I'm doing a budget overhaul on the 292 in my new 59 Edsel. I just want to get the car running and driving, without spending any unnecessary cash. The car had sat for a while, but the PO had attempted to start it not too long ago. It almost started when I tried...but it wouldn't quite go...I pulled a few plugs, and checked compression in one hole, 60 psi. That was all I needed to decide to pull it apart. The heads had been redone not too many miles ago. The rest of it looks like it was never messed with. There is some wear in the bores, but the rod and main bearings look ok. The cam bearings are worn out. The timing chain is pretty loose. I decided to just hone the block, clean out the inside as best I can, and replace the cam bearings, timing chain, rings, and gaskets. I'll probably pull the heads apart and see how the valves look, and replace the valve stem seals.
I'm probably mentioning this to the wrong guy, but I know somebody who messed up the cam timing on reassembly, just thought I'd mention it. Have fun with the Edsel.
Looks like you took a steam cleaner to it. You are working pretty fast. Don't forget the inside passages on the rocker shaft. Sludge loves to collect in there. That Edsel will be a good cruiser when you are finished!
One question! You said that the bores are a little worn,If stander size rings are used and the ring gap is at the high end of being wide can you use the next size ring (.010) and file to fit? Pete
I would get the whole works hot-tanked. Most shops do this as a separate carry-in service. That way you can accurately measure things and be able to see damaged parts. Find a shop that still knurls piston skirts.
I've never worked on a Y block, so thanks for the pics. I'm curious about the funny looking "dead space" around the top of the block, toward the outside. Is the fire ring on the head gasket not round? Or what caused that? I know you said you werent going to hot rod this one, but it just seems funny to me that this would be there, with all the talk about quench and fuel efficiency that we hear now. Maybe having the heads cut would get rid of some of that. Or maybe I'm not seeing it right. Good Luck.
As Desotot mentioned there is a very specific way to put the timing chain and gears on those motors . Go to fordyblock.com and check the assembly errors section for more info. Also there are 3 different length head bolts in those motors , mix them up and you could have a problem as well.
I'm going to leave the outside of the block as it is. Too much work, no need to clean it. I just want to get it running. No hot tanking for this one, sorry! If I get into doing that kind of fancy stuff, it would double the cost of the overhaul. The timing marks on the Y block are indeed strange, I checked before I took it apart, and will reassemble it the right way (12 pins....) The head gasket fire ring is a strange shape, but that's how these engines are.
The bores are standard size, and I'm leaving them standard size, and using standard rings. It'll be fine...my guess is it won't start burning oil until it has well over 25,000 miles on it. The last Y block I worked on was in a 55 T bird, about 20 years ago. It got a proper (expensive) rebuild. I still remember a few things about them, but now that we have the internet, it's easy to find information.
I've been known to go off the deep end, too...and on this one, I'm going off the shallow end. There are several things I "should" be doing to this engine, that I'm not doing. It has to last 5 or 10 thousand miles, and if it breaks, it's not a big deal.
Since your there you might want to radius the oil passage where the oil flow to the rockers makes the two 90 degree turns through the heads. I see the camshaft already has the groove in the cam journal. and the rocker shafts have metal plugs in the ends. you take them out and run a rifle cleaning brush through them to properly clean them.
I'm not going to make any mods to this thing. It already lasted a long time. The front left cam bearing in the picture is the middle one in the engine. Lots of wear.
In case you're wondering how I got the cam bearings out...I have an old bushing driver set for automatic transmissions, it has a lot of pucks, and one is just about the right size for a Y block cam bearing. I made a couple longer handles for it from 1" steel bar. I also made a cone to align the bar in the end of the block. It works.
I started on the heads. Got one cleaned up, sort of. I pulled the valves out of one hole, they look pretty nice. a couple thousandths play in the guides, little wear on the valve faces. Looks like it got exhaust seats installed, so I won't worry about the unleaded gas thing.The umbrella valve stem seals are still slightly pliable, but I'll replace them all and make sure each valve is ok. A few numbers. The intake is neat, it has E for Edsel in the casting number. Car assembly date on the serial tag is 22G, which is July 22nd. The intake was cast June 18th. The head is from July 1st. Gotta keep your Edsel motor number-matching!
Sounds like a familiar story. By the way. I found some complex math and illustration's on such past oddities.
I never knew they had mushroom tappets either...which may account for the reason some of those old hopped up Y block had their own lick. Sharp cam grinders could put a quicker ramp on them. Rings, mains and inserts and lap the valves, pretty common thing poor folks around here did years ago. Good thing you caught the cam bearing. Enjoying following along. Good Luck
Should be fun. The gaskets showed up today, so I can get the heads back together. I worked on one rocker shaft, they're pretty clean and solvent flowed through them easily, but one of the rockers was galling, so I took it almost all the way apart and spun the shaft in the lathe and polished it. Hope the other side isn't too bad. I'm going to skip the valve lap, and the rod and main bearings, and see how she does. low buck all the way
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