds-324-oil-plugs.1323879/

 

Thanks for the link to your post, now I understand where the plug that oils the distributor gear is located. I'll have to take a closer look at my motor tomorrow, I may have to remove the soft plug at the back of the block and see if that plug is in there. Thanks

 

Also if the valley pan is off of the motor you can install the distributor gear plug with a stubby Allen wrench.
I should note that Tony at Ross racing told me the oil hole is not necessary- SBC’s don’t have one as an example. I would at least install a plug because I can imagine you would have no oil pressure to your rockers without one.

 

See reply above. Also if you have a little inspection mirror that would also reveal the presence of the plug. There is about and inch or so of clearance between the face of the oil galley and the “china wall” of the block.

 

Well I dodged a bullet, the plug was missing. Thanks to Oldsmobum for reminding me to take a closer look, this could have been a disaster when the motor was first started.
It has been a few years since I first took the motor apart and even though I bagged and labeled all the parts and hardware I guess I forgot about that hidden plug.
I bought a 3/8" brass plug and drilled a .040" hole in it. I pulled the cam out and was able to reach in from the valley cover opening and install it. A quick and easy fix to a potential disaster.
Here you can see it installed with the aid of an inspection mirror.

 

Here is another where does this go question. The rear main seal kit came with these two rectangular cork pieces.

My best guess is that they go on either side of the rear main cap, is this correct.

 

Yes, that is correct. Use a dab of sealer on them and you are good to go.

 

Those little cork pieces are critical if you don't want oil pouring out the end of the sump. Ask me how I know LOL.