Decided to do gaskets and rings on the Y. Leaks from the rear main and oil pump. I had a lot of smoke from the breather tube. It Ran great other wise. During the teardown I found a standard piston which was pretty exciting, but rod bearings have .010 on them and crank shaft bearings showing .040. Seems like a lot of honing to keep a std piston. I’m going to mic everything tomorrow. The rods were #’d for each cylinder, but the previous builder put pistons/rods in the wrong places. Smh... not sure how or why someone would go through the effort of marking the rods to put them in the wrong cylinders. The bearings look good, so I’m going to wipe them down and reinstall. Question: I got some slack in the timing chain. From the first and second chain image, does it look like it should be replaced? I’d say yes, but a friend said the older engines had a bit more play. 90% sure he’s full of shit, but let me know. Can anyone recommend a cam and spring set up? It’s a daily driver. Just looking for a bit more get up. The old cam and valves look great. No #’s though, just the letter “W” on the end of the stick. I Wish I would’ve degreed it before hand. A cam swap isn’t a walk in the park for this engine.
One of the best sources for parts and info is John Mummert's site. In particular I've found his cam recommendations, and his comments on the cam chart to be right on. There's also some mods for oiling on the center cam bearing (on the cam, the block, the bearing) you should be aware of if you're not. There's also a lot of casting numbers info at the bottom of the opening page. Once you ID the heads, you'll know more about how to pick a cam. Might help is you added your location to your signature. here's the cam page http://www.ford-y-block.com/valvetrain.htm
Timing chain is pretty cheap, why not go new? No way I would reuse those bearing's. New ring's ,gasket's, possible cam and old worn out bearing's ???? How are the cam bearing's ? In what order are the rod's numbered ? It's a y-block----not a small block, some thing's are different.
A lot of things are different. The timing chain install in particular. None of the books on them are perfect, but this is one of the better and newer. https://www.amazon.com/Ford-Y-Block...words=Y+block+ford+book&qid=1611282852&sr=8-1 Another great site is Ted Eaton. Mctim also as mentioned above. https://www.eatonbalancing.com/
Wow. Those are old and worn out lol? I’ve seen bearings with no silver at all. Good to know. Would the crank need a polish if I replace the bearings? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
That’s the book I’m working from. It’s been a great source of information. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
You don't say anything about the heads but if I was going to be redoing the bottom end I'd refresh the heads before putting them back on. That motor has been together for a while.
Replacing the cam bearings has a specific orientation so pay attention to the book that you have. Yes you need to change that timing chain, they are cheap. New bearings all around, and follow jimmy six on the piston and re-ringing. Why would you not at the very least lap the valves and install new valve seals when torn down? Clean the valve train and associated parts to keep the upper end oiled. There are no real "cheap" engine repairs. Yes you could pop on new rings after a quickie hone, lay in new bearings, re do the heads as far as a hand lap and seals, new gaskets and a can of paint. Cheap engine rebuild. Will it last? Guaranteed 10 minutes or 10 feet even if you have to push the vehicle.
I've got one of Mummert's cams in my 312 and I'm pretty pleased. It has a decent idle and the old Y block performs well. I did everything to mine when I pulled it out including a "new" block. One of the things I found was the cam bearings were badly worn. Y blocks also have a lot of casting sand in the coolant passages. I spent a lot of time with a couple of tools digging it out through the freeze plug holes. Then I found substantial cracks in the main webs (common on 312 blocks) and had to find another block. That one went to the machine shop to be bored and the coolant passages looked like new when I got it back.
That book overview starts off by saying all photos are black and white and then later it says the photos are in colour? If they can't get that right how about the tech side?
More info. will be needed for a cam recommendation. For instance, what is the engine going into? What transmission? Axle ratio? What cylinder heads do you have. Mummert's Technical page will help you to identify heads, including valve sizes and combustion chamber size. Exhaust? It looks like you already have a 4-barrel intake. What size carburetor? Ted Eaton uses Isky cams. Mummert's are Clay Smith. Tim McMaster likes Oregon Cams. Oregon Cams's website has a list of mechanical cam grinds. You can send an email to Ken, who will be very helpful. If you email Ted Eaton, go through his website (eaton balancing). He should reply within a couple of days. In either case, you will need to provide answers to the above questions.
There is way too much to outline here unless you really want it. I have a lot of opinions and the fastest Y-Block powered car in the world. You can make really good power on a budget if you do a lot of work yourself and have a good local machine shop willing to work with you. If you want to talk look up Hanford Auto Supply in Hanford CA and give me a call. I'll talk you through it. Cheers, Tim
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