With winter sitting in I am back to my '59 project. I dissassembled the motor this afternoon and I have been accumulating parts here and there.

I see from the postings several of you are doing rebuilds now and many have been there before. I was just curious and thought it might make for some good discussion. If anyone is swapping cams what are you going to use or what have you tried? What combination of parts are you putting with it.

As for me, I have a cam from Erson, grind #TQ20M .456 lift and 218 deg duration (270 advertised). This is going in my 292 which is .040 over. I will be running headers, dual exhaust, and an Edelbrock 553 with Holley 94's. (I know, I know, a single 4bl probably is a better choice, but I couldn't resist, this i my first Y-Block rebuild). My heads are the ultra cruddy C0TE, but I hope to change that sooner or later. Hopefully sooner! I will probably stick with the manual 3spd and 3.70 gears. The rockers are the low ratio ones, the actual ratio escapes me now. I am hoping for a modest increase in power. I really need to replace the heads to give the cam a fair chance I think. I guess we will see what happens.

Anxious to hear what others have done!

 

The cam in my 292 is a NOS Bowman brand. If I had 1.54 rockers it is 460 lift 270 duration. Bowman doesn't exist now and nobody seems to have heard of them. Maybe they were a midwest phenom because I remember
during highschool and just after guys who were installing Bowmans. That was way back in the late sixties. Mike

 

I forget the model # but its a Erson cam and with 1:54 ratio rockers gives it a .520" lift and 296 duration. I had to have the valve guides machined down because of the high lift could cause valve stem seal to guide contact.

ITS WAY TOO MUCH!
Kevin Bigwin

 

I'm most of the way through a 292 +.040 (298). Going into a 55 Fairlane with an automatic transmission. Zero deck, ECZ-C heads, 8.7:1 CR, iron 4bbl intake, 1.54:1 rockers. I will probably do some light porting on the intakes using a flat file, and full blown exhaust port porting and polishing with an eye toward velocity/anti-reversion.

I hunted for a cam with more than 110 of LSA and found a shop called CamCraft in Maryland that has something.

They offer a 'Marine' grind, actually a regrind;

208 degrees duration at .050, .282" of lobe lift, 113 LSA. About like a 312 grind but with more lobe separation.

The specifications call for 3 degrees of advance. I degeed the cam and got it just about right on. I used a 'RollMaster' double roller timing chain. It has 9 keyways cut into the cam gear, each keyway is offset 2 degrees from the next one. I got my timing chain from Mummert, but they sell for much less on ebay.

I had tried two different stock-type timing chains but no amound of mixing and matching gears could get the cam anywhere close to right.

I would strongly advise people to degree their camshaft. If the timing chain is as far off as both of my stock chains were, your engine would not run right. The $50 price I paid for my degree wheel was worth the education alone.

For the truck engine, I'm hoping to be able to put together parts for a 312 with ECZ-B heads. 8.5:1 CR, zero deck, high ratio rockers on the intakes, exhaust porting. I already have a new stock grind camshaft so I'll probably use that.

 

http://www.ford-y-block.com/perfpart.htm

I called Mummert and told him what I wanted for my .060 292 with C heads and zero decked and had it in 10 days. Since my truck is a 54 F350 I was particularly interested in low end torque as I haul heavy loads as well as tow a trailer at times. No complaints.

I also passed up on the easy route 4bbl and run a 573 with 94's.


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Carl, what a cool truck. I'm jealous. Does that have a T-98?

What grind did John send you?

And what's in the truck bed, another y-block?

 

Thanks Paul. Yep still got the T98 and 5.14 rear. Didnt get a chance to swap the Dana 60 in this year; that broken leg slowed me up a bit.

I knew you would ask about the grind, now I have to find the sheet and get back to you.

Here is a shot of what was in the bed that day, 3 each Model A/B and V8 flatheads plus a few more T98's. Note that it barely compressed the springs!

 

286 Merc, nice truck. In 1992 I had a 54 F-350. Had the truck repainted and major repairs performed, but didn't like the little 6 banger and 5.78 rear end. Had a Y built and picked up a new rear end. The new motor was assembled on the stand when one night a noninsured drunk demolished the truck. The new motor didn't have a home, so I found a 46 1/2 ton to put it into. Mike

 

Carl, if you're looking for weight for the rear to help soften the ride, flatties aren't gonna get it done. Look for some hemi's

 

Thanks for the info. Found it interesting. That looks like a fun and useful truck 286merc!

 

NICE looking truck, Carl ! I can only hope my 54 F-350 looks that good one day! Any chance of some detailed pics of your dump setup? I assume you're running a pto off the trans?
Norb

 

Thanks Norb. Yes, PTO off the T98. The lift is a dual piston affair that was installed when new; it was a landscapers rig.

Original bed was replaced by .125" plate and mounted on a sub frame., mighty rugged.

No other pix for now.