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Just a tip to the Y Block guys....

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Homespun91, Dec 10, 2007.

  1. Just as a FYI, in case you haven't heard....

    the old Y block book by James Eickman is back in print & available through Motorbooks.com, for $19.95...actually on sale right now for $14.96. :D

    People have paid ridiculous prices for this book for years...& now that it's back in print, guys are buying them & trying to eBay them off for the same ridiculous prices. Save your cash and get it from Motorbooks, Amazon, or a local bookstore....

    BTW, the book is more of a history and a basic rebuild than anything else, & has some errors...but, as the only book ever wriiten specifiically about the Y block, it does have its place. :)
     
  2. photofink
    Joined: Apr 14, 2007
    Posts: 651

    photofink
    Member

    Can you please list the errors? Ive based pretty much everything I know about y blocks on this book.
     
  3. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 56,088

    squirrel
    Member

    ferinstance, did they REALLY put T bird heads on truck motors?
     
  4. DirtyThirty
    Joined: Mar 8, 2007
    Posts: 2,396

    DirtyThirty
    Member
    from nowhere...

    I've been knee-deep in a 292 for the last month, and I was researching this, and heard the same thing...I guess Amazon and the like will have them now?
    I heard that they were bringing $ 120+ on the bay...damn!
     

  5. jcruz
    Joined: Apr 5, 2006
    Posts: 298

    jcruz
    Member
    from Austin, Tx

    when i HAD a y-block i tried to get this book, too...for the tune of $100+.

    thats good news.
     
  6. Fidget
    Joined: Sep 10, 2004
    Posts: 1,013

    Fidget
    Member

    The price of that book was freaking ridiculous!! I came across a guy that offered to photo copy the entire book, and sell it to me for $50. I was wondering why it's never been reprinted. Thank you for the heads up!
     
  7. http://www.motorbooks.com/Store/ProductDetails_38813.ncm

    http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b...3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=eickman&x=11&y=22


    Photofink, there are several errors in minor issues like casting numbers, hp ratings, years of certain parts, etc. Nothing earthshaking. I can list them if you're interested. However...

    The major error is on page 72...in the picture of the timing chain & gears, it shows the dots on the wrong side (U.S.A. passenger) of the engine, and they should be on the USA driver's side. The Y has the unique (so far as I know) timing set orientation anyway, & this just makes it more complicated. :) BTW, some of the aftermarket timing sets have the "dots" in the wrong place...bottom line...degree in the cam...

    Squirrel...yep. :) From '57-'59 many Ford/Merc Ys got ECZ-G heads, including certain T-Birds, passenger cars, light trucks, & medium trucks...
     
  8. Dale Fairfax
    Joined: Jan 10, 2006
    Posts: 2,585

    Dale Fairfax
    Member Emeritus

    Do you suppose Mummert has annotated his copy? (I'm sure he has one.) Maybe he'd be willing to share his error notations.








     
  9. Mudslinger
    Joined: Aug 3, 2005
    Posts: 1,964

    Mudslinger
    Member

    Good info here thanks. I bought one.
     
  10. ynottayblock
    Joined: Dec 23, 2005
    Posts: 1,954

    ynottayblock
    Member

    thanks for the heads-up
     
  11. k-member
    Joined: May 25, 2002
    Posts: 2,114

    k-member
    Member

    I did not know that book used to be so rare, I bought mine at a swap meet about 5 years ago for 2 bucks. Thanks for pointing out the errors.
     
  12. photofink
    Joined: Apr 14, 2007
    Posts: 651

    photofink
    Member

    Thanks Homespun91!
    Anymore important ones?
     
  13. Important, no (guess that depends on the viewpoint; I'm not a restorer, so some of these mean very little to me one way or t'other...) with the exception of one item, which won't be an issue for most builds.

    pg 17: the 312 nomenclature was ECZ, not ECJ

    pg 17: the 285 hp version had a "rated" 10.5:1 compression, as the heads were milled .050 from the factory (ALL Y blocks have lower compression than the "rated" numbers...)

    pg 27: the truck casting was 5750471

    pg 28: chart: some sources say that ALL '57-'59 heads are ECZ-G....not true, but many of them are. ECZ-E & ECZ-F may not exist...never run across them personally, & I've heard yes & no. The EDB heads are rare as hell, & the 471 heads are often considered as an equivalent for them. The 113 heads are similar to ECZ-G but with slightly different (deeper) chambers. The 5750471 heads are not listed, nor are the C2AE; nor are the C1TE truck heads with 1.64" intakes.

    Bottom line on the heads, go to Mummert's web site which has a more thorough chart. :)

    pg 29: The 239 cranks are interchangable into later non-312 blocks, but the oiling holes are different which could (possibly) lead to oiling issues; the 239 rod bearing inserts were different as a result, but later bearings are interchangable; 312 cranks can be turned down to fit into earlier blocks (not an error per se; not all cranks have slingers.

    pg 29: C1TE steel cranks were available from '61-'64, earlier ones were cast regardless of application. These C1TE steel cranks were used in medium trucks (again, not exactly an error, I suppose it depends on your definition of a MD vs. a HD truck).

    pg 30: As noted there are a number of different exhaust manifolds; he doesn't mention that T-Bird manifolds are different from pass car manifolds, and '55-'56 manifolds are different from '57-up.

    pg 38: the rod number mentioned should be C1TE-6200-C, commonly known as "C1TE rods". He mentions the difference in weight, which is true, but neglects to note that it's because they are SHORTER than a regular 239/256/272/292 rod (any of those part #s). The C1TE rods are the same length as the 312 rods, because the '61-'64 MD trucks used pistons with a taller compression height.

    In one case I know of, a "builder" (term used loosely) used these C1TE rods with replacement 292 pistons. (So far as I know the truck-type pistons are not available new.) The pistons sat approx. .120 down in the hole at TDC...loooooooow compression. The next owner got stuck with that one.

    pg 44: one item not mentioned is that the earlier distributor MUST be used with the correct carburetor...swapping on a later carb of any type without the spark control valve will lead to various problems.

    pg 72: timing chain installation issues as mentioned.
     
  14. photofink
    Joined: Apr 14, 2007
    Posts: 651

    photofink
    Member

    Wow...thank you, saved all the info and will put it in my book.
    Man I had no idea that they were going for so much! I saw one for sale in the classifieds not too long ago for $75 and I thought the guy was crazy...
     
  15. Paul2748
    Joined: Jan 8, 2003
    Posts: 2,395

    Paul2748
    Member

    Yes - in 57, all cars, TBirds and trucks used the "G" head
     
  16. Paul2748
    Joined: Jan 8, 2003
    Posts: 2,395

    Paul2748
    Member

    The ironic part is that Carpenter had the book in stock and was selling it for regular price.
     
  17. Fidget
    Joined: Sep 10, 2004
    Posts: 1,013

    Fidget
    Member

    Ordered one yesterday. I called them, and she tried to charge me the $19.95 price. I told her that wasn't the sale price on their site, she said "Oh it is? Would you like that price instead?". Duh!

    Just saw a copy on ebay for $35 plus $7.50 shipping.
     
  18. WhoDoYouFink
    Joined: Jan 29, 2007
    Posts: 391

    WhoDoYouFink
    Member

    Yup I saw the same auction. I almost ordered two to try and sell one to pay for the other. About my luck though I'd get stuck with them both. Thanks for the tip homespun!
     

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