Running into some issues with this "budget engine rebuild" that I didn't have to deal with on the last 225 I rebuilt.

1. How do you remove the oil gallery end plugs without destroying them, or where do you get new ones? I'd like to get in there and clean things out as I've seen detailed in one of Doug Dutra's posts, because this block had some serious crud everywhere else. I have tried fire, penetrating oil, and patience, but so far I can't get either one to budge, and I can feel the allen bit starting to turn in the plug if I put too much torque on it. If I break out the serious extraction tools, I want to have new plugs on hand.

2. What are the cam specs for the stock 1964 225 camshaft? Are cam lift specs advertised at the cam or at the valve (before or after rocker ratio)? This cam looks a little worn, but I'm not sure how worn is too much. What's the best way to check it out? Install the cam with new bearings and lifters and check lift with a dial indicator? At first I thought I might be able to use a caliper to measure the diameter at 90° from the lobe tip and subtract that from the diameter at the lobe tip, but then I realized the duration is probably long enough that the 90° measurement would still be larger than the base circle.

3. I'm planning to swap the good-condition drive gear from my original 6-hole aluminum pump (which has worn out rotors and housing ID) onto a brand new 5-hole cast iron Melling pump I picked up cheap. How much end play should I leave between the gear and housing? The old pump has something like .022" clearance, and the new one has .008" with its current gear. I assume my target should be closer to the number on the new pump.

4. Is there any reason to replace the rear plug behind the camshaft if it came out clean and in good condition? I knocked mine out to replace the cam bearings, and it looks fine. RockAuto wants to sent me a package of 10, which would be kind of a waste.

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Somehow I ended up owning three 1964 slant six A-bodies. I race one of them.
Escape Velocity Racing

Here's some limited information:
Sometimes you have to destroy them... I was taught an interesting technique similar to how to solder... but in this case you use an OxyAcetylene Torch and a candlestick or paraffin... Heat the plug and surrounding block with the torch for a few minutes... move heat to metal on the outer edge of the ridge of the bore the plug is in... apply the wax, remove the heat... let sit a bit then try it with the allen socket again... usually the wax gets sucked into the threads and they come right out if not seized or rusted in....

Plugs can sometimes be found in the Orange Drawers Marked Dorman if you have local parts store with the row of these on them...(the row that has about 32 drawers not 8 or 10 like some of the mom and pop stores that got bought out...
Doc or Dan posted the stock specs for the early camshaft a while back.

You can check lift by using the calipers as you say but that will only compare max lift to the base circle (multiply by 1.5 to get lift at valve)... but as stated it will not give you data such as what is going on at .020 or .050 lift... but you would need to have some data on what was stock for these points.

Is there anyone local that can "donate" a 1972-1980 cam with lifters?
Yes, .008 should be OK... Also make sure that you check the new pump... I have a few older mellings from previous engine revisions, and some have shaft keys at the gear and other are like the stock/OEM press on gear...
Yes, it's just peace of mind...I have seen these installed in a ham fisted way and distort a bit... These can also be found in the Dorman aisle since they are the same for other V-8 engines.... There are also "kits" that have all the plugs for one engine... just in case you need a freeze plug later...

I don't know why I didn't search more for the cam specs. Here's an old post I found from Dan:

http://www.slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic ... ght=#63838
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1960-1964 used a 232° / 228° / 8° / 0.37" cam

(intake duration/exhaust duration/overlap/lift)
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Is that 0.370" lift after the rocker ratio (1.5 x lobe lift), or is that what I would physically measure on the cam?

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Somehow I ended up owning three 1964 slant six A-bodies. I race one of them.
Escape Velocity Racing

0.370" is at the valve. Cam will be 0.370/1.5.

Why do you want to use a stock cam? Get a regrind from Oregon for $70 - anything you want.

If wanting to turbo, then stock or just above works well. For NA, you want more duration and lift (and more compression to match)...

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

This engine is going in a car I'm selling, so I'm trying to spend as little money as possible while doing it right. If it were going in a car I was keeping, I would be upgrading a number of things along the way. The funny/annoying part is that this rebuild is getting more new parts than the engine I rebuilt for the racecar, because it started out in worse shape (needed cam bearings, oil pump, timing chain, etc.)

Okay, if the stock cam's lift is only 0.370"/1.5 at the cam, then this cam is in fine shape. Good to know!

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Somehow I ended up owning three 1964 slant six A-bodies. I race one of them.
Escape Velocity Racing

OK, cool. Thought this was the LeMons car...

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

That being said, if anyone has an unused '65+ (or '71+) mechanical-lifter camshaft laying around, I would certainly not mind giving you a few bucks to throw it in a shipping box.

Edit: Found one locally. Thanks, Wes! That removes the lingering doubts I had about this cam.

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Somehow I ended up owning three 1964 slant six A-bodies. I race one of them.
Escape Velocity Racing

Well, I now have a new problem. Broke a drill bit off in the block trying some of DD's suggestions on clearing out/opening up oil passages found here. I figured now was a good time to practice some of these mods, just in case I decide to do this stuff next time I rebuild the race motor.

Ran a long 5/16" drill bit down all four of the main crank journal feed holes, and on the very last one (#4), it bit hard and snapped.





Any suggestions on extracting this? I tried using a left-hand drill bit first, as the broken end is only about an inch down in the hole, but it just started cutting into the broken bit without spinning it out. Next, I set the block down on the ground and started trying to rotate the bit backwards by tapping the exposed flutes in the cam bearing hole with a hammer and screwdriver, but this is very slow going and I'm not sure it's getting anywhere.

Worst case, I can drop it off at a machine shop, but I imagine they'll just try a lot of the same fiddly $#!+ I would try before setting it up in press and chewing the whole thing out.

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Somehow I ended up owning three 1964 slant six A-bodies. I race one of them.
Escape Velocity Racing

Oh, oog. I'm reminded of Ed Dreistadt's account of breaking a manifold stud while trying to make Clifford's [adjectives omitted] headers fit his '64 Valiant, as told in Slant 6 News № 33 (September 1988, most of 3 decades ago):

"To fix this, I drilled a hole in the stud, put an extractor in and broke the extractor off in the stud.
You can’t drill through tool steel, so I had to take the head off and take it to a machine shop.
They then called me up to tell me that they can’t drill through tool steel either."

I hope this gives you a wry chuckle, and I hope somebody pipes up with a method to fix this.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

It needs to rotate counterclockwise to become unstuck.

If you can figure out how to get it to rotate when tapping it, it might come out.


You may be able to split it at the exposed part with a dremel sized carbide bit (this will cut tool steel, as I've ground away a broken drill bit (that broke when trying to drill out a broken stud)). Then tap out the pieces.

The dremel bit could at least make a notch to tap against.

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

I would get a proper straight punch and focus on the flute showing to
the left in the pic. Is there any of the tip showing in the galley? If so a
long steel rod from the other end might clip the jammed tip & rotate or
snap the edge off. You could add some shop air to the galley if You'd
plug the major holes, may encourage the piece if it starts to give, but
please don't look down the main to see how it's coming!! And safety
glasses/goggles. It is brittle enough to break up, but doing it w/o any
collateral damage is a slow dance. Wax flow may be of some help
on this part of the project too!

If all else fails...

Drill a 1/4 inch hole into the main oil gallery, at the same angle & location that aligns with the oil feed hole, to the #4 main.

Use a rod to "punch" the broken drill end out.

Then tap-out the new hole with a 1/8 NPT tap & use it as a place to install you mechanical oil pressure gauge or gauge sending unit.
DD

call around to some larger more modern engine shops in your area, they may have this kind of equipment or know someone that does.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpwnTkeeGqY

we had one in the engine manufacturing plant where I worked, for salvage of parts with broken drills and taps.

the process is flat amaizing

FYI, You'll also need a 11/32 drill bit for the tap.

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

That pad only occurs on early/mid 60's blocks... for guys with later blocks you can do this mod, but the wall at the galley is a little thin, so it may not seal so well.... (wish this pad had remained standard in the later castings).

... but it does make things a lot more convenient for the oil gauge sensor than plumbing that Tee and fittings at the oil pump.....