Hey, got my '87 L98 block back from the machinist after a short build. Had a little bag of parts for me, one of them was this cover on the right side below cylinder two. What is that? Where can I find a gasket (if it needs one)?
Last, of course, torque specs? Can't find anything in the FSM.





At least I took this picture before hand, so I know where the stud goes.

 

That's where the fuel pump used to be before they moved it to the fuel tank when fuel injection came along. It will need a gasket or you will have an oil leak!

 

Mechanical fuel pump?

 

Yes. How old are you guys? lol

 

By 87 I thought they stopped drilling that. If you have the cover off and its just a blank casting behind it you don't need it. If it is open then you need the plate. It is the mechanical fuel pump boss.

 

Interesting, thanks y'all.

 

Yes, mechanical fuel pump was driven off the cam shaft by way of a rod that moved the pump arm giving fuel pressure and sending it to the carburetor. Boy am I getting old......

 

….. Old enough to know how to gap a set of points without a dwell meter or feeler gauges in the staging lanes at the track …..

 

….. Old enough to remember changing the oil in the air cleaner …..

 

….. Old enough to know how to pass a truck in the rain on a two lane road with vacuum windshield wipers …..

 

Now that was certainly an 'EXPERIENCE'!!!

 

Were there dinosaurs at that time

 

I could probably rebuild a holley 4000 with whats in my glovebox. (I'm not old, just the **** I maintain is)

 

Old enough to remember carburetors !!! A carburetor (American English) or carburettor (British English) is a device that mixes air and fuel for internal combustion engines in the proper air–fuel ratio for combustion. It is sometimes colloquially shortened to carb in the UK and North America or carby in Australia.

 

In my young days I remember rebuilding a couple of 4bbl carbs. Thing is back then doing a tune up on a 350 was quick and easy because access to all areas without dealing with the emission crap that was added to engine over the years.

 

True, but EFI does have a lot of nice things. I can bring my ATV to any altitude WITHOUT having to rejet it or worry about choking. Just start in any condition, engage gear and go now. When I have an issue, scanner makes life easier as opposed to trying to listen and feel.

Personally, I'd never go back. I traded in my wife's ATV for a year newer one because the only difference was EFI and no jet guessing and I can ride from 10000 feet to 5000 feet and no messing with the carb. Other than my lawn equipment, you couldn't give me a carb anything for free unless I was flipping it. All my 2 ATVs and Jetskis and bikes are EFI.

 

I have rebuilt 1,2,3 and 4 barrel carburetors. I still have 5 of them in my garage for my C3. I don't care much for Quadrajets but love my Holley Double Pumpers. I have had ice in my carburetor at 11,000' AGL and at sea level.
My C3 uses a cable driven tachometer which makes replacing the distributor a bit more challenging. I have two distributors with mechanical Tachometer drives.
The timing light and Dwell meter are sitting on the shelf. Right next to my Tetra-ethyl lead containers
I still change my oil at 3000 miles. Even if the manufacturers suggest 15k oil changes.
I do not need a telephone or anything to help me get where I am going. Trained to navigate on land in the air or on the seas. Without a GPS...
Old enough to know what that funny little button on the upper left part of the floor does.
Can adjust a set of solid lifters in record times after having done it hundreds of times on my back.
Don't NEED a Cell phone... Don't really want one to be honest....
Old enough that I crossed the Atlantic on a Cruise ship....
Old enough to know what living under a Socialist government was really like.
Lived in many countries where the poverty was awful and watched children eating out of garbage bins.
Old enough to have close to 50 years of Cumulative Corvette Ownership.
Having been in over 40 plus countries I KNOW that there is nothing like the United States anywhere in this world. I Love the United States of America. God Bless the USA!
Old enough to be able to tell you that my first PC I built had a 30 meg hard drive....
Old enough to know how to find information without the help of electronics
Old enough to "Know better".....well, maybe not...

"Too Old Too Soon, Too Smart, too Late"

 

WOW !!!! One comment generated soooooooo much response !

 

Ahhh man, I can relate to everything you said exept the Q-jets carbs... That was one of my favorites and I got pretty proficient with rebuilding and tuning them... They are really one of the most responsive 4 barrel carbs of the day... Allot of guys didnt like them back in the day because they were a bit more complicated than Holleys or Carter AFB's... The Q-Jet was sort of a segway into EFI with the Electronic feedback control units they had for a number of years... Those I didnt like because you had to stay within certain parameters for the metering rod and jet sizes or the primitive computer wouldnt work.... just not a good hot rodders carb...

 

Back to the op's original question. As mentioned, that is a fuel pump block off plate. It can be sealed with rtv instead of a gasket. Just snug up the bolts. Also, on the front of the block should be a bolt which is used to hold the pushrod in place during assembly (for mechanical fuel pump applications). Often after a rebuild this bolt is left out resulting in an oil leak.