I've seen alot of people use a very tight dowl. Trimmed to size, tapped in place. Not sure if I'd use that though. I'd be too much of a worry wart about the long term effects of heat/oil etc., on the wood.

How about a nice daub of lead? Like a fishing weight - heated and stuffed in?

angela

I was thinking a dipstick tube from a wrecked-em yard...cut it super short, weld the top hole shut...maybe a weld bead around the base to seal & make sure it goes nowhere.

The correct way to plug the hole is with a tiny frost plug. These are used to plug the ends of oil galleries and are available from any good automotive machine shop. Another way, also good/better is to thread the hole for a screw in plug.

We call 'em freeze plugs here, but aren't these designed to push out of the block if the coolant freezes? In other words, pressure removes them?

The dipstick hole isn't under any oil pressure, so just about anything will block it, even a goop of RTV

Just about anything but the "correct" way is with a plug designed for the purpose. I hate the look of "cobbled" up stuff when the right parts are easily available.

I was referring to Paul's comment about pressure forcing out a freeze plug
A freeze plug or threaded plug would work fine. As would a Fel-Pro oil pan gasket with moulded-in block off.
As would RTV. As would finding a diamond the exact diameter and brazing it in place with platinum.

Definitely the diamond with platinum brazing! ;)

And we'll make sure to safety-wire it in place with gold braided wire

I know glen, and I feel you guys are getting out his budget range... ;)

The solution to the oil dipstick hole was right in front of me.

The engine came with a plastic bag with two different timing markers. One for whatever size of harmonic balancer is installed. The bag also has two steel dowels that I was wondering what they were for. They are different sizes. One for the larger drivers side tube and one for the passenger side. Just tap the one you need into place and it is plugged. Just my ignorance was showing.

I did make some real progress on Sunday.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1322490893.jpg

The new engine is in place and mated to the transmission, the engine mount bolts are in place and the starter is hooked up. The bottom side is DONE! (I hope)

All I have to do not is install all the accessories and the throttle body, the radiator, and the millions of little thing needed to get it to run.

We ran the oil pump several times for probably 10 minutes total.

I painted the notch on the harmonic balancer white to make it easier to see.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1322491463.jpg

I did have a helper buddy help me install the new engine into place. I could not have done it with him. He has done dozens of engine swaps over the years and knows all the tricks to getting the bolts into place, and where they are.

He took this picture of me actually working.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1322494021.jpg

Ron is a super nice guy to come help me and it is his engine stand, hoist and trailer I am borrowing. It is great to have friends with the right tools to borrow.

You can see from the picture in the previous post I did finally cave into one "while I am in there" upgrade. I went with a new Eddelbrock intake. Mainly because I did not want to spend the time to clean up the old one. By the time I cleaned up the old intake and painted it I would spend more time than I had. This project is taking a lot longer than I had anticipated already. The intake is supposed to be a 100% that same measurements so everything will bolt up with the throttle body and cables. Of course right off the bat I had to change the oil pressure sender location. The new manifold has a ridge and the large pressure sender for the gauge would not screw into place. I had to get a short piece of pipe and a 45 elbow to make the sender fit.

Right now the exhaust system is 100% from the old 305. Since I will have to sit in the driveway with the engine at 2,000 RPM for 20 minutes to break in the cam I REALLY did not want to do that with an open exhaust. Once the engine is broken in and driving I will go to my local friendly muffler shop and have the used manifolds I bought installed and a new dual exhaust made up. That is the other main upgrade I was planning on from the start.

it looks like you doing a great job here ,
i was gonna suggest to remove the timing pointer and spray it with some paint so it wont rust , after a few years it may fall off,
even engine clear would work

Looks fantastic. I bet it'll be a pleasure to drive when you're done. Heck, I bet it'll smoke the rear tires when you're done.

It is made of Aluminum. On the old engine it was covered in oil and black.

I will need my timing light for initial startup and setting the base time point. After that the computer takes care of the timing.

That is galvanized tin, not aluminum... I'd bet a magnet will stick to it. ;)

And how the hell do you work in a white shirt and look that clean?

Yea, it will be a massive difference. I will have at over double the HP as before. With the old engine if I was at a standstill and just floored it the tires would just chirp for a second and that was all. I suspect it will light up the tires easily now.

The front side of my shirt was very dirty. I have piece of carpet to lay on when I am on my back under the car.

And a big thank you from all of us for pulling out your shirttail to cover the plumbers crack!