Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

Hallo,

I have an uncertain question.

After opening the valve chamber, I discovered a strange hole in the front open to the timing gear chamber. It looks like a very irregular breakthrough.

Is that correct?


Thank you all for helpfull answers.

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

It is ugly and not the German way. The pathway for oil to flow over the timing gears. One place where labor money was saved. The guy who bashed the hole there in the block only had time for two hits with the hammer. Those who have used a die grinder to detail the ragged edges never saw an improvement but they slept much better.

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

You can see a similar hole here in this block being rebuilt:

http://www.model-a-ford-4bangers.com/100_0353-1.jpg

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

Hi Werner
No, that does not look correct! In mid May a hole [3/8"] was provided to get extra oil to the rear cam bearing & earlier blocks were sometimes drilled for this, but not to timing gears. Looks like someone had a mishap or misguided attempt to improve lubrication. I personally would not worry ; at a later time if you have to take the engine down, you could get it fixed. Cheers.

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

I too, have seen a number of blocks that look about like this one in question. I have heard that that is just how the were!

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

I bought a brand new (Not rebuilt) Diamond engine that had never been assembled. It had the busted out hole above the timing gear for timing gear lubrication.
Worked on many Model A engines and never saw one without the busted out hole above the timing gear.

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

Normal.
Paul in CT

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

Perfectly normal from what I have seen in many engine blocks. It might be a crude way of doing things but IT WORKS. What else do you need?

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

Normal. Ford did vary the positioning of the hole to vary with a change in valve chamber oil "level." This occurred about the time the timing cover oil return pipe was lowered - ostensibly a move to "reduce oil consumption." August 1929 IIRC.

Steve Plucker may have information on this - he's done a "type study" on block details - I think it's online.

Joe K

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

Here is a picture of the hole, seen from the timing gear side, taken when my engine was being rebuilt.

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

Steve Plucker's "type study" of Model A Engine Blocks is "ongoing."

Joe K

http://www.plucks329s.org/studies/studies.htm

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

Thank you all for the helpful hints about the "mystic hole". I am calm now! -

At Steeve Plucker "Pluck": What extraordinarily valuable diligence works!

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

The hole was in the casting pattern, and not bashed-in. Having taken apart many engines, the hole in question is rarely nice and round. More often it is irregular.

The concern with an irregular hole in the block casting is that the bottom of it is about level with the top of the nearby lifter bore. If the hole extends too low, it lowers the oil level in the valve chamber, so I paste a piece of sheet metal with a round hole in it to the front wall of the valve chamber. JB Weld works well for this fix.

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

Ive knocked a lot of those holes in v8 blocks at the Cleveland Ford Casting plant. We used an air tool with a round chisel designed for that job RAY

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

Restorer magazine jan/feb 1998, pg 22, one full written page on busted out hole in valve chamber. The hole must be higher than the first dam in order for the oil to build up and run back over the first dam to get to the center and rear main. The article states that most likely it was busted out to facilitate replacing timing gear. When I rebuilt my engine I followed the instructions, used a piece of flat metal 1/8 x 1 x 2 drilled one hole 1/4" it, and one hole the web of busted out area, fastened to web with a 1/4" bolt and jb weld, just above the level of the first dam. Then drilled another hole below the top of the new dam, 5/16 diameter to feed oil to the timing gear.

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

Hello everybody,

I thought again. (Last night, the whole day ...) I can not believe that the breakthrough was "just hit somewhere" inside. Because then the correct height of the overflow for the oil pipe is at the wrong (too low) level.

I measured it.

1) The lowest overflow edge from the return opening in the valve cover.

2) The lower edge of the breakthrough. I have marked marks outside. (see picture)

It can be clearly seen that the lower edge of the break hole is about 1/4 inch below the discharge edge of the return pipe.

Then the return pipe would make no sense, because the oil level does not reach the return opening.

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

Don't forget the rear of the engine sits lower than the front.


Bob

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

There is no return pipe, the pipe you see is the oil supply, the oil returns over top of the front dam.

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

The black pipe on the outside of the engine from the valve cover to the block is indeed a oil return.


Where would the oil go when driving up a long hill?

Re: Mysterious hole in valve chamber?
 

It would all go to the center and rear main then to oil return pipe on outside engine. Another question might be where would all the oil go on a long down hill run if the jagged hole was too low.