y-block auxilliary oil line instructions

S

stude3

Junior Member
Does anyone have a copy of the original instructions for the auxilliary oil line kit for y-blocks. I did considerable searching for anything I could copy on the web but came up empty. The kits i am refering to supply oil externally to the two valve cover studs from the oil sender supply hole. I think i have a pretty good idea how it all goes together, but i imagine the instructions have a few extra guidlines, especially about oil flow adjustment or other concerns. any help greatly appreciated. alternate email stude3@verizon.net
 
stude3 said:
Does anyone have a copy of the original instructions for the auxilliary oil line kit for y-blocks. I did considerable searching for anything I could copy on the web but came up empty. The kits i am refering to supply oil externally to the two valve cover studs from the oil sender supply hole. I think i have a pretty good idea how it all goes together, but i imagine the instructions have a few extra guidlines, especially about oil flow adjustment or other concerns. any help greatly appreciated. alternate email stude3@verizon.net
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If you have an oil supply problem, the best thing is to pull the heads and clean out the pathway.
 
When I worked for NAPA back in the 70s, we sold a kit for Yblock Fords that had all the hardware in a kit. I don't know if this kit is still available or not, but maybe you could check with your local NAPA store.
 
If you repair it correctly, it will be a long lasting reliable engine. Just a small change in the rocker system will make it last much longer, and it costs less than a dollar.
 
Ole Don,

What small change that cost less than a dollar are you referring? Any Ideas greatly appreciated.

Thanks Frankie
 
If you have decent oil flow to the top, try this. Remove the little tube on the right end of the rocker shaft. Cut the end off square as close as you can to the current end. The ID is correct for a 12-24 tap. Tap the tube about 3/4 inch. Buy two cheap 12-24 by 3/4 screws and drill them lengthwise with a 1/8 bit. Screw in the screws with a drop of locktite. Reaasemble and run the motor at idle with the covers off. You should see all 8 rockers on each side weep oil after several seconds, the first time some of them get more than a drop ever. The tube on one side oils the timing chain, on the other side it oils the dizzy gear. These rockers are forged steel. If they get really bad, Rocker Arm Specialties in CA. will install brass bushings. I bought a pair of shafts last week for 18 dollars each, from Elgin IL. The hardest part of this is finding someone who carries the 12 size screw. There are lots of 10 size, and most then jump to 1/4.
 
[The hardest part of this is finding someone who carries the 12 size screw. ]

Try McMaster-Carr for great selection of hardware - www.mcmaster.com They havequick and reasonably priced shipping also....Bob L
 
I crimped both the rocker shaft drain oil lines last weekend and ran the engine for a few minutes. This was before I got your modification tip. The oiling to the rockers was greatly improved, in fact it now looks adequate. there is oil comming out all the holes on each individual rocker and oil at the adjuster spheres etc. I would not install the external oiling kit based on what I see now on the rocker oiling.
But due to your modification remarks I am concerned I may not be getting oiling at other spots down below. I had read other comments on google searches such as" some builders prefer to remove the rocker drain tubes and plug the holes". One thought is that there would be enough oil escaping at the end cam bearings to adequately oil the timing chain and distributor gear; but this is pure speculation.
just some added info on my situation. it is a '56 thunderbird 312. the components under the valve covers are spotlessly clean...no sludge whatsoever. we understood the engine had been rebuilt properly in the past and maintained well prior to our owner ship. my wife probaly drives the car about 5000 miles per year in the 4 years we have owned it. Recently the lifters started clacking and so I was looking into it. Some of the centermost valves were .010-.020 out of adjustment. We have been running Rotella T exclusively( I think it is 20w40)
I could replace the drain tubes which i have crimped and install the restrictors. or i could crimp the tubes(opposite) to get a little flow towards the cam-ends.
I would appreciate any input. we plan to put the valve covers back on this weekend. The rockers are perfectly quiet now that they are adjusted to .019 hot.

Thanks very much for all you Fordbarners; you have always come through as usual for many years. Frankie
 
Why not uncrimpt the lines a bit so you get a bit of flow at the ends and retain adequate flow at the rockers.
 
You said you have been running the car for four years (20,000 miles), apparently with no problems other than a few loose valves. If I had this situation, I wouldn't touch anything. If you are not running a high performance Y, the factory oiling is adequate if the oil is changed on a regular basis.

I have stock 312 in my 56 Bird and have made a couple of long trips (one from NJ to Oregon). Everything is stock and I haven't had any oiling problems.
 
Installing the aftermarket oil line only solves half the problem. Stock, its a drip system. If you ever run the engine with the rocker covers off, you may see only half the rockers oiling on a good day. By presurizing the rocker shaft, all the rockers get a taste. If the oil pump is healthy enough to get oil up there, (most are), the bottom will have plenty of volume and presure. Rotella is also available in 10W30, but you may have to hunt for it. Thats what I use. At overhaul time, I grind a small groove in the cam retainer plate aimed from the center down, to oil the chain more. One other thing, if you install a new cam, make sure the groove in the center is deep enough to move oil.
 
In response to Paul2748...... Yes, no Problems at all until the valve clatter started. According to my wife the clatter came on fairley quickly. Admittedly she had been lacking in checking her oil regularly. she noticed the clacking and checked her oil to see if there was an issue and found it was almost 2 Qts low. The car doesnt really leak nor burn oil( no smoke) any more than usual for a y-block.

Also the adjusters didnt seems loose to me. They all took something like 40-50 ft-lbs to get any adjustment turning motion.

Then we ran a visual inspection running with the valve covers off.....warming the engine for the lifter adjustment. there was not much sign of a good oil supply to the rockers. although everything is fairly clean and very lightly dampened with oil. there was not any splash at all onto the exhausts with the covers off. I could see a small stream of oil exiting the 2 rocker drain tubes. Thusly I came up with the idea to crimp the tubes(having read somewhere on the web that others had closed these off to improve rocker oiling). Once I had crimped the tubes the oiling to the rockers was definitely improved considerably. Oil issuing from all the little holes in the rockers and at the adjusting spheres and noticeable splashing onto the exhausts with the covers removed.
I am leaning toward leaving at least partial crimping on the tubes to see if i can gain between oiling to the rockers while retaining some oiling at the drain tubes.

I hope to get some more ideas....group concensus by the weekend. Thank you much
 
I agree that a little more oil to the rockers is good. The YBlock valve train at idle is not the oil throwers like brand x's and Ford small blocks in my experience.

The cleanliness of the interior of the rocker tubes and the holes in the tubes should be looked at.
 
The main problem with oil flow to the rocker shaft/arms on a Y block is the small oil passage up through block and the offset in the top of the block that must line up with the oil hole in the head.
High detergent oil, (Castrol GTX 20-50) will prevent the formation of sludge in the engine and therefore keep the oil passage open.
I have ran many Y blocks over 200.000 miles and never had a problem with lubrication.
I currently have two '59 Ford 4 x 4's and one '57 T-Bird... I have owned the T-Bird since 1973..
 
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