SBF Oil Return & Galley Plug Mods

There are a few things you can do to improve oil return from the top end of your SBF, and in this video I discuss the mods that I prefer.

[@FairladyS130]

Your thorough approach and description almost makes me want to get one of these engines just to do the mods. Of course oil drain back is very important on any performance engine.

[@billsgarage]

Go for it, there are several for sale online! 😊 Thanks for watching!

[@user-sr5tu8oh7v]

I like that you have a Mustang II. Light cars that fly with a good V8.

[@billsgarage]

Definitely light and fast! And they don't get the hate anymore like they used to. More often than not lately I find myself having to explain to people what it is.

[@johngoodwin2384]

Great choice you made in pistons 🏁

[@billsgarage]

Thanks! 👍

[@brianhdueck3372]

I thank you for your I depth tutorial style in your videos. Got me signed up now. I have had quite a number of these sbf. An issue I have had is installing E7 heads on early 302 block where these front and rear returns don’t line up. Not hard to correct with a die grinder if you don’t want to upsize the hole. I’ve had it up to where 1/2 the hole has been off on aftermarket heads. You have to watch this area. I don’t have special machining equipment so for upsizing I always go up in steps from 7/16 to 1/2”. Usually I use 2 intermediate sizes and then the half inch. Never had it go off centre that way.

[@billsgarage]

Interesting, I didn't know that about the E7 heads. I wonder if it's due to the return passage being in a slightly different place on the roller cam blocks, or if it's just imprecise casting & machining. Thanks for the comment, and thanks for watching!

[@488ci]

When the engine is running, how much oil is actually sitting on top of the heads? I can always remember 302 mustangs having rod knock and guys would keep driving them till the engine blew up.

[@billsgarage]

There's definitely a lot of oil up top when the engine is running. If I run my drill at full speed when priming the oil pump with the valve covers off, it'll spill right over the gasket rail, and that's with a stock volume pump. At high RPM, a high-volume oil pump can empty a stock pan quicker that the oil can drain back through the standard-sized return passages, so the oil passage mods and a high capacity oil pan are essential to keep the bearings from running dry.

[@job1bf]

I have heard people drill a tiny hole in that front plug to spray oil on the distributor gear. Have you done anything like this?

[@billsgarage]

Great question! I've never done this on one of my engines, but a lot of people do it to ensure good oil supply to the distributor gear (as you said) instead of relying on oil splash or drainback for lubrication. Opening up the large drainback hole at the forward end of the lifter valley allows more oil to drain down onto the distributor gear and that seems to work for me, but if you want positive oil presure to spray onto the gear, drilling a hole in the galley oil plug right next to it will work very well. As long as the hole is small (no bigger than 0.030" to 0.035") then you won't see any loss in oil pressure, not even at idle. One recomendation if you do drill the hole - install and tighten the plug all the way, then mark where the distributor gear is in relation to the plug and drill the hole so that it is angled towards the gear. If you drill the hole straight through the center of the plug, oil will just spray out onto the timing cover past the gear.

[@adamballinger1358]

I drill a .025 in the plug right behind the distributer ,have done 4 engines that way now and it helps the dist. gear alot and no loss of pressure.

[@Backfire10]

How come you did not do the one at the top rear? I did all mine today. Thanks.

[@billsgarage]

Are you talking about the crossover for the lifter oil galley passages? Where the plug goes in the top? I don't usually do anything there. What do you do back there?

[@Backfire10]

I tap with a 1/2 npt tap and insert plug. I had the press in plug pop out one time. Can't take that chance.

[@billsgarage]

Good advice, thanks! I've had pleny of those plugs leak before, including on this build when I primed the oil system (replaced and resealed it). I'll look at installing a threaded plug on the next one!

[@Backfire10]

Good video. Thanks for your helpful insite.

[@rodneyturner6892]

What is the best v8 ford made my opinion is the 289 / 302 sbf

[@billsgarage]

I agree!

[@justinschmidt9180]

So what size npt tap do i use

[@billsgarage]

A 1/4-18 NPT pipe thread tap will fit nicely into the stock oil passages once the press-in plugs are removed, just be sure to start slowly and carefully and be sure to remove all of the shavings. Good luck!

[@njseashorechas2698]

What about the oil galley press in plug in the top back of the block? Ben Almeda racing recommends pressing it in upside down to improve oil flow. Do you think this is necessary? kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZOQqZRtlqx7e9E

[@billsgarage]

That's an interesting idea, but plugs are tapered so that they seal effectively when installed in the intended orientation, and installing them in the opposite direction means that they are sealing only on the rim of the plug instead of the entire side flange. Ben Almeda has obviously been using this approach for a long time, but he's solely focused on racing, so he doesn't need to worry about long-term reliability as you would on a street engine. Leakage of oil from this plug leads directly to loss of oil pressure, so I would be cautious about trying something like this on a street engine like mine. In my opinion, a much better approach would be to blend the area between the two passages with a grinder in order to promote better flow from one side to the other, effectively opening up the chamber between the two sides and eliminating the problem that flipping the plug is meant to address. As added insurance against plug leakage, you could tap the block and install a threaded plug. I'll probably be doing something like this on the next engine that I build. Great question, and thanks for watching!