Ford Y-Block – Eaton Balancing

Ford Y-Block Oil Pumps

When the Ford and Mercury Y-Block (FYB) engines were introduced in 1953 for the 1954 model year, the oil pumps being used on those first models incorporated the same pump that was already being used on the Lincoln Y-Block (LYB) engines. The Lincoln engines using that oil pump were introduced in 1951 for the 1952 model year offerings. That pump incorporated a cast iron housing with a pair of side-by-side gears and is known as a spur gear design oil pump.

Y-Block Top End Oiling Woes

A commonly asked question on the different internet forums has to do with the top end oiling problems that the Ford Y has been noted for over the years. Some of the answers are the result of years of misinformation and urban myths and have nothing to do with the actual reasons. And still other answers have to do with the disdain of this family of Ford engines and what the responder feels is the apparent need to swap the Ford Y out of the vehicle and replaced with anything else. But regardless, that top end oiling problem did and still does exist on some Ford Y engines. The occasional core engine does still show up here with those overhead oiling lines on it so that’s always a reminder that top end oiling issues are not only something that cropped up back in the day but is still with us today on the Ford Y family of engines. And I do still get the random call from someone with a freshly rebuilt or low mileage Ford Y that is not oiling at one or both of the rocker arms.

Here is the short list of probable causes for top end oiling issues.

Rocker shaft orientation
Improper cam bearing install
Shallow camshaft journal groove
Soft cam bearing babbitt
Stopped up oil galley(s)
Low oil pressure
Cam journal groove is not aligned with oil feed hole

Ford Y-Block Exhaust Testing

When the question came up as to how well some of the various exhaust and header designs perform on the Ford Y-Block family of engines, the 312 dyno mule was again put to work in doing an extensive exhaust system test. Twenty-four different exhaust systems ranging from single exhaust to stepped headers were tested with each system being tried in a variety of configurations. Where possible, the different exhaust systems were also tested with and without mufflers and a variety of head-pipe lengths. When mufflers were used, they were sized according to the pipe size going into them which required having a variety of chambered mufflers on hand for this test. Except in the case of where the headers used for the 2010 EMC competition were used, mufflers were a deterrent for making additional power. While there are mufflers out there that are not a detriment for power production, those simply were not on hand for this test.

The Ford Y-Block engine

This is a first in a series of articles about engine families and their history/ idiosyncrasies. Eaton Balancing offers services for all types of engines. Continue reading “The Ford Y-Block engine”