Another genius idea

[iamdub]

...Or a gnat's ass eyeball squint look with his Home Depot tape measure.

Exactly. I laid a tape measure (with 1/32" resolution) across one of the towers and eyeballed it to be 5/16", maybe a split hair under. I decided I'd plug 'em with 3/8" since that uses a 5/16" drill bit. It turned out, the 5/16" bit didn't do much of anything and wasn't loose, so I was able to just go straight to tapping in the threads without any pre-drilling.

 

[iamdub]

https://www.texas-speed.com/p-9822-...fFIApztab9K6Hy46LIE-jBbnX45bdTLRoCJfIQAvD_BwE

I've never seen any plugs like this before. I only knew of the $100 rivet tool from Lingenfelter and tapping the towers for screw-in plugs (set screws).

Now I see there are a few options for plugs- those from TSP and the ones from AMS: https://www.amsracing.net/products/...5&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign


For under $10, I'd still rather cut up a bearing.

 

[Fless]

I've never seen any plugs like this before. I only knew of the $100 rivet tool from Lingenfelter and tapping the towers for screw-in plugs (set screws).

Now I see there are a few options for plugs- these from TSP and the ones from AMS: https://www.amsracing.net/products/...5&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign


For under $10, I'd still rather cut up a bearing.

^^^ THIS. Mo funner.

 

[89Suburban]

No pics @iamdub ?

 

[iamdub]

No pics @iamdub ?

I posted a link to the bearing. What my buddy sent me was a screenshot of the Sloppy Mechanic's FB page. It's really not a complicated idea and, if you've ever seen a wheel bearing, you could use your imagination. Lemme see if I can dig up something.

*EDIT*

Here's the A-37 bearing:




Here's what it'd look like disassembled:




The rollers have a slight taper to them. You use some dykes or a cut-off wheel on a grinder to cut the cage so all the rollers fall out. You may be able to bite it with a couple pairs of channel locks and bend it so the rollers fall out. You insert the smaller end of a roller "slug" into the hole of the AFM tower and tap it in until it's tight. The wider end of the roller is just big enough at some point to present an interference fit in the hole, so it must be right at 8mm in diameter.

Here's some plugs installed. I don't know what kind or brand or it they're roller bearings, but it's all the same, super simple concept:

 

[ls1frc]

Is there any documented failure of the valley cover with the o-rings?

 

[randeez]

I posted a link to the bearing. What my buddy sent me was a screenshot of the Sloppy Mechanic's FB page. It's really not a complicated idea and, if you've ever seen a wheel bearing, you could use your imagination. Lemme see if I can dig up something.

*EDIT*

Here's the A-37 bearing:




Here's what it'd look like disassembled:




The rollers have a slight taper to them. You use some dykes or a cut-off wheel on a grinder to cut the cage so all the rollers fall out. You may be able to bite it with a couple pairs of channel locks and bend it so the rollers fall out. You insert the smaller end of a roller "slug" into the hole of the AFM tower and tap it in until it's tight. The wider end of the roller is just big enough at some point to present an interference fit in the hole, so it must be right at 8mm in diameter.

Here's some plugs installed. I don't know what kind or brand or it they're roller bearings, but it's all the same, super simple concept:

but what if i have an aluminum block and want to plug the holes with aluminum slugs?

Is there any documented failure of the valley cover with the o-rings?

there really isnt a failure per se, just low oil pressure from it getting past the oring

 

[iamdub]

Is there any documented failure of the valley cover with the o-rings?

I didn't bookmark them, but way back when I was collecting my delete parts, I did run across at least two separate instances where the O-rings leaked. Of course, these may have been on hopped-up engines running high oil pressures. Or, it could've been a high-mileage LS3 or the like and the valley cover gaskets were old and collapsed, causing a loose cover and leaking O-rings. I didn't notate any of that, I just decided I'd make it a non-issue when I did mine, but not for $100 on a tool I'd probably never use again.

 

[iamdub]

but what if i have an aluminum block and want to plug the holes with aluminum slugs?

Then you're just gonna have to skip a few meals and allocate those funds to the TSP plugs. Are they aluminum?

 

[randeez]

Then you're just gonna have to skip a few meals and allocate those funds to the TSP plugs. Are they aluminum?

For the sake of this argument, yes they're aluminum