I just want to make sure this flange is feature complete before sealing it up again. Someone else did my block and all plugs were removed. I didn’t photograph this before handing it over so want to make sure nothing else is missing. The large hole on the right has a full plug. There is also a threaded hole between the two bottom ones that is not for a bolt. Is this also meant to be plugged? 3.8 E-type block.
Hmm, so it looks like there was a 5/16 plug in there? I don’t see the part on SNG’s site. I guess I could cut down a bolt and cut a groove for a screw driver.
That would serve the purpose. Other photos showed the top of the plug about 1/8 inch below the flange surface.
This should enlarge, there are enough pixels. this is a 1961 or 1962 block, so I thought a pretty early one would be of interest as there seems to be several changes in this area.
BTW you can see the ARP rod bolts and the 4.2 oil pump.
Interesting, it’s missing that 5th 5/16 hole. I wonder why it’s present on mine. It’s the original block. Does your adapter head have the same pattern as mine? I assume that 5th hole was for a different adapter head used in a different car. I’m not sure which car came along between yours an mine though.
Ours has the “smooth” oil sump. Maybe some enthusiast with a ‘flat floor’ is looking for our old 3.8 block, who knows. R3446–9 , perhaps someone knows where this fits in the production line. We also have the “old” style distributor (DMBZ6A).
It is a very good block - still original bore size, all the pistons were the same letter size, the rods all within a gram, etc. It also cleaned up internally very, very well as far as coolant passages. It would be interesting to see if the early E-Type blocks benefited from less worn machinery or more careful assembly. We did buy the engine a long time ago from a guy in South Milwaukee, WI who had a white convertible “E” with his engine done by a company called “Straight Six”, if they are still in business.
I used Mahle pistons as they were a tad bigger, so after a Sunnen Hone at the speed shop my piston to wall was acceptable with a stock bore.
Can’t recall - the gasket set I got from Terry’s had about 20 different gaskets for the plate and all I recall is that I matched the gasket to the adapter. My recollection was it was a common style when I went on the internet looking at the different styles.
Erica I’m not familiar with 3.8l blocks. The few I’ve had passed through my shop on the way somewhere else but … First, later XJ6’s had filter blocks that had 5 bolt holes, the fifth being on the bottom and was more or less equidistant from the ones in the corner. That’s no help to anybody here however. But this much I know - you only need two holes in the block - the lower one on the left where the oil exits the block into the filter and the upper one in the center where in goes back into the oil galley. Probe the 5/16 hole - I suspect it doesn’t go anywhere and can be ignored - just make sure that the gasket you use has enough bite to seal them off.
As I’ve said before there seems to be a million filter blocks out there - with a million different gaskets. Some blocks are arranged so all the oil goes through the filter, others only the oil actually going into the engine gets filtered - then there are the ones that have oil coolers connected to them.
Terry
You can see the shellac imprint of the removed gasket on the flange. It only covers about 1/3 of that hole. I didn’t probe very far, just far enough to confirm it’s threaded. I’ll check that next time I’m down there.
The lower hole towards the front of the car needs to be plugged on the XKE and any other useage where there is an external dump hose to the oil pan. The relief valve is in the return system. With this hole open, oil will just freely go into the sump with a resulting loss of oil pressure. The sedans that do not use this return system have a different set up in the oil housing. So it follows that if you are putting an XKE block into a sedan such as the MK2, this hole would need to be open or you will get enough oil pressure to blow off the oil canister. Freeze plug is what the factory used but tapping and plugging would work even better.
1 Like
I knew you’d have the definitive answer: been soooo danged long since I’d seen that area, I sure couldn’t help.
That is the front large/bottom hole you’re referring to right? That is presently plugged with a large flat thing. The hole I’m curious about is the 5/16" threaded hole to the left of that ome in the photo. Some people seem to have a threaded plug in theirs.
Erica If you have the same gasket as the outline on your block the 5/16" hole will be sealed from external leakage to the outside and as well internal leakage - that is within the chambers on the filter block. Use the same gasket and you will be ok. If you need to seal the hole, because it’s not a blind hole, you can either cut off the end of a 5/16 bolt, or better yet buy a 5/16" NF grub screw for the purpose. If the hole is a blind hole as I suspect it to be you don’t need to do anything.
I’m not familiar with the front hole that’'s sealed off, but if it’s live to oil pressure, and not blocked off the oil will bypass the filter and exit to the oil pan through the bottom of the pressure relief valve, shown as the small top chamber in your photo. I’d be curious to know why the hole is live, is it cross drilled from the left lower hole - that is there has to be a source of oil from the oil pump?
The front/lower hole isn’t live. It has a flat cup shaped plug, quite thick walls on it, very substantial. It’s just recessed so it looks dark.
