The assembler just didn't take the temporary plug out before fitting the filter housing.
It's just 1 of the infinite things that can get overlooked during an engine rebuild, or anything else for that matter.
I know 1st-hand, having been in this bidness nearly 50 years I've sure made my share of mistakes.
My mantra when I go to do something is "OK think it through now, how can I fux this whatever up"?
I try to abide by the 4-Ps Proper Planning Prevents Problems.
Usually...
Glen.
Good to know. Thanks for the explanation. I take it this is some the pan would have to come off for in order to do an inspection at the customer end, after a rebuild?
That's the way I took it apart, removed the filter housing and oil cooler sandwich plate, and there's that wooden plug driven into the oil feed port into the block.
The oil pressure showed fine because it was picking up before the filter & cooler, but the engine was getting a bare minimum of oil that managed to pass by the plug.
Fortunately the engine had been run only a short time and under no-load, or it would have come apart in short order.
It still took out all of the bearings, rockers, cam & tappets, and apparently the "rebuilt" engine had gotten water in a couple cylinders and then sat for awhile, so it needs pistons & liners as well.
The reason for the plug is that most engine builders plug the external oil ports during rebuild to keep any trash out; the assembler obviously neglected to remove it prior to fitting the oil filter housing.
I use red plastic plugs so it's hard to miss, just for that reason...
Glen
I'm not much of an engine guy here. What are we looking at? Wooden plug blocking something?
So a 95% owner restored TR-3 owner makes an appointment to get some details done before it goes back to the trim shop for completion.
A couple door seals, washer squirter nozzles, check a couple instruments, 1 horn is weak, toe-in adjustment, and a valve adjustment since the engine has just been rebuilt.
OK so this pretty red TR-3 comes in on a rollback, I go over the list with the owner, and we start it up.
It had great indicated oil pressure & was blowing off properly,and sounded pretty good except for the valve clatter.
When I got the rocker cover off, the valves were very loose but it was obvious that it wasn't getting top-end oil.
Thinking that since the engine was rebuilt, the rear cam bearing could possibly be fitted incorrectly, cutting off the oil supply to the head, a somewhat common problem, I added an external oiler, and barely any oil came up, tapped right off the mains.
Uh oh, logic suggested a restriction between the oil pump out port and the inlet to the mains.
The filter has a blow-off, and although this car was fitted with an external cooler, a near complete restriction is unlikely because it was plumbed with -10 hose and there were no obvious bad kinks etc.
At that time we decided it was engine out time, the photos below tell the rest of the story...
(Note the 3 ports on the filter housing mating face, forward lower is pump out, next back is blow-off return to sump, above it is in to mains)
Glen
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