54 331 Hemi Oil Bypass Removal

[ragtopfish]

New to the board. I can't seem to get the oil bypass out of my 331 Hemi. It's really tight. I've bent 2- 1/4" steel rods so far and I don't think it budged. I read the article on "Rebuilding the Early Hemi" which is how I was trying to remove it. Any tips on getting this thing out? I don't want to damage the block.
Thanks, Ed

[392heminut]

Ed, you might try posting your question on the forum over at www.hothemiheads.com, those guys have run into about any problem you can think of with the old hemis.

[DblAdigger]

A little carb cleaner, to desolve the varnish, often works wonders.

[wayfarer]

Something sounds 'fishy' here....Is the block on a stand? can you see the top half of the cage? There is nothing to hold the cage in place other than the bottom half with an o-ring. If you need to save the stock parts then install the main cap loosely before you put it in a hot tank....or put 'something' just over the edge of the hole so it does not fall out into the tank and be lost forever. We sell replacement units for $25.

[392heminut]

He checked with the guys over at Hot Heads and found that some of the earlier 1st Gen. hemis had a solid plug that made the system a full flow system, and his is most likely one of them. The plug didn't need to be removed.

[budmspeeco]

That was going to be my suggestion. Take the rear main off and see if there is even a bypass in it. I finished a 331 marine engine a while back and it did not have a bypass. Is your block a marine version or just an early 331 as another reply suggested? I feel that is the answer to your problem. Since the passages are a bit different than other hemis , be sure and clean all these passages as if your motor's life depends on it, which it does. Good luck, Buddy