Need someone to school me about Ford Y-block crankcase ventilation : Trying to figure out my valley pan situation???? I have a 292 p***enger car block stroked out to 318 , edelbrock 573 , 3 stromberg carbs big 97's. Trying to figure out the right valley pan for my application , I prefer a finned polished valley but not too sure on a road draft ? or PCV ( which I heard robs engine of horsepower ) or put holes in my offy valve covers and add breathers???? I hear p***enger car y-blocks have a side crank case vent ??? Mummert isn't making then currently ....Blue thunder out of business ?
Can’t help you with Y-block specifics but a PCV doesn’t rob horsepower and were a very good improvement over a road draft for a number of reasons. Having said that Ive still got the road draft on my FE and I can’t really be bothered to change it for a PCV.
this is what i was told : Using a PCV valve should only be used if you are in a state that has laws requiring that all cars are equipped with one. When using a PCV valve, you must seal the crankcase, by blocking the crankcase side opening with a block-off plate. This allows the crankcase gas to be vented into the intake air (by a port underneath the carburetor). The gas in the crankcase is blow-by exhaust gas escaping past the piston rings, and is heavily contaminated by oil mist and has absolutely no oxygen content. So injecting this polluted crankcase gas into the air/fuel mixture under the carburetor will seriously lean out your engine and lose you about 15% of your horsepower. In other words, using a PCV valve is the kiss of death to a performance engine! This is why all the “Smog” motors of the ’70s had 25% less horsepower than the same engines did in the ‘60s. Modern engines today do not use this technique to lower emissions..
AFAIK all p***enger blocks had the side breather, it's on the driver's side of the block in the front. The last of them (only used in trucks) had the boss for it but it's not machined. The OEM oil fill is into the valley cover however, so if you're looking to do a valve cover fill I'd recommend putting the oil fill on one side and add a PCV on the other side. This will fully ventilate the crankcase which is a good thing. The Y-block (as well as the early SB and FE) was infamous for heavy sludge build-up in the valve covers with the OEM venting, which is why Ford changed it. There appears to be multiple options for finned ones: Mooneyes, Speedway and O'Brian Truckers have ones with some offering options as to oil fill/PCV, as do these guys that comes with the oil fill https://www.lakeheaders.com/products/y-block-finned-valley-pan-with-filler-tube I don't believe Blue Thunder is out of business, but their product line does change due to demand. They only sell though certain dealers. Properly installed PCV valves don't kill power, they were standard on ALL cars from the early-'60s up.
I can´t tell you about 292s, but my 312 had a crankase breather/ road draft tube on the dr side. I seemed like the crank threw oil right out of there. I finally blocked it of, put a PCV- valve into the back of the valley pan and had the oil fill tube with the breather on top at the front. worked like a charm and no more leaks.
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Ford-Y-Block-Finned-Valley-Cover-Unpolished,6894.html It´s been a long time ago, and I had to look it up in my files, but I´ve got it through speedway. Looks like there´s only one left, you better be quick, hahaha I drilled the hole for the oil fill tube, which was a Mr Gasket for a Chevy 283.
Looks like a Mooneyes with the optional fill... Moon shows it as available. The Speedway looks like the same part.
Rex has the pan, the thunderbird one has the fill and the PCV opening. Not cheap, but his stuff is pretty nice. www.rexhp.com/valleycovers.html
I got one years ago. A no-name cast aluminum finned version. It was drilled twice and set up with an insert pcv and an oil fill was set in. My engine block is a late model y and is cast WITHOUT the opening on the front-driver side for the old crankcase vent. You can just make a block-off plate for this. , you can scrounge around for the FORd valley pan that already. has an opening in the back for a crankase/vent/pipe. Don't use the pipe instal an insert rubber and then a pcv then route it back the carb. You can get some of the pcv conversion kit from any tbird parts house. I used to see the steel valley pans on ebay all the time. prolly not as much now. You also may need to notch the sides of the CAST valley pan, to help clear the intakes of the heads for ease of installation and removal. This is the one I used. but modified to make work with all the stuff I mentioned. Still on ebay, just now.
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