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Hot Rods The all inclusive,almighty Y block thread

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Roothawg, Feb 16, 2021.

  1. sunbeam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2010
    Posts: 6,214

    sunbeam
    Member

    Back in the 60s I would scrounge old 348 valves to rework for use in Y blocks. If guides were worn from lack of oil you could ream the to .3725 for the Chevy valve. Today finding 348 valves would be harder than Y block
     
  2. dana barlow
    Joined: May 30, 2006
    Posts: 5,115

    dana barlow
    Member
    from Miami Fla.
    1. Y-blocks

    038.JPG
    I mod. the stock draf tube to PVC, with offset cup and rubber gasket for pvc. that then runs to a "T" going each side to center of main logs.of homemade 4x2. made from a old cut up driveshaft by me. Water pump run a little faster>using 1/4in. spacer on Mustang size { 302 sbf} water pump pulley. that is smaller then stock "Y"pulley.
     

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  3. 57JoeFoMoPar
    Joined: Sep 14, 2004
    Posts: 6,138

    57JoeFoMoPar
    Member

    Gotcha. I've seen so many Y Blocks with external oilers that I thought they may have come from the factory with them at some point.

    I almost look at a Y Block in a similar light as the Olds rocket in that they both have comparable shaft mounted rockers and they both are notorious to have top-end oiling issues. I would feel confident standing next to a running Olds with no valve covers with a white dress shirt on.

    It really makes me wonder why the Y block and the Olds in particular had oil issues (even if caused by lousy oil), whereas the B/RB mopar did not. They all oil the top end from a single cam journal.
     
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  4. Boneyard51
    Joined: Dec 10, 2017
    Posts: 6,442

    Boneyard51
    Member

    The Y-block has an odd about two/three inch horizontal oil galley cast into the head to line up the oil ports. This is where the major issues came with the top end oil issues. The poor oil caused this area to clog. Not sure why....too small? Too rough? Being horizontal? Who knows. But clean/good oil solves this problem. There also was a cam bearing issue sometimes, but I think the most common problem was this little odd, oil galley and sludge.








    Bones
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2021
  5. 57JoeFoMoPar
    Joined: Sep 14, 2004
    Posts: 6,138

    57JoeFoMoPar
    Member

    I remember reading Mummert saying something to the effect of cutting a .030" groove in the cam bearing that feeds the rockers will amplify the volume of oil sent up there. I'd want to independently verify that though.
     
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  6. Boneyard51
    Joined: Dec 10, 2017
    Posts: 6,442

    Boneyard51
    Member

    Very possible, not enough oil , moving slowly , maybe getting cooked, and being a poor grade of oil, could all be contributors to the problem. I am not an expert on the Y-block , as we never had the trouble with ours on the ranch, that other people had and I have only built a few......years ago!






    Bones
     
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  7. railcarmover
    Joined: Apr 30, 2017
    Posts: 777

    railcarmover

    20180821_100558.jpg
    Looks like a pair of industrial Y blocks will be coming my way..Propane ,variable speed/load application low hours. Im a banger guy but I've always like these..
     
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  8. dana barlow
    Joined: May 30, 2006
    Posts: 5,115

    dana barlow
    Member
    from Miami Fla.
    1. Y-blocks

    I see a lot of BS about rocker oiling in Y-blocks.
    Getting back to facts ,yes there is a dog leg oil feed between the block an head at the head gasket= Like many other design engines,if owner is a pig about up-keep,the engine oiling backs up with crap in a number of places,depending on who's engine design. { If you mill the heads,cut the dog leg channel a little deeper to make up for the milling,smooth it out helps too.}
    Pretty much oil crap it is lazy owner ignorants.
    Added to that is, many mec. that didn't understand how to fix oiling to rockers after it got blocked by bad old oil.
    Lazy an picking the EZ way from JCWhiteny top oil kit !
    I 've run Y's for many years, some when I got them had top oilers added,some when checked did need to be fixed with out removing ahead.
    Tip; is you can clear the dog leg*,some times,just by removing the rockers shaft/stands assm., clean with a drill bit in your fingers the hole in head if needed,so you can then added WD40 ,BP Blaster or alike; let that set an do again a few times. Take air gun later and blast down hole,a few time adding WD40 or what ever between. To check if it is now clear,spin engine to see oil coming up. 99% of the time,that works. Now check out the rocker assm before replacing,to be sure it has not gone bad or also blocked. Top oiler kit needs a nice place in your trash can !
     
  9. v8flat44
    Joined: Nov 13, 2017
    Posts: 1,211

    v8flat44

    Had afriend in the early 60s with a "built"292/ 3 deuce/ 4speed in a Custom 300 with Fairlane trim.
    I never saw it get beat drag racing on the street. Outran some 312s for sure.
     
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  10. Boneyard51
    Joined: Dec 10, 2017
    Posts: 6,442

    Boneyard51
    Member

    I wanted to say that Dana...... but you said it better! I totally agree! Seems like you and I get a a little touchy when folks bad mouth our Y-block Fords, when 95% of the time it’s the owner or owners fault.

    Edit : I must like them, I have at least 11 of them!






    Bones
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2021
  11. I've owned several Y-Blocks since the mid 60's and never encountered the top end oiling issue, can't remember any of my friends that had them having that problem either. My current Y-Block is a little noisy but that may be that the valves need adjusting, it's on the list of things that need attention.
     
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  12. KenC
    Joined: Sep 14, 2006
    Posts: 1,045

    KenC
    Member

     
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  13. KenC
    Joined: Sep 14, 2006
    Posts: 1,045

    KenC
    Member

    I've seen more than one with a ruined crank/bearing and a top oiler kit. Most of them had a little plumbers needle valve in the kit to set the oil flow. Wide open, robbing oil from the rest of the engine is not the right setting!

    They were just a bandaid that guys put on instead of fixing the problem
     
  14. I've never encountered the plugged rocker oil problem either. My y-blocks were all stock. First one I owned was a 55 customline with a 272, 3 speed O.D. and the little 2 barrel/single exhaust ran like a top but gushed oil from the rear main, soaking the clutch. I once used the Chinese finger trap tool to install a new main seal. My dad said...."as long as you have the pan off, put a pry bar against the crank and see if it will move. Clunk, clunk...the main bearings were worn out. Being so poor I was just able to buy a new pan gasket, I put it back together and filled it with drain oil from the truck stop [free!] and the leak stopped! For 15 minutes. I once ran that poor engine so low one night it actually siezed......came back the next morning, poured it full of drain oil and it fired it up....ran good and quiet again. I drove that old ford 'till the day I got on the bus to go in the Army. Drove it to the bus station, walked next door to the used car lot and got $35 for it.
    Had a super primo "little old lady's car" 56 victoria 4 door hardtop with a 312/automatic. I drove the wheels off that car and it never leaked, ran great. Once took it up to 111 MPH on I-84 with iffy-tires and backed off.
    I really liked the last one I had...a black 55 with 272/3 speed, no o.d. Nothin special but always started, had dual glasspacs. Drove it to the HAMB drags with a for sale sign in it and one of the Hay brothers bought it. Only problem was a rusted front crossmember and it got replaced after I bought it. Maybe I'll buy another one someday. They've always treated me well. 55fordin66.jpg 55crossmember1small.JPG 55ford4small.JPG 55fordblack.jpg View attachment 4
     
  15. Dominick Hide
    Joined: Dec 13, 2007
    Posts: 229

    Dominick Hide
    Member

    If the oil problem is really caused by a blocked galley and not worn bearings then this method will usually clear it. Remove rocker shaft and pushrods from offending side. Screw or push a grease zirt into oil hole. Pump grease into oil passage. You should feel pressure change when blockage clears. Start engine (it will run fine on four cylinders) and watch oil pressure push grease out of cleared oil passage.

     
  16. jimmy six
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 14,802

    jimmy six
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Enginuity at its best...
     
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  17. y'sguy
    Joined: Feb 25, 2008
    Posts: 694

    y'sguy
    Member
    from Tulsa, OK

    May as well chime in here.
    Here's some detail on mine. 292 block is around 325ci with 312 crank. all mechanicals were balanced and blueprinted. rods were ground, polished and shot peened, ARP bolts in the rod caps. ARP studs in the mains and heads. Precision Oil pump. Cast Pistons.
    Rollmaster Billet timing gears and chain. Stock rocker arm sets for now. Heads are ECZ-G, Mummert prepared "Street" port. Stainless valves-int. 1.94, ex. 1.60 New hardened seats and guides. Complete Isky rpm 300 cam, springs and lifters kit, 298 lift 270 duration from Ted Eaton.
    Blue thunder intake, I painted it red! Eldebrock performer 600cfm.
    Ford PowerTrain headers made specifically for tbirds 55-57. I ground all the casting surfaces on the block and heads smooth of casting seams. Distributor is Ford factory mechanical tach drive with pertronix and full mechanical advance we ended tests at 31.5 degrees advance. Interesting note: I saw a difference of 15 HP increase on one of the pulls when we advanced the timing from up 1.5 degrees. It may still use more advance yet.
    Things I coulda, shoulda done but just could not find any more money to throw at it is: Hyperuetectic pistons or forged custom pistons and h-beam rods-this would have added an insurance factor because this little engine revs quickly to 5,700rpm and will go to 6,000 scarily easy, it just may not live there very long! This is primarily a street car with some weekend drags but mostly I DRIVE it.
    There was a kid helping in the shop about 30 yrs old who installed it on the dyno - He remarked he'd never seen one of these engines beforeand was skeptical. Was he ever surprised.
    The machinist was impressed he didn't realize it would ever go much over 5000rpm but wanted to know- "who did you say did the heads?- that guy is really goood. It really made the difference in it" . These are probably the last set of iron heads that John Mummert may have done before he got up and rolling with the aluminum heads.
    Not bad for engine out of a junkyard.
    It resides in this car.

    picture-3.jpg picture-3.jpg DSC02973.JPG
     

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  18. Y-Blocks don't rev much past 5k? I've heard that before. Most all of mine, including street vehicles will hit 7k. It's not that hard. My first Bonneville engine was nothing more than a cleaned up, patched together 292 that was given to me. Stock cast pistons, stock rods and cast iron "truck" heads. (C1TE casting) Everything was cleaned, balanced and the heads ported and cut for larger valves. The truck ran three consecutive passes at 120 mph. Then with a change of heads to a set of ECZ-Gs that had been on Charlie Burns "Yellow Brick" E/PP truck the speed was increased to 127 mph. Not bad for a basically "stock" engine with a cam.


    Then with a bunch more money and Mummert aluminum heads we managed 147.195 mph. (top speed with iron Ford heads in the truck was 142 mph)


     
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  19.  
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  20. This last years 192 mph run in the roadster.
     
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  21. Dominick Hide
    Joined: Dec 13, 2007
    Posts: 229

    Dominick Hide
    Member

    Rocky, you are right about water in the oil, but it had only been there for a few minutes. One of the rocker stand bolts had gone into the water jacket, probably from an earlier repair. When removed it allowed some coolant to flow into the engine. Once I had oil flowing I drained and refilled with fresh.
     
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  22. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,524

    Roothawg
    Member

    Good stuff.
     
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  23. Ah ha...I see
     
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  24. 55blacktie
    Joined: Aug 21, 2020
    Posts: 793

    55blacktie

     
  25. 55blacktie
    Joined: Aug 21, 2020
    Posts: 793

    55blacktie

    I know of no source for hypereutectic y-block pistons. Please tell us if one exists.
     
  26. 55blacktie
    Joined: Aug 21, 2020
    Posts: 793

    55blacktie

    y'sguy, what's your total advance, including vacuum?
     
  27. cheap-n-dirty
    Joined: Jan 28, 2002
    Posts: 896

    cheap-n-dirty
    Member

  28. 55blacktie
    Joined: Aug 21, 2020
    Posts: 793

    55blacktie

    y'sguy, according to Mummert's flow chart, those "Street Port" G heads should flow to .500 lift. Did Ted suggest a cam with more lift than the RPM300? He told me that Y-blocks like lift.
     
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  29. You can get forged from Ractec, that's who makes them for Mummert and myself.
     
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  30. Truck64
    Joined: Oct 18, 2015
    Posts: 5,325

    Truck64
    Member
    from Ioway

    For a factory stock engine (low compression) on pump gas they like quite a bit and fairly early, like most any OHV V8. Somewhere around 36° to 38°, or even more. With vacuum advance around 52° cruising on flat ground.
     
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