Hi, 1954 Y Block, 2 questions 1- what is this adjuster sticking out of my valve cover? 2-found his (oiler tube?) sitting in the valve train when I took valve cover off? where does it go? Thank you for any help!
it's supposed to look more like this...but when the cam bearings go out, or the oil p***ages get plugged up, folks like to be creative about getting oil to the rocker arms. I expect that's what happened to yours. that little tube is supposed to go in the middle of the rear rocker support, where the funky stud/screw thingy is on yours.
Thank you so much! Got it, do you know what the adjuster screw is sticking out ? I can't find it on any other Y Blocks? its on both Valve covers they made a extra hole so the covers fit?
white is that funky stud thing? its on the rear of one valve cover and the front of the other? Want to tear to off but don't know?
I'm not sure you understand the point. The valve cover studs are at the front and the back of the head. That other weird thing, rear on left side and front on right side, is not supposed to be there. That is where the oiling tube belongs. Good luck.
If you do put it all back to how it should be, you might also want to figure out why someone added the funky stuff. My guess is it was not getting oil to the rockers, which is a pretty common problem. If you give us more info about the engine, like has it run recently? do you have money/time to take it apart and fix it? etc we might be able to help you figure out what to do.
I suspect its the remains of a overhead oiling conversion. and possibly it had a adjusting screw to regulate the oil flow to the rockers. I have added overhead oilers to Y blocks. and you can get too much oil flowing. The problem occurs because the rockers where ran without any oil and the shafts and rockers became worn. Then the oil flowing from the excessive worn rocker clearance coupled with the internal leakage from worn cam bearings. The engine oil pressure would get extremely low and the oil light stay on when at idle. So we would pinch the lines on the overhead conversion to reduce oil flow to just enough to keep a small amount of lube on the rockers.
What Old Wolf said! Rebuild it with original parts, s**** that funky thing, use good oil. Life will be good. Bones
If the holes in the rear cam bearing are not lined up with the block holes the top end will not get any oil. So spun or not installed correctly cam bearing, equals no oil to the rockers. Quick easy fix is a top oiler kit, that requires extra holes in the valve covers to get the oil from the oil p***age on the side of the block and back into the engine to lube the rockers.
Ive torn down dozens of non rocker oiling Y blocks. And never once came across the fabled spun cam bearing. My opinion is that the cam bearings wear making it easier for the oil to leak internally than to go thru the dog leg p***age where the head meets the block. and sludge buildup from ****py oil or not frequent oil changes made it worse. Some overhead oiler kits you replaced the valve cover hold down stud with a hollow one and no alteration of the valve covers was required.
If if you were well off back in the day, you bought the kit with the hollow valve cover bolts. If you were poor, like us, you used some fittings , copper tubing and two valve cover gaskets. A different world back then. Bones
I traded a $50 horse for a 55 truck it had a 56 car engine with the tea pot carb. The rockers did not oil and where excessively worn. I rigged up a alemite grease fitting on them. when the rockers started squeaking I had a grease gun full of 90 weight and without shutting off the engine I pumped them full of 90 weight. I drove it that way for a long time.
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