36 Series 40 oil gallery

[Rock10]

We are in the process of removing the head on our 36 Buick Special. The drain plug in the side of the block was stuck and broke off partial still in the block. While trying to drill out the rest of the plug, my brother hit a flow of oil.

How screwed are we?

Is the oil gallery right behind that plug?

[DonMicheletti]

I believe the '36 engine is fundamentally the same as the '38's. On the '38's the oil gallery is well below the water jacket where you drilled. Most likely, you have drilled into the crankase.

Even so I have no idea fo whether that problem is fixable.

 

 But it would present an interesting challenge.

[Rock10]

No oil in the crankcase. The oil pan is off. We are hoping it was junk floating on top of the water back there.

Is there a cutaway view of the oil pressure route?

[Bloo]

Is it possible you have removed an oil gallery plug? Pictures couldn't hurt.

[DonMicheletti]

There is only a poor diagram of the oiling system, Fig 6-3, in the manual. I doubt it would be helpful for you.

 

There is a lousy crossection of the engine, Fig 6-2.  You can see the oil galley is low and the cooling section way above that. It looks like the only thing beyond the water jacket is the crankcase

[Morgan Wright]

Who put oil in your water jacket? 

 

Reminds me of a scene in this movie where Cher pretends to work at a gas station, takes a customer's $5 bill and puts a quart of oil in his radiator and walks off with the $5

 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064156/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_70

[Rock10]

3 hours ago, Bloo said:

Is it possible you have removed an oil gallery plug? Pictures couldn't hurt.

No. It's the water drain plug next to the distributor. I'll try to get pictures.

[Rock10]

39 minutes ago, DonMicheletti said:

There is only a poor diagram of the oiling system, Fig 6-3, in the manual. I doubt it would be helpful for you.

 

There is a lousy crossection of the engine, Fig 6-2.  You can see the oil galley is low and the cooling section way above that. It looks like the only thing beyond the water jacket is the crankcase

This would be near the distributor.

Edited March 26, 2022 by Rock10 (see edit history)

[Rock10]

Here is the plug on an older picture before we started to remove it. 

[Rock10]

Pics of the current state.

 

[Morgan Wright]

Antifreeze looks like oil to the untrained eye.

[Rock10]

He had nice green anti-freeze until the gush of black stuff.

[DonMicheletti]

I am very familiar with that drain plug - on my'38's it is a valve.

You probably have oil in the water.

[neil morse]

I just recently cleared out that area on my '41 -- I believe the engine is basically the same.  I got the plug out, but the passage was jammed up with rusty crud.  From the position of that plug and the passage leading to it, I concur with Don.  Here's the cross-section from the shop manual with a mark showing where that passage is located.  It lines up between two cylinders.  I don't see how you could have possibly drilled into the oil gallery or the crank case.

 

[Bloo]

Can someone confirm that this plug and it's purpose and port routing are the same on the original poster's 1936 40 series?

 

As I understand it the big cars (60-80-90) got an all new engine (the 320) in 1936, but the 40 series continued with the smaller eight of previous years. Isn't the 1937 and later 40 series engine a new and different engine compared to a 1936 40 series engine?

 

Just checking to see if we are all on the same page. Corrections welcome.

 

[Morgan Wright]

12 hours ago, Rock10 said:

He had nice green anti-freeze until the gush of black stuff.

 

Considering that oil floats on water this is what I would expect. 

 

New head gaskets are available from Olson's, at least they were for my 1940 with the 263 engine (1953). You'll see when you pull the head off how messed up the old gasket is (I'm sure it is).

[pont35cpe]

3 hours ago, Bloo said:

Can someone confirm that this plug and it's purpose and port routing are the same on the original poster's 1936 40 series?

 

As I understand it the big cars (60-80-90) got an all new engine (the 320) in 1936, but the 40 series continued with the smaller eight of previous years. Isn't the 1937 and later 40 series engine a new and different engine compared to a 1936 40 series engine?

 

Just checking to see if we are all on the same page. Corrections welcome.

 

Bloo, my  original `36 Buick small engine is a 233 cu in, engine has no front or rear seal, has flat top aluminum pistons. 1937 small engine(248cu in) is almost identical to the 233 except a 248 has 1/4" longer stroke than the 233, same bore, with flat top pistons, i think `37 engine has a front seal. 1938, 248, was first year with domed pistons. I was trying to post a picture of drain valve on my 233, but not working out. Finally got it.

Edited March 28, 2022 by pont35cpe (see edit history)

[Rock10]

That's the place. We just had a square head pipe plug in there.

Where do you get that nice drain valve?

Edited March 28, 2022 by Rock10 (see edit history)

[Rock10]

2 hours ago, Morgan Wright said:

 

Considering that oil floats on water this is what I would expect. 

 

New head gaskets are available from Olson's, at least they were for my 1940 with the 263 engine (1953). You'll see when you pull the head off how messed up the old gasket is (I'm sure it is).

The head is off but my brother sent bad pics. I will get better ones tomorrow and post them.

[DonMicheletti]

That type of drain valve was original on both my "38 Special and Roadmaster. I expect that if they began to not seal they were replaced with a common pipe plug

[pont35cpe]

13 hours ago, Rock10 said:

That's the place. We just had a square head pipe plug in there.

Where do you get that nice drain valve?

Mine is original to the engine. Dave Tacheny might be the only source.

[Rock10]

This adventure continues into other areas. Can I continue here or should I start a new thread?

[neil morse]

You can continue here, but many of us find it useful to start a thread on the "Me and My Buick" forum.  That way you can keep a nice record of what you've done with your car.  Then, if you have specific questions, you can post them here with a thread title that alerts people to what you are asking about.  That's the combination I've been using and I find it works pretty well.