Ques About Hemi Pickup Tube

[CornDogsCharger]

Hello,
  I am in the process of building a 451 Stroker for my '69 Charger.  I was told that it would probably be best if I replaced the standard 3/8 in oil pickup tube with a Hemi 1/2 in pickup tube.  I know that I will need to drill and re-thread the hole where the pickup tube goes.  Could someone please give me a good step-by-step of this conversion?  What size drill bit should I use, what tap??  Would it be a good idea to drill any other oil passages?  Your help is greatly appreciated.

Justin
"CornDog"

[John_Kunkel]

The tap you will need is 1/2"-14 NPT (tapered tap). Some charts call for a 45/64" drill and others say 23/32", either will work. Some drill only deep enough for the new threads, I like to drill all the way to the bottom of the existing hole. Because the tap is tapered it can be easily threaded into the hole crooked, it's up to you to keep it straight in the hole.

Some blocks get thin in the area where the threads are, it's best to measure before drilling. Here's a pic of the block I recently enlarged:

[Chryco Psycho]

how high are you revving the engine too ?
as long as you have adequate oil in th epan it really is not mandatory to do the modification

[John_Kunkel]

May not be mandatory but it's cheap insurance.

I still hold with the old belief that modifications to the inlet side of a hydraulic system are as (or more) important than those downstream.

[CornDogsCharger]

I don't really know how much RPMs I plan on running but I do plan on racing it every so often.  And plus, who knows, I might start racing more often than I originally planned.  I would hate to have to pull the engine back out just to drill and tap it later on.  I have to buy a pickup tube anyways... so I'm gonna go ahead and swap it out to the Hemi tube.  As mentioned above... it's a cheap and easy insurance... just in case you might need it.  Thanks for the advice!

Justin
"CornDog"