Greetings - I have a bit of a puzzler. The 361 FE Y Block in my 58 Edsel Ranger has been sitting up for 20+ years - presumably "it ran fine when parked". I've been getting it going, and with a rebuilt holley 4-barrel and some fresh gas it runs pretty well. On six cylinders, that is. A compression check (with a push-type fitting, so its not rocket-science accurate) indicates that #'s 7 and 8 have at least some compression (let's say 60 lbs, with additional pressure pushing past the tester fitting), and the valves are opening and closing properly. Both cylinders have a strong spark. Yet at idle, the exhaust manifold temperatures at #7 are about 130f, and 100f at #8, while the temps on the other six cylinders are around 200f. #7 is making a negligible amount of power, #8 is not making any power at all. My top three guesses are: 1) Head gasket, although there is no white smoke and no coolant appears to be in the oil, and would it have any compression at all if that were the case? 2) Clogged intake manifold, although it seems odd that it would not be clogged when parked and now it is. 3) Rings, especially since there is a little oil on the plugs, although on the other hand I don't think there are many miles on the engine (i.e., 13,500 miles indicated, and based on the car's history I don't think its rolled over). Any seconds to those guesses? Cheers, David
Stuck rings? Meaning they are not free in the lanyards. Maybe try putting some oil down the spark plug hole and see if the compression rises on your gauge.
FE and Y block are two totally different engines....yours is a MEL, which is the same family as the FE I believe
Can't really fault him on the FE/Y-block confusion; the FE still uses the long skirt block design. I don't think the 361 is a MEL because aren't those all 430/462 ci?
You are right, it is an FE (Ford Edsel). MEL’s (Mercury Edsel Lincoln) are larger then 428 CI. Even though FE’s have long side skirts, calling it a Y block with just confuse people, especially since Y blocks were also available in 1958. Just my opinion
Yep; to me FE's are simply Ford's "Big Block"; even though the 385 series is technically bigger. Love my FE's. Never seen an engine design take abuse and neglect so happily and keep thundering along! I want to build a Y-block one of these days, to get that unique exhaust burble....
WAG, it could be some critters set up living space in the intake runners or a nest years ago. Pine cones acorns. If there aren't any restrictions anywhere put Marvel's in both the gas and oil according to the directions on the can. It may be that running it for a little while and getting it up to normal temperature under load will loosen stuck rings and valves &c and compression will come back up. Gasoline turns to varnish or glue over time, sludge and carbon is bad in a motor.
Same thing happened to me once. It was stuck rings. I used GM Top Engine Cleaner, but that was many years (30+) ago and I imagine the formula has been changed since. At that time that stuff really worked.
Not knowing how the cylinders are numbered on your engine, are #7 and 8 next to each other or on opposite banks? If they're next to one another it could just be a blown head gasket between the two that doesn't leak/connect with any other passage in the block or head. Lynn Added -----I just did a bit of searching and according to that 7 & 8 are the back two cylinders on the driver's side bank of cylinders. Perhaps blow air into the spark plug hole on one of the two cylinders and see if you hear or feel it coming out of the spark plug hole on the other?
Was it parked with the rocker loosened or left alone. Those did not have stainless or titanium vales and if those valves were open all that time the chances are good that they are rusty at he very least. Pull the heads give them a look and grind'em if you are lucky. By the way not to nit pic but I have never heard of an FE Y block. It could be a MEL though.
Do a poor mans leak down test. Turn the piston to TDC compression take a rubber tipped air gun and pressure the cylinder listen at the oil fill, carb, and exhaust
Just keep driving it, just not at wot . More than likely you got some stuck rings. They may loosen up or not. Bones
The amount of mis-information in this thread is worse than an official Trump Tweet. In 1958 Edsel cars had 2 engine options. E-400, a 361 ci. FE V8. The 400 comes from the peak torque rating. E-475, a 410 ci MEL V8. Again, the 475 comes from the peak torque rating. The FE and MEL engine families were both introduced in 1958, but share absolutely nothing in common (except for some small parts and fasteners). The MEL is a true "big block" (even though I hate that term since there are many variables such as deck height, bore spacing, etc that muddy the waters. A 352 ci Packard is a "big block" by all measures, physically larger then an MEL or Chebbie Mark IV). MEL's have a 4.9" bore spacing, the same as Ford's later 385 series 429 ci and 460 ci engines. The FE is more of a "medium block" with a 4.63" bore spacing. It is true that both the FE and MEL are deep skirted "Y-block" designs, but that designation is typically reserved for the first generation Ford OHV V8's ranging from 239 to 312 ci of displacement and their larger Lincoln / Medium Duty Truck based siblings that ranged from 279 to 368 ci. Which brings us back to the "Big Block" argument again. The Lincoln Y-block has a deck height of 10.940", this is taller than any other automotive V8, despite its rather small displacement. Please refer to Chevy motors as big and small block. Everything else Ford, Chrysler, Olds, Pontiac, etc, has a correct designation. Just to add confusion to the fire, there was also a 410 ci FE, used in '66 and '67 Mercury's and the 383 was an MEL despite what the Mopar guys tell you.
^^^^^^^^^^^ I miss the days when we rated posts with stars …. '58 - take the plugs out & borrow a pressure tester for the cooling system. Pump it up ...
I appreciate the suggestions - I'll try the ones I can and see what turns up. I forgot to add in the initial post that I've been running Marvel through the gas (external tank right now) and oil - the valves have quieted somewhat so far, and I haven't run it much under load yet.
Thanks for the info on designations - I come from an aircooled background, so the info helps in just researching what I've got.
Pour a pint of MMO into the oil and drive it around town for a week. It should loosen up stuck rings and lifters. The fact is that you seem to have no oil smoke is a plus.
I would pull the valve covers to be certain all the valves are going up and down properly. And if the compression is low on two adjacent cyls it very well could be a blown head gasket between those two cyls? That vehicle was parked with those low miles for a reason?
Devil's advocate checking in. The MEL series, strictly speaking, was never in a Ford, and therefore cannot be a big block Ford. The FE predates the 385 series, and the 427 was within 2 advertised ci of the 429. To me, there is, and always will be, only one big block Ford, that being the FE, and we always referred to it as such, the FE designation becoming popular only relatively recently. Larry T's signature quote from Dragon applies nicely in this instance; "another closely defined, historical term, being corrupted".
The 430 ci MEL was put into Ford Thunderbird's in 1959 and 1960, does that not count as being used in a Ford?
Actually, it's .050" over. Ford only used four bore sizes and three stroke lengths (excluding the 332 and oddball 330" truck version) for all the main variations of the FE. Bore sizes were 4" for the 332/352, 4.05" for the 360/390/410, 4.13" for the 406/428, and 4.23" for the 427. Stroke lengths were 3.5" for the 352/360, 3.78" for the 390/406/427, and 3.98" for the 410/428. With poor compression on adjacent cylinders, chances are very good it's a blown head gasket.
Because that's what the world's first 400 hp factory motor would do to factory bias ply tires in 1958... This has gone a bit sideways now. 58_Edsel, Did you get it figured out yet???
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