[DeTomaso] Oil Restrictors Question

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/11/12 3:06:47 PM, seanmundy at hotmail.com writes:

> This is starting to make some sense now.  Moroso kit on the 2-5 mains 
> only and fit a restrictor in the crank/cam bearing oil passage.
> 
Correct- as long as you do the #1 plug as described, and restricting oil to 
the left side oil gallery in #5 main journal (which has three oil feeds)   
will cause most hydraulic lifters to rattle as they periodically run out of 
oil. This includes hydraulic-roller lifters. Mine have been rattilng for 20 
yrs....

> I also gleaned some of that from the network 54 forum.  To confuse the 
> matter some more though,
> another option the engine builder mentioned was a crossover modification. 
> 
The crossover mod basically makes the 351-C oil like the Ford 429/460 by 
eliminating one of the three oil feeds from the Cleveland's #5 main and 
substituting a short (3") line between the oil galleries in the lifter valley. It 
also eliminates that restrictor in #5 and substitutes a plug like in #1. I 
illustrated that mod a few months ago in your Newsletter. 

Besides the above tips covered well by W Kooiman, I suggest NOT running 
external lines on any engine. They are vulnerable to heat, vibration and 
debris, and of three 351-C blow-ups I've helped clean up, two lost #2 rods and one 
lost #1- all on engines WITHOUT an Aviaid (or Armando) pan. These are the 
bearings FIRST oiled in a 351-C, so based on this small sample, taking oil 
from those locations and routing it to the rear of the block makes no sense to 
me. YMMV.

I also sugest carefully cleaning any donor 351-C blocks cam bearing oil 
passages. I've found that varnish builds up between the large passage bore and 
the small holes thru the cam bearings. One block needed this   rock-hard 
s... drilled out. If you can wait, MME and Butterworth both seem to be making 
progress with their aftermarket 351-C blocks in both iron and aluminum, which 
obsoletes all these mods. Good luck on your build- J Deryke