I finally got the little Y-block (don't know the displacement) in my pickup running well, but have two questions: 1. Does the distributor advance like ported vacuum or manifold vacuum? Where is the best place to source it? It's running a modern 2-bbl Holley. 2. Are these motors always this noisy? Mine sounds like a smallblock Chevy with a solid lifter Duntov cam. Do some Y-blocks have solid lifters? If so, what's the best procedure to adjust them?
I believe ALL Y-blocks have solid lifters and have to be adjusted now and then. I haven't worked on a Y in a long time so I don't remember the lash adj. It's prey straight forward though. I'm sure one of the Y-block gurus will chime in. That being said, my '57 F-100 has a Y in it and I'm going to replace it with a 351W and T5.
They like ported vacuum. A good y-block sounds like a nice typewriter. They're mushroom lifters. The BEST way to set valve lash is the way the ford manual sets up a procedure. I'll copy and past that in another post (gotta find this in my previous posts)
If you want I can send this as a PM or email or whatever. But here is the easiest way to set the valve lash. Okay, Start off with taking your engine to TDC(with the valve covers off). You need a feeler gauge that is at 0.020"(for cold adjustment) I used a breaker bar, and a 13/16" (I think) to turn the engine manually. With the engine at TDC mark a line at 180 Degrees opposite of TDC(this is the second point) then 270 Degrees from the second point(putting it between the factory TDC markings and the 180 degree markings. THIS IS YOUR THIRD AND FINAL POINT YOU GO TO.) It is wise to mark these with chalk. At TDC you adjust No.1 Exhaust No.1 Intake No.4 Exhuast No.2 Intake No.5 Exhaust No.7 Intake Now Rotate the engine to the second point(the point 180degrees opposite of TDC)(This puts piston 4 on TDC) At 180 Degrees opposite of TDC you adjust No.6 Exhaust No.4 Intake No.8 Exhaust No.5 Intake Rotate the engine 270 degrees, putting you on the third marking.(the marking between tdc and 180 degrees opposite of tdc)(No.3 Piston is now on TDC) At 270 past 180 degrees opposite of TDC adjust No.2 Exhaust No.3 Intake No.3 Exhaust No.6 Intake No.7 Exhaust No.8 Intake Remember that y-block valves are(from front to rear) E-I-I-E-E-I-I-E and that the cyl. No.s go from 1-2-3-4(right bank) 5-6-7-8(left bank) Also note, that this is only the preliminary adjustment, and that a final adjustment should be made after running the engine for 30 minutes, and should be a 0.019". That being said, I have mine adjusted cold at 0.020" and it sounds like a really quite typewriter. If you have any questions, just ask. It's no problem for me to break out the manual again
What distributor do you have - the pre 57 or post 56? If the earlier one, get a later distributor with the later carb, otherwise the car will not run properly. If you have a later carb, you probably have the correct vacuum port on the carb.
Thanks, Paul2748. How would I know an early distributor from a late one? Is there an easy visual clue?
missysdad1, The cap is smaller on the older dist. & if you look at the points the older ones have a straight mounting base & the newer set have a curved base like the ford points all the way till 1973
The base of the distributor should also be stamped with an ID number if it's original. Rebuilders sometimes remove it. I think I have the cross ref #s for them if you need to check it.
See if you can print what Custom Crestline wrote above and keep it. I will add to it only this; because the rocker arms usually get a wear pocket, I use a smaller feeler gauge. I adjust them to .017 or .016 and they are quiet and run like that for years.
Here is a picture of the '57 and up distributor; Early Y-Block distributors were vacuum only units referred to as Load-o-matic. These distributors picked up a vacuum signal from the carburetor and varied advance based on engine demand. The Load-o-matic distributors will not work with modified engines! Usually the early distributors have metal tags to identify the part number. When the cap is removed the advance springs are visible. These distributors were used from 1954-1956. 1956 4bbl. cars used a dual diaphragm advance unit. Beginning in 1957 centrifugal advance was added. The body of the distributor is thicker and the springs are no longer visible with the cap removed. The rotor can be turned and will then spring back to it's static position. Part numbers are stamped into the body . These distributors used a full diameter breaker plate which rotates on ball bearings. The vacuum advance arm is straight. Points cap and rotor will not interchange with the '54-'56 distributors. About 1959 the ball bearing breaker plate was replaced with a hinged plate which pivots on a single pin. The vacuum advance arm is curved. These units use the same points, cap and rotor as the '57-'59 units and later 289-302. 12127 is the identifier for a distributor. The last two digits indicate actual application. YEARS PART NUMBER 1957-59 FEK or FEH 12127 Ball bearing breaker plate 1959 B9AF or B9TF 12127 Hinged breaker plate 1960 C0AF or C0TF 12127 " 1961 C1AF or C1TF 12127 " 1962 C2AF or C2TF 12127 " 1963 C3TF 12127 " 1964 C3TF 12127 " Late and service replacement distributors use the 289 style triangular body with o-ring seal. Not all of these numbers may actually exist.
The easiest way to tell the distributors apart is looking inside. The 49-56 had a spring on top of the points plate, the 57 and later had no springs on top of the points plate. Plus the difference on the points base mentioned above.
This is the absolute best/easiest way to lash Y-block valves I have ever used. I didn't write this novel, Walt Nuckels did... Y-Block enthusiast, let’s talk valve lash. As y-blocks have no hydraulic lifters, it is necessary to adjust the tappets quit often. Unfortunately, the use of a feeler gauge is satisfactory only if the rocker faces are in good condition. If the rocker faces have wear pockets, from contacting the valve stem, the use of a feeler gauge will provide results which are little better than calculated guessing, as the gap will always be greater than the thickness of the feeler gauge due to said condition. About fifty years ago when solid lifters were most common, a tool was developed for adjusting valve lash, utilizing a dial indicator, called a P&G Valve Gapper. These tools were supplied with specific adapters for different makes of engines, including y-block Fords, by P&G manufacturing co. of Portland, Or., but to the best of my knowledge they no longer exist. Can anyone expand on the existence of this company or a source of this tool, or parts thereof? I have found a few at swap meets but not in the last decade. This is the finest tool ever developed for adjusting solid lifter equipped overhead tappets as anyone who owns one would testify. For those of you without the luxury of such a precision tool, may I suggest a very satisfactory method alternative to feeler gauges anyone can perform without special tools. The tappet adjust screw is 20 threads per inch thus 1 full turn represents .050” of linear travel. It works just like a micrometer. Multiply 1 turn of travel times existing rocker ratio. Example, .050” X 1.54 = .077”. As you can deduct, one full turn of the adjust screw used in a 1.54 ratio rocker will represent .077” of tappet clearance. Now divide one turn of tappet clearance i.e, .077” by 60 as in the 60 minuets of a clock face. This number is .001283” = 1 minute of clock face rotation. Thus 15 minuets of rotation will =.0192” Very close to .019” which is the specification for valve tappet clearance on 292 and 312 engines. 15 minutes clock rotation = 90 degrees rotation, an increment most auto enthusiast can easily estimate quit closely. Get into the engine, with the lifter all the down obtain some tappet clearance then carefully rotate the adjust screw clockwise to obtain .000’ valve lash. Just touching but not depressing the valve. Now rotate the adjust screw counterclockwise 90 degrees. The resulting clearance should be very, very close to .019” regardless of rocker arm face wear. If adjusting 1.43 ratio rockers rotate the adjust screw 16 min. of rotation ccw. To obtain .01906” clearance. Very, very ,very close. In order to determine the ratio of said rocker, observe the # on the side. 1.54 rockers are marked ECG 6564-B2 or –B1. I am led to believe any rocker with a B1 or B2 suffix will be a 1.54 ratio rocker and all those without suffixes will be 1.43 ratio. There you have it, Hope it helps...
Very cool, 55Brodie, and very quick and easy. Obtain zero lash, then rotate 1/4 turn and lock it down. It can't get much easier than that, can it. Thanks very much!
Woah, that is really slick. Is that from the Y-block manual? I'm gonna ask a stupid (and obvious) question. When doing it that way, do you have to bring every cylinder to TDC? I would ***ume so?
No, it's not from a manual. It is from the great (now deceased) Walt Nuckles personal Y-block experiences. Some of his other gems can be found here: http://y-blocksforever.com/tech/html/nuckels.html
And no, each cylinder does not need to be TDC, just make certain the valve you are working on is on the base circle of the cam.
The Jalopy Journal
