Here's a photo of the baffles we found in the motor we're currently assembling. I have not seen them referenced in any manuals or exploded views. Has anyone used them?
I'm a bit nervous about using them as they are just spring steel and their retention is not as positive as I'd like. It's also unclear that they are terribly useful. My guess is that they reduce oil splash into the valvtrain area and control any drainback, but who knows. I was thinking the valvetrain needs all the oil it can get! At the moment we're at the stage were they can be easily removed . That soon won't be the case.
Here's the 3 baffles. The one in the center of the block is different than the outers. All are thin spring steel stampings.
Oil Baffles (3) small.JPG (123.16 KiB) Viewed 2044 times
Here's the middle one.
Oil Baffle (Middle) small.JPG (36.79 KiB) Viewed 2044 times
Here's one of the end ones. They're identical.
Oil Baffle (Ends) small.JPG (35.06 KiB) Viewed 2044 times
While we are on the subject of assembling our 230 motors, I have a question. I know to align the marks on the camshaft pulley and the crank pulley, but it is essential to do so when the motor is precisely at TDC on compression stroke on #1, or just put the chain on the aligned pulleys, they proceed to spin the crank to TDC as above, to install the oil pump and then the distributor?
Both of the T-245 engines that I've disassembled had those baffles. I seem to recall looking through the ORD 9 SNL several times, and not finding any reference to them.
The ones that I found were installed in the tappet gallery, pointing up, i.e. with the open end down, towards the opening into the crankcase. The photos you posted suggest that yours were installed pointing down into the crankcase area?
“When a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, IT IS THEIR RIGHT, IT IS THEIR DUTY, TO THROW OFF SUCH GOVERNMENT...” -Declaration of Independence, 1776
Elwood,
What do you think they're for, deflecting oil into the tappet reservoirs? I'm thinking seriously about leaving them out, they just aren't too secure.
If I understand your post yours were oriented with the open side of the "U" facing towards the oil pan, right?
Correct. Installed like an un-lucky horseshoe (open side down). Both engines had the baffles installed in the tappet galleries, behind the side covers. They were not installed from the crankcase side. I have a photo of one that I took before I removed it, but I'm on the road this week, and won't have access to the photo until I return.
Even if they come loose in the tappet galleries, I don't think they'd be much of a problem, and they'd be relatively easy to access to fix (no more difficult than doing a valve adjustment). But the ones I removed have fairly good spring tension to them, and I don't think they'd be popping out of those holes in the block.
I'm planning on re-installing them on these engines when I reassemble them. I think they're for oil control, since those tappets are splash lube only. The more oil that can be deflected into those reservoir pools for each pair of tappets, the better. Manufacturers usually don't add parts (and cost) unless there's a good reason for it.
“When a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, IT IS THEIR RIGHT, IT IS THEIR DUTY, TO THROW OFF SUCH GOVERNMENT...” -Declaration of Independence, 1776
Elwood,
I took a look at the baffles today since I was down preparing for class this week and it looks like they would reduce splash to the valvetrain. They are shorter than the tappet reservoirs so they would not contribute to their filling. Maybe Dodge figured there was too much oil accumulating behind the tappet covers and this limits it a bit? I'll have to see where the rod's squirters align relative to the holes in the tappet area.
So here's what the baffles looked like before I removed them:
“When a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, IT IS THEIR RIGHT, IT IS THEIR DUTY, TO THROW OFF SUCH GOVERNMENT...” -Declaration of Independence, 1776
I wonder if these are something used in industrial Dodge motors, and someone when rebuilding this engine just thought they must be a good idea, installed them. I doubt depot maintenance would deviate from the specifications when rebuilding these motors.
Certainly a possibility, although I've done two T-245 engines and found these baffles in both.
Perhaps there was an MWO issued to install these baffles in engines that went through depot rebuild?
Does anyone have a parts catalog for the civilian trucks that used this small block flathead up through 1960? Maybe these baffles were used in those engines?
“When a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, IT IS THEIR RIGHT, IT IS THEIR DUTY, TO THROW OFF SUCH GOVERNMENT...” -Declaration of Independence, 1776
Hi Guys, Baffles are listed in the Chrysler Parts List Volume 1 for Passenger cars. 1955 - 1958 PLYMOUTH, DODGE, DESOTO AND CHRYSLER IMPERIAL.
Listed on page 9-50 at about the fourth line. CODE 9-40-18 BAFFLE, TAPPET CHAMBER for 6 cyl. engine. Part # 1634-269 two required, Part #1634-270 one required. Guys if your engine does not have these Baffles in place you are in Big Trouble, Chrysler will not Honor the Warranty on your truck. If you keep driving your truck I'm sure your engine is going to Blow Up! (Andy this means your truck for sure!) Just Kidding Guys.
my motor did not have the mentioned baffles so no wonder I am having to rebuild it. No warranty either. On my dime. Or more accurately, my credit card.
My engine has no baffles in it. In fact, the holes between the tappet box and crankcase are much larger than in your pictures. Wonder when they went to those.
just me wrote:My engine has no baffles in it. In fact, the holes between the tappet box and crankcase are much larger than in your pictures. Wonder when they went to those.
Most likely, the larger holes are an earlier version of the block casting. The block in the photo I posted was cast in 1967 at Campbell Wyatt Cannon in Muskegon, Michigan (a contract foundry that was once the largest gray iron foundry in the world, and the source for many OEM and aftermarket camshaft blanks).
Perhaps they closed up the holes and installed the baffles to improve oil retention and distribution in the tappet gallery? Since the tappets are only lubricated if oil gets into those cast-in reservoirs, the oil needs to get through the holes from the crankcase, turn sideways, and splash up and over the reservoir lip. Otherwise, it just drains back into the crankcase.
When I first bought my M37, I asked a good friend at Chrysler HQ whom I should call about some warranty issues. His response was not encouraging, baffles or no baffles. I think we're all out of luck on the warranty claims.
“When a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, IT IS THEIR RIGHT, IT IS THEIR DUTY, TO THROW OFF SUCH GOVERNMENT...” -Declaration of Independence, 1776
Home 
. That soon won't be the case.
