rt valve cover oil return

[daveashsr]

hi guys ! whats size tube do u need to use on the rt side valve cover for a drain back setup ?
thanks david

[Mopar Trac]

We have been using 1/2 hot oil hose for a number of years with good results. Of course a larger diameter hose would problably work even better.
Hope this helps

[David D]

All the one's that I've done, i've been using 3/4" tubing with a 3" radius bend. I weld the the elbow in a hole I punch in the cover with a chassis punch.

[Reg]

Welding them is would be best but I did not have the means so I used street elbows, drilled a 1" hole in my valve cover and pan then put a O-ring on both sides, one side would do it, tightened the elbows in with a pipe wrench and put a 1" hose over them with clamps. A bit crude but hey my bearing didn't end up in the bottom of the oil pan which was my goal. i also made my pan bigger and tried a high volumn pump but took it out after things didn't work, so I put new bearing and a stock pump with a good strong relief valve and had lots of oil pressure all night, and things are feeling much more encouraging. My theory is if I'm running out of oil at the sump why put a pump in that will only make it worse. I am very happy, also only used 10-30 oil, recommended by mopar. I feel the valve cover oil line is worth the price of an engine a night. Only problem with my way is that I had to put the fitting a couple inches from the back of the motor so the valve cover could still fit. If I was to do it again and get someone to weld it I would maybe try coming right out of the back of the cover.

[Reg]

Okay I take back everything I have ever said about this oiling line and the good it can do. I have and will always be a mopar guy but I also have not ever really liked 360 and now I really hate them. An engine a night is just so irratating when the chevs keep going that I cannot describe how sick i feel. You guys that are having good luck with them my hat off to you. I quit. I am thinking that my only choice here is to go 383, or 318. I am done with 360 bottom ends, they suck bigtime. Of course I can say that, no chevy boy is allowed. Just needed to set my record straight that this hose idea and didn't work, or maybe it did and I ended up with an extra heat out of it. Hope everyone elses weekend of racing did well, I actually had a great racenight, motor lasted till the white flag even finished that lap and drove it on the trailer, That was my goal for the night so I guess I met it. Have a great weekend and Happy Canada Day for us up north and a Happy Indendance day for other guys and gals.

[David D]

Reg, something else is the problem. We run 360's almost exclusively with zero oiling related failures. Have you disected any of these engines to see what's failing? Are you building the engines your self or is someone else?

[340duster1]

Reg

What track do you race at? is it dirt or pavement? I run at sangudo speedway in Alberta, (dirt). What class are you in there?

[Reg]

I run at the Medicine Hat Speedway, well I did anyway. Its a paved track about 1/3 mile. Not sure why these motors are dying but they sure don't last for me. Can basically kill one night without trying to hard. Been rereading Sanborns posts about fixing the oiling on a small block, man does that sound like lots of work. I have praised these small block Dodge engines ever since I knew what they were, now to find out they suck, man I don't even make 6 grand on the tach. Need to find a plastic mold that looks like a 360 and put a chevy inside it. whoa did I say that? must be bedtime. Just came back from 4 days of flyfishing, thats tricky too but it was so beautiful. Maybe its time to change hobbies for good. Good night