Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Late V8 (1954+)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-09-2014, 07:31 PM   #1
Hivolt5.0
Senior Member
 
Hivolt5.0's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Ft. Walton Beach, FL
Posts: 136
Default 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."

Hivolt5.0 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-10-2014, 09:42 PM   #2
ford3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: oroville calif.
Posts: 1,453
Default 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
ford3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 01-11-2014, 09:13 AM   #3
Ole Don
Senior Member
 
Ole Don's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: St. Michael, Minnesota
Posts: 1,713
Default 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.
Ole Don is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-11-2014, 11:34 AM   #4
Y-Blockhead
Senior Member
 
Y-Blockhead's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Redondo Beach, CA
Posts: 5,817
Default Re: Y Block rocker shaft changes for better oiling

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ole Don View Post
There is often more to the story. Ford3 is correct.
Except for the "hollow head bolt" part...
Y-Blockhead is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-11-2014, 01:24 PM   #5
Ricks Garage
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 9
Default 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.

Last edited by Ricks Garage; 01-13-2014 at 04:30 PM.
Ricks Garage is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2014, 11:54 PM   #6
Talkwrench
Senior Member
 
Talkwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 2,687
Default Re: Y Block rocker shaft changes for better oiling

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
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..
__________________
"Came too close to dying to stop living now!"
Talkwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:22 AM.