Technical Y block Ford build info

12 pins between the marks. not rocket science. Its the blow by that I don't like. Every Y block I was ever around had excessive blow by. I would hook up a PCV. and rin a vacuum cleaner hose from the oil fill to the top of the air filter. so the carb could eat those oily crankcase fumes. And most of the Y blocks I was around had low oil pressure. possibly due to excessive internal leakage around the cam bearing.

 

Haven't been a Y block in years, but still remember setting the marks horizontal and counting pins. I think a lot of guys counted links. Doesn't work.

 

Can count links, or count pins, what doesn't work, though is lining up the dots, the way so many other engines are done. Oops!

 

Remember those pictures showing the timing gears the engine is right side up. Ive seen more than one put together with the engine on a stand with the pan up to keep the lifters in and the 12 links end up on the wrong side.

 

why the pan ? the cam holds the lifters not the pan it may be better stated that the picture showed engine on stand with pan up.nothing to do with the lifters.person viewing picture should realize the fact if not they should not be allowed near an engine assembly.should add the gear on cam and gear on crank being a different size would have been another clue.(where the hell did common sense go)

 

Another great source for Y Block parts is Vern Schumann

Schumann's Sales & Service, Inc.
P.O. Box 128
Blue Grass, Iowa 52726

phone 563-381-2416

He makes those cam bearings that are groved on the outside of the bearings so that alignment of the bearing exactly to the blocks oil hole is not an issue.

Oldmics

 

The engine don't need to have the pan up to keep Y block lifters in. When your installing a timing chain the cam had to be installed. No way are you gonna remove a lifter from a Y block when the cam is installed.

 

I used the valley pan from Mummert which is a baffled aluminum version of that factory steel pan.



And then I ran my PCV like this factory diagram.

 

Rebuilt my Y block about 14 years ago and put everything back stock except for a mild cam I got from John Mummert. One of the things I did find that I hadn't seen before, is the cam journals had a lot of wear. It was running well, but the oil light would flash on at idle in hot weather. I found that the good running engine was slap worn out. I ended up replacing the block (sever cracks in the main webs), crank, pistons, cam and lifters, rockers and rocker shaft, valves, a couple of rods and most every wear item. I only thought it ran good before the rebuild.

I think all the upper oiling problems came from sludged up engines with a lot of wear. I have had no problems with my engine which has maybe 20K miles since the rebuild.

On the distributor, the one you have is the preferred one. The side pivot plate actually changes the dwell when it pivots.

 

All I was saying the short block was upside down to put the cam in and they didn't turn the engine over to install the timing gears and chain had the brass links. There instructions said line up the brass links with the dots on the gears on the left side but the engine was right side up they were on the wrong side. Kind of like Y blocks heads gaskets say front not up.

 

Like the early SBC's you have to check the harmonic "balancer" for rotational shift. The rubber insulator breaks down and allows the outer ring to move.

 

The Damper Doctor does a good job fixing that problem....two day turn around

 

Some additional reading

 

Is there a problem driving those bearings in with the grove cut in them? I guess it is not too deep but I guess it could collapse at the grove when driving it in. but thanks for the info.

 

RB35 got me a valley pan with the baffle so I'm set on that item. Thanks for all the photos and help in that area.
And thanks to RB35!

 

Was that a 312 or a 292 motor? I have heard 292 blocks cracking like that are rare. But not rare enough, mine was a 292.

 

Thanks for that, I printed it out can't wait to read it.

 

How about valves? I have a set of good posted "G" heads but the guides are worn, I have seen some oversize valves but most likely will need a full set. Anyone know where I can buy them?

 

I actually laughed out loud when I read this...51 years ago (when I was 16) I 'freshened up' the Y block in my 56 F100. However, when installing the cam I had the engine upside down on a workbench. Not good as I discovered later! I did manage to get the engine to run but 1400 rpm is all she would do...much to my amazement, when I took it apart none of the valves were bent. I re-assembled it (right way up this time) and it started up and worked perfectly.

 

Back in the day guys used chevy 348 valves they had bigger stems and let you ream the worn guides. But today 348 stuff might be harder to find than Yblock

 

312 evidently they were more prone to cracking, but it's the same block, just the main journals are larger.

 

Ernie, are you still racing your bird? I sold some of my land in Mineola, and am putting the house up for sale this spring. I will stop in to see you when I am down.----Jim

 

thanks for the tip

 

I was looking at the Y block forever site yesterday and found this. What is that silver sheet metal thing held on with that Phillips head screw/bolt? I have one block with a threaded hole where that bolt is but no bolt and one block with a short bolt in that hole but none with that sheet metal shield, is that to guide oil to the chain?

 

As I recall , I believe that was some sort of guide/holding mechanism to assist in drilling the oil hole in the block.

Ask Ted thru your private messages. I showed that mod to Bill Coleman that he preformed when he did one of my engines. Its from a Mercury Tech Bulletin

Oldmics

 

Aloha!
I'm soaking up information like crazy here for a stock 272 that is going in the 1929 Tudor.
Thanks guys!

 

In the photo of the valley pan/cover posted by 46 International, I would say that the tube either attached to the air cleaner or to a valve-cover vent. Sometime during the life of my 55 Tbird, someone attached a pcv valve to the dress-up air cleaner. The hole was later covered, and a conversion kit was installed, running a hose from the pcv valve (attached to valley pan/cover) to the carburetor spacer. I ended up discarding the dress-up oil-bath air cleaner, fearing that the punctured air cleaner would result in the steel-wool-type element's disintegrating, resulting in particles being sucked into the engine. Whoever ruined the air cleaner (hopefully not my dad), wasn't thinking. My Holley 4150 Street Avenger carburetor has a port to which the pcv hose can be attached.

 

This is a good thread also---https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-all-inclusive-almighty-y-block-thread.1221157/

 

Would love to see some pictures of the timing chain assembly (with the dots that ain't suppose to be aligned up!)
Count pins not links??? I'm corn-fused!
6sally6

 

I know eh, what’s the point of putting dots on if you’re not going to use them? Counting links, what kind a horseshit is that. Sounds like Henry got cheap and reused gears off of something else. As a former all Chevy guy, you do what you gotta do to make a Ford work.