Y Block rocker shaft changes for better oiling
 

I'm posting the following information for Ole Don.

"One of the downfalls of the Y block design was the oiling of the rocker arms with the oil then available. When facing either side of the engine, the oil comes up through the second rocker stand from your right and exits through the tube on your right. In service, the rockers on your left will run dry and possibly fail. I read years ago this will help, and I have no idea why this has not been written about more often. One well known race engine builder uses no tubes at all, relying on splash to oil the timing chain and distributor gear. For street use, I like to squirt a small amount of oil to those places.

I remove and clean the tubes, then cut off the end just to make it square. I debur the inside, then tap to 12-24. I use a 12 - 24 x 1/2 screw drilled to 1/16 as a restricter installed with a drop of locktight. I bend the tube to point the oil flow down the pushrod hole, and idle a warm engine until oil flows out the far left rockers to ensure the shaft is clear inside.

After I wrote about this the first time, I was reminded that not everyone has a shop with a drill press with a vice. Also, even though most Sears tap and die sets have that tap, not everyone has one of those either. Clean and mail me your overflow tubes, and I will tap them and install the drilled screw."

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/pictur...ictureid=24970

Re: Y Block rocker shaft changes for better oiling
 

its not those tubes that causes poor oil to the rocker shafts, its the design of the oil passage to the rocker arms, the oil comes up thru the block till it gets to the head, then it makes a 90 degree turn, then runs along between the block and head for about an inch and a half, then makes another 90 degree turn up thru the head to the hollow head bolt that lets oil into the rocker shaft, its that 1 1/2" passage between the head and block that causes the problen, the heat from the block and head and use of non detergent oil that turns the oil to carbon and plugs that passage, there is no way to clean that passage with out pulling the head, i use a small moto grinder to deepen that passage to help relieve the small restritive passage that ford designed

Re: Y Block rocker shaft changes for better oiling
 

There is often more to the story. Ford3 is correct. I have been making my changes on complete overhauls, when I have clean passages. I have milled heads about .020 on all my overhauls, and the blocks too to make a good surface for the head gaskets. I have never seen passages on the head less than the drilled passages. On a heavily milled head, it could be a problem. Modern oil should solve all sorts of problems. My change is to force more oil all the way to the left end of the shaft. The oil comes up through the second rocker stand from your right in the picture, and exits from the stand on your right. If you look in the hole in the second stand, there is a restricter inside the hole. I made a change to the cam on this one, and flooded the rockers. It took some tuning to get the flow right. I have more pictures to show the wear after ten years of use.

Re: Y Block rocker shaft changes for better oiling
 

Except for the "hollow head bolt" part... :eek::eek:

Re: Y Block rocker shaft changes for better oiling
 

maybe hollow rocker stand?
I used a pipe cleaner (hell of a time finding them)
to clean the passage in the head. I tapped the hole for the tube in the end stand and
plugged it. (hollow pushrods too) Plenty of VR-1 runs through the shaft (new rockers and shaft).
Some of the problem I see is using used rockers that are worn and dumping the oil so it cannot travel to the next rocker.

Re: Y Block rocker shaft changes for better oiling
 

I just took a hammer and punch to the end of them , blocked them by about 80% did it with the engine running and hot so I could see. I still think you need some out of the front one as to get some oil on top of the cam chain. I would not bother doing this on a new motor..