Kevin in Atlanta

1987 S4 Oil Squirter Block

Went to slide the aluminum oil pins into position and none of them fit. I even have a NOS oil plug and it does not fit. Located a used oil plug and it slides right in.

I have replaced oil pins on a lot of engines and this is the first time I've run into this. I could turn the pins down or drill out the oil passage, but the likely introduction of aluminum into the head is a negative.

Suggestions?

Oil pin diameter is: .1345
Drill bit that fits in the hole is: 3/16" .124.5

worf928

V2Rocket

is it an S3 head you're working with?
S4 pins don't fit those.

Kevin in Atlanta

Interesting...
Fixed my OP.

This is not the first set of 87 heads I've done this on. Another squirter block(mine) and Kevin Wilson's 87 and a whole other story. This is what was in his oil holes:

Oh, the horror.

And I believe the new pins went right in.

In my situation the heads are bolted on and cams are in place - I am not going to drill the heads, so i guess it's time to turn down the pins.

Suggestions?

worf928

WTF?

Who knows. Maybe there are 'early-early' '87 heads. All I know is that a) it's been reported here before and b) I had to deal with it last year.

Do you have anything that isn't hand-held that will turn something at a reasonable rate? A drill press perhaps? (Tell me if you have a lathe... )

Kevin in Atlanta

Sometimes I amaze myself.
Scored a drill press at a local estate sale and now have an opportunity to use it. That and a file made short work of it.


Finished product.

Kevin in Atlanta

Not really related but maybe, These heads had allen head bolts instead of the star head bolts on the cam caps. I always thought they changed later on.

Rob Edwards

Are there three unused holes drilled in the forward part of the valve covers? How many ribs on the intake manifold around the flappy? Sounds like it might be an early-early '87.

worf928

That's how I did it. I used my drill press to "turn" the pins and used a strip of 600 grit paper for a rough-cut and then 2000 grit to polish-to-fit.

The early-early '87 with which I had the oil-pin size problem used Alan cam cap bolts rather than the XZN bolts.

Kevin in Atlanta

Yes.

How do I reconcile that I have 3 cars with squirter block and one of them has the three small holes? My daily driver is one of them and the pins fit and the cam covers lack the 3 holes.

So strange.

Adamant1971

I have an early 87, mine has the three holes in the cam cover and I have alen bolts on the cams. I need to do my pins as well. I will report back when I get into it, but I'm assuming mine should have the smaller holes as well.

worf928

I would respond to this on the subject of talents 928 wrenches are reputed to have, but it wouldn't be work safe...

Speedtoys

Your have ribs on your intake, the -early- 87s had none.

SeanR

788 VIN early 87. Took it off the car last week, even had the longer studs for the early fuel rails with spacers.

Adamant1971

I do have ribs on my intake. Build date Oct 86 - #667 for 87

So my car has all of the other cues for an early 87, except it has ribs on the intake. I do have the studs and spacers for the fuel rails as well.

I have the service history since day one and the intake is original.