So i picked up my 292 y block today for my 38 project. after looking at the engine in the garage i noticed it has a copper hose that is hooked up on the block at the oil filter housing area, runs up to the top of the motor, has a T in it, and runs over to the front of each valve cover. Then has a small rubber hose that gos through a hole in the valve cover and into a 90degree fitting that is in the front side of each rocker shaft. what the hell is it for? better oiling? then out the bach side of the rocker shafts is another hose that comes out and points doun the drain back hole in the head. I have never seen somthing like this before. i am going to rebuild the engine, what i want to know is if their is somthing that i need to look for that is the cause of needing this tube. im pretty sure it is not factory. i've never seen it before. why would it be there?
You are right, that is not factory. That is an aftermarket set up for extra oiling for the rockers. You do not really need it. Im sure youll get mixed answeres here though. Alot of people including me say it doesnt do a damn thing..... although good concept. And some people say it helps, but I dont see how. I have rebuilt 2 Y blocks and never put those on it. I would say get new shafts and re-bush the rockers....or get new rockers. You will be fine to run it without all that extra oiling stuff if you totally rebuild it. Unless you plan on wingin it to 7 grand all the time (but if you do that you wont be worrying about the rockers, youll be wondering where that number 7 connecting rod flew off too and how to fix the hole in your hood).
Is it really a 292? The earlier and smaller Y's had upper end oiling issues. So either it's an earlier motor/heads, or whoever did the modification probabaly had one of the earlier motors dry up and take a dump on them so they were just being cautious, or unaware that the 292's didn't have the same oiling issues.
all i truly know at this point is that it is a 1960, i have to clean it to find the rest of the numbers. it runs good though and was in a 59 pickup
Block ID number is above oil filter. Head ID is near exhaust port. Check www.ford-y-block.com to see what you have.
The Ford Y-block had a problem of plugging up the oil hole to the top end. This was an aftermarket way to keep oil to the rockers without pulling the heads and cleaning the holes. If you rebuild the motor and run detergent oil you should be good, if your going to run it as is, leave the copper line alone. Not a Hotrod deal, just a cheap fix to keep her on the road. Good luck, Mike.
It wasn't an oiling issue. It was the old oil and the peaple that didn't change it regulary. The oiling holes plugged up. An yes it's was all sizes of Y blocks. I removed may a top oiler add on years ago. Just cleaned the shafts and the holes in the heads and threw that shit away. Of course you may need shafts and rockers, but maybe not.
OK-Truth is the after market oiling system was due to the Y block rear cam bearing spinnig in the block and blocking the oil passage that fed the rocker arms. It has absolutely nothing to do with dirty oil or any other issue. The only way to fix it was remove the engine and tear it down and replace the cam bearings. The later fix was to grove the rear cam bearing so if it did turn it continued to oil. Other wise you had to install the after market oiling kit or burn up your valve trane.
Lots of urban legends out there about those oiling kits. I have heard that using them takes some oil pressure away from the mains. Also heard the cam bearing turning to block passage of oil to top end, and others. I do not know which are true, and which are not, but I do know some of those kits were installed needlessly. Y-blocks were solid lifter engines, and of course, periodic valve lash adjustment was required. There were instances where customers took Y-block powered vehicles to a shop with noisy valve train issues, and were sold on these kits, when lash adjustment was all that was needed. Some were sold and installed as a preventative maintenance items, just to create extra shop revenue.
you are so right RAY many a Y block out here in Australia ,either cars , trucks , boats etc had the conversion done in a professional manner using the oil pump pressure or the very crude method using old machine oilers hangin' off the rocker covers but it was a very common problem , as you say , the rear cam bearing spinning was the major cause cheers Steve in Oz
I agree with Ray on this issue. Having had numerous Y blocks both with and without these "oiling kits". The cam bearing spins, blocking the oil feed. I've been told that replacement cam bearings are grooved around the outside circumference, so if they spin you will still get oil to the rockers, I can't confirm this, but I would check into it if I were you. Y blocks also had an oil drain problem through the drains in the head and block from the valve train. This was caused by not changing the oil at proper intervals and also by the inadequate road draft tube. Installing a PCV system and using todays oils with proper changing intervals will prevent this. Wish I knew this crap in 1962!
Ray is correct. In the mid 60's it was rare to see a 'Y' that didn't have the copper lines. We saw a few broken crank snouts, quite a few flat cams too. But a good running 'Y' really ran. They are one of the few engines that have the 2-3 firing order instead of the 3-2 firing order. I've read it makes 5-10 mor hp on a hot motor. Lucky667
this is good info guys. so my next question would be how do i get rid of the draft tube on the back of the engine and convert to pcv? is it as easy as taking it off, and installing a pcv valve in the same hole the tube was in? Thanks for all the good info
The 312 I put in my '28 PU came out of an old hot rodded '55 Ford and it had them on there. I decided to leave them on for that old time feeling, but made them non functional. Alot of people comment on them.
Try this forum for the PCV conversion. There's quite a few threads on it. http://www.y-blocksforever.com/forums/Topic24835-3-1.aspx Good luck!
Just my experience with the Y-block oiling issue; While it was possible for the cam bearing to spin and cut off oil to the top end (pulled one apart that had that happen), most of the problems were related to the oils used back then and lack of maintenance. Over the years I've opened up several Y's and found the oil passage from the cam bearing to the block deck plugged solid with sludge. Nothing wrong with the cam bearings in those cases. Most of those engines also showed a LOT of sludge in the lifter valley, 2 or 3 inches deep. Again, just my experience... Moral of the story? If you're rebuilding it, make sure the cam bearings are lined up properly and you'll be fine. Throw the hokey copper tubing away...
Usually when you find sludge in any Y block its just a total abused motor without proper oil&filter changes. I used the oil of the 50's and had no problem what so ever. I raced the Y block in Drag and Many years on circle track and learned first hand in 55 what makes them tick. There close to trouble free if you make a couple of minor changes with the old parts and with today's availability of performance rods and pistons they can be made close to bullet proof. I did mention this in another thread but since we are talking Y block here is another tip. There are 4 head bolts that is 3 threads longer than any of the others and go under the valve cover in the first and last hole. Any other location and head gaskets blow real fast.
I have tore down dozens of y blocks have never seen a spun cam bearing. It pobably has happened I dont think it is very common. The oil must make two 90 degree turns at the head. This is where they get plugged. Raduis the oil holes and enlarge the groove in the head when you rebuild. Remove rockers and tap the oil passage for a zerk fitting. Use a grease gun to force oil backwards and unplug the passage. It has worked for Me. OldWolf
I've done A LOT of Ys and no spun cam bearings, and the oil goes to the top from the center bearing not the rear. Get rid of the outside oil tubes, when you rebuild the engine just make sure you have a grooved center main on the cam and I like to pressurize the rocker. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7ZjObWyRJU&feature=channel_page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTdmD0sQbx4&feature=channel_page
If you take a long rifle cleaning brush and dunk in solvent,stick it down the holes in the lower corners of heads,after removing valve covers and clean the oil return passages,you`ll not need the oilers. Old problem with these,and I`ve owned a few to know about this.
We had a Gulf gas station on 7th st. in Long Beach in 1971. This little old lady drives in a '57 Ford...paint all burned off from the California sun. She gets $3.00 in gas and goes to leave and the thing won't start. We push it into the open bay and take a look. Cranks. Has Gas. Has spark. Not cough one. Car has 28k miles on it and no evidence of any real abuse, so we believe the odom. She says she runs it a couple times a month for grocerys. She catches a cab home and calls the next day. I work on the thing for 4 hours and cannot figure it out. Jumped it when the battery ran down...almost coughed. I tell her the next day I have no clue. She asks whats it worth and I buy it form her for $25.00. Body was rust free and totally straight. We pull the intake and the valley is FULL of WAX. The old man starts laughing his ass off. We look in the trunk and find half a case of parafin based oil from the 60's. The oil was boiling down to the parafin and she just kept pouring in more becasue there was nothing showing on the dipstick. The block was a huge mass of wax inside. all the journals were cloggged, the pan was so full the crank was CHURNING the wax, so the starter could not get it moving fast enough to start the engine. BAD oil in those days is an understatement.
This guy speaks the truth. Watch his youtube clips, you'll see he knows his stuff. I took a used 292, lapped the valves in, rebuilt the rocker shafts, pressurized them. Has 45lbs hot, and has NO trouble with oiling..
Yeah, Tim knows his Y's alright and I would take his advice any day. I have done a number of Y's and haven't seen a spun bearing yet either, maybe I am just lucky.
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