New to the Y Block!

[sprink88]

That is an awesome build you have going right now! Been following it. Wish our trans was "up here". BUT I may have a good one now with the 292 I just bought.

[Tinker]

Best of luck to you. Start a thread on your build.

[Tinker]

Back and running. Set rough timing with a vacuum gauge (18lbs). Compression cold at 120lbs across the board. 50lbs of oil pressure (cold) at idle and 70lbs rev'ed (running straight30 so I'm sure that bumps it up some).

So, I have a few a more questions.

How much advance should I have at idle? 10 degrees? more? I set initial advance by vacuum gauge, idles great and rev's up decent without dropping out.

Mechanic fuel pump or electric? There is no pump with this engine so I can go either way. Is Autozone just as good as any for a mechanical?

Do I need to re-torque the heads after running it? If so, torque hot, warm, or cool?

5 quarts of oil is correct, right? I haven't located a truck dipstick yet, it has 5 quarts in it now.

Thanks

[Hot Rod Reverend]

Originally Posted by Tinker

Back and running. Set rough timing with a vacuum gauge (18lbs). Compression cold at 120lbs across the board. 50lbs of oil pressure (cold) at idle and 70lbs rev'ed (running straight30 so I'm sure that bumps it up some).

So, I have a few a more questions.

How much advance should I have at idle? 10 degrees? more? I set initial advance by vacuum gauge, idles great and rev's up decent without dropping out.

All of the shop manuals I have ever read when it concerns Y blocks have always shown an initial advance setting that is too low in my book. From my experience, the Y blocks like a lot of initial advance. What distributor are you running?

Originally Posted by Tinker

Mechanic fuel pump or electric? There is no pump with this engine so I can go either way. Is Autozone just as good as any for a mechanical?

The cheapest and easiest thing to do would be to go to Autozone and purchase an early 60's FE engine fuel pump. It should be pictured with a cannister fuel filter on the bottom of the pump when they look it up in their computers. Get one for something like a 1964 Ford F100 with a 352.

Originally Posted by Tinker

Do I need to re-torque the heads after running it? If so, torque hot, warm, or cool?

I did not look back to see what gaskets you used. If you used the steel shim gaskets, you definitely need to retorque, but I believe the recommended retorque interval is to be something like after the first 500-700 miles on the engine. You are obviously just running it on a stand for right now. I don't think it is going to be issue unless you start putting it under load soon.

If you are using the modern style of composite head gaskets, most of the time the instructions have always said that there is no need to retorque. I always do just for safety's sake.

Originally Posted by Tinker

5 quarts of oil is correct, right? I haven't located a truck dipstick yet, it has 5 quarts in it now.

Thanks

The measurement for the quarts of oil will certainly depend on your oil pan. I believe that most of the trucks will use more than 5 quarts. I know the passenger car oil pans were 5.5 quarts of oil at oil change when the filter was removed. The truck pans are usually more than this, and I believe there are actually 3 different sizes of truck pans... maybe someone on the site will recognize your pan you have pictured. I would put at least 5.5 total quarts in there for starters.

EDIT: Just looked back at your oil pan photos... it looks as if you have AT LEAST the truck oil pan that takes 6.5 quarts. Hopefully someone on the site has a truck tube and dipstick to hook you up. I have none at the moment. How is the dipstick tube hole in the side of the block plugged right now?

[Tinker]

I'm running a FEH 57-58 distributor.

Great, I'll get one for a 1964 Ford F100 with a 352. I've read if it doesn't have the right angle to the arm you can harm the cam, but I have also read people use the later pump with no problems. So these are fairly identical then and work with a truck timing cover?

I'll wait till I get some miles on it then to re torque.

I believe there is at least 2 different truck oil pans. There is one that is deeper then the one I have. I could make up a tube (15" I believe) from the 239 I have and shorten the dipstick (which is in 2 pieces now) But I dont know the proper distances of the truck dipstick.

There is nothing in the center hole right now, I should probably put a little plug or something over it that can't go into the pan. I did plug the front dipstick hole with the metal plug that I took out of the center hole. I used indianhead gasket sealer also (indianhead on the freeze plugs too.)

Thank you, I appreciate it.

[rick55]

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You say you set the ignition timing by vacuum gauge. 18" of vacuum is about right. The y block generally likes 10-12 degrees of advance at idle with the vacuum disconnected from the canister.
Due to the rings of the harmonic balancer having a desire to slip the timing marks may not be correct. A vacuum gauge is a very accurate way to set the timing. The method I use is to have the engine idling at normal idle speed and twist the distributor to where I get the highest steady reading and then twist the distributor back to where the vacuum drops by 1" on the gauge. You may have to reset the idle speed if it revs too high as the mechanical advance will start to cut in.
Take it for a test drive just to make sure it is not advanced and pinging.
Regards

[Tinker]

I went by the auto parts store at lunch and asked first for a 58 F100 292 fuel pump. Didnt have one, so I asked about the 64. They had one for a 64 292, no 352. Speedway shows the pump from 55-'64 Ford TRUCK 272, 292, 312 w/electric wipers. So what gives with the parts store?

Link to pump I bought at the parts store, leaving it in the box till I know this will work.
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Y-Bloc...ump,41731.html

What say ye?

[Hot Rod Reverend]

Checked your link. That is the identical one that I am running on a C2AE block in a 55 Ford car. It will work just fine, and that is a good price.

It will work on a truck or passenger car, or T-bird timing cover... no difference there. I do know that the early truck (1954 and early 1955) 239 Y blocks had a fuel pump that installed upside down (last time I checked, the speedway printed catalog would always show the 55 and up pumps upside down erroneously). The inlet/outlet fitting maybe a tick larger than the original fuel lines, but since you are running this on a stand, that really won't be an issue.

What gives with the parts stores is this... the older car and truck parts have all been put to a large database just like the late model car parts. Unfortunately most people behind the counter are too young or are too uninformed to know classic parts very well and will only follow what the computer says. Gone are the days of the old parts books,..... sigh..... and gone are the days when retired mechanics worked the parts counters - they knew their parts and could just about pull the box off the shelf by themselves when you told them what you wanted.

Then,,, you have 30 something year olds like me telling you that Ford put 352's in their trucks in 1964... now that I think about it, 1965 was the first year for 352's in the trucks. My bad on that one. The fuel pump in the photo would have been the same model... FE series fuel pumps and Y block series fuel pumps match up.

[Tinker]

The auto zone was about a buck cheaper and no shipping. I'm glad speedy bill is an option, that is for sure.

I just figured that the parts place would have known the pump is the same from 55-64. There I go again thinking they know what I don't! All ended well as I bolted it on and fired it up. And... Hey if you didn't say 64 I wouldn't have asked. Again appreciated.

The pump came with some fittings and I jerry rigged' it together for now with some rubber hose. Part kit was missing one bolt to mount, but went through a can and found one. Running now on the pump no more nursing it. Smooth like butter.

Went by ed's place and he made me up a couple used throwaway glasspacs and tubes to keep me from bothering the neighbors and insuring I'll have hearing for a while longer. Running the car manifolds till it gets dropped in the truck.

Thanks again to all, Hey even a "what the hell are you thinking boy" is better then nothing.

Carry on and enjoy... :]

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by rick55

You say you set the ignition timing by vacuum gauge. 18" of vacuum is about right. The y block generally likes 10-12 degrees of advance at idle with the vacuum disconnected from the canister.
Due to the rings of the harmonic balancer having a desire to slip the timing marks may not be correct. A vacuum gauge is a very accurate way to set the timing. The method I use is to have the engine idling at normal idle speed and twist the distributor to where I get the highest steady reading and then twist the distributor back to where the vacuum drops by 1" on the gauge. You may have to reset the idle speed if it revs too high as the mechanical advance will start to cut in.
Take it for a test drive just to make sure it is not advanced and pinging.
Regards

Rick after a fuel adjustment (being I could only keep idle with a bottle and not work the dizzy) I went after the timing again. I was pulling 22lbs and it was idling quick. I backed off the dizzy a bit to 19 and then adjusted the carb to idle out. Throttle response is great. No idea were my advance timing is yet but one step forward 2 steps back, right'o.

[Tinker]

I have a few questions about vac ports on water ports. I marked a photo of the ports in question. Had to use an old pict as my camera battery is dead and I can't find the charger anywhere .

Vac 1-3.
Vac 2-3 seems to be more of an exhaust port or something as it blows air when running, doesn't seem to be a vacuum port? Vac 3 isn't visible but is in about the same location as 2 but on the opposite side of the intake. Both 2-3 have a metal tube running into the intake.

Water 1-3
I'm pretty sure Water 1&2 are for the heater, but what is the water 3 for?

Thank you.

[2racer]

I have what I think is a 57 292 from a car, it was in a 60 f100.
Water 1 and 2 are heater hoses, water 3 has a pipe plug in it.
Don't know about the vac ports.

I am doing the opposite of what you are doing, I am putting a 6 cyl from a 62 f100 in a 54 f100.

You might wan't to check what your truck has for frame mounts, mine had an engine mount crossmember behind the front crossmember that must have been for a v8 as it is a few inches behind where the 6 cyl mount sits and it hit the 6 cyl oil pan. From pictures I have seen it looks like there is a bracket attached to the front crossmeber that the 6 cyl mount sits on and I have yet to locate one.

[Tinker]

The 6 in my truck is a 223. Same mount as the 62 6er?

[2racer]

It's the same kind of thing as you ran into with the y block.

The 54 6 cyl uses a mount that bolts to the timing cover and the 62 uses a mount that bolts to the block.

I got a timing cover and the bracket that bolts to it that sits on top of the rubber motor mount that should fit on the 62 223, what I am missing is the bracket that attaches to the front crossmember that the rubber mount sits on.

I thought this truck came with a 6 cyl as that is what the vin tag indicated, didn't think to measure first and I am finding out that alot of things on these old f100 trucks don't interchange. The 60, 62 and 54 all use a different front mount system.

[Y-Blockhead]

Water 1-2 heater as mentioned. Water 3 plug or if you have power steering the mount connects there. I have the sender for the stock gauge stock in water 3 .

Vac 1 is manifold vacuum for vacuum wipers or possibly heater controls. Don't use for distributor advance. Vac 2 is for automajic choke. Vac 3, can't see, I believe is the other end of the auto choke line. Sounds like the tube in the manifold is leaking, if not using for choke you should probably plug them.

Since the manifolds are generic for different models (Car, truck, bird) the various ports are either used or plugged.

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by 2racer

It's the same kind of thing as you ran into with the y block.

The 54 6 cyl uses a mount that bolts to the timing cover and the 62 uses a mount that bolts to the block.

I got a timing cover and the bracket that bolts to it that sits on top of the rubber motor mount that should fit on the 62 223, what I am missing is the bracket that attaches to the front crossmember that the rubber mount sits on.

I thought this truck came with a 6 cyl as that is what the vin tag indicated, didn't think to measure first and I am finding out that alot of things on these old f100 trucks don't interchange. The 60, 62 and 54 all use a different front mount system.

My panel has those brackets on the crossmember already, reason I went with the front mount. I'm going to need the brackets you mentioned on the crossmember, otherwise I would have given them to you.

They do look like something that could be made fairly easily, but not so much if you want it to look stock.

The interchange deal can be interesting, the closer the years the better.

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by Y-Blockhead

Water 1-2 heater as mentioned. Water 3 plug or if you have power steering the mount connects there. I have the sender for the stock gauge stock in water 3 .

Vac 1 is manifold vacuum for vacuum wipers or possibly heater controls. Don't use for distributor advance. Vac 2 is for automajic choke. Vac 3, can't see, I believe is the other end of the auto choke line. Sounds like the tube in the manifold is leaking, if not using for choke you should probably plug them.

Since the manifolds are generic for different models (Car, truck, bird) the various ports are either used or plugged.

Thanks YBlock

[Tinker]

Wouldn't you know that while at the parts store a guy with a 56 was in the adjacent grocery store parking lot. I waited for him and then spent about 30mins picking his brain.

Also, put the radiator on the stand now and the engine is piped for water. I have a thermostat in but I think I have the wrong one (it's one I had for the 6 and it fit but looks like the outlet part is too small). Are most of you guys using stats, or do you run with restrictors, or nothing at all? Think I should have at least drilled a few holes in it.

Also do I need to burp it?

[Tinker]

Not much to report.... Little by little...

Some details worked out on the 292. Also I'm going to run it without stats.



223 to pull and clean and paint the engine compartment and rewire and...



The panel is waiting.

[Rock Hornbuckle]

There was a series that ran in Street Rodder Magazine in 1999 or 2000, titled "Why not a Y Block". You may be able to get the back issues. It went into great detail about building a Y Block. I think it ran for a number of months.