i just aquired a 58 pickup with the 292 and three on the tree, its a fun little trucl really, first off, i need to know the lifter gaps, if that what you would call them, ie, the valves need adjusted real real bad, think rattles like mad, also, it has a really bad oiling problem at idle, and well, all the time, is this normal??, if so, can i make it better some how? also, the bottom of the transmission has this plate that looks as if it was suposed to be bolted down to something, but there is no cross brace to bolt to, the transmission is just bolted to the motor, and thats it...doesnt seem quite right to me, and suggestions as what i shoudl do about this? few more q's. where can i get headers for this, i dont like the pipe across the front of the motor configuration it has right now, and it just doesnt look very effective. im also looking for a short box in decent shape, and a nice from drivers side fender

thanks
callen

 

The valve lash is .019 hot but needs to be set a certain way. It shows it in the shop manual or you can search this form it was explained a few months ago. Or you can adjust with #1 at tdc compressin stroke and follow the firing order. The engine has solid lifters and will make some noise. As for the oiling you may want to check to see if the oil is making it up to the rockers. If not their is a band aid you can put on it to get by. It may be a cloged passage or a moved or worn cam bearing. As for the motor mounts their should be 2 holding it at the front and 2 holding it on the bell housing and none on the transmission. And hedders their are a few places that make them check out www.ford-y-block.com and look for reds hedders. Hope this helps

 

Sanderson Headers, and Stan's Headers (tri-Y), in addition to Reds.

 

57_ford, how much oil shoudl be making it up, i can take the valve covers off, and rev the engine, and it doenst really even sit in oil anywhere, shoudlnt there be oil everywhere when i do that, and i mean, splattering everywhere?

 

Here's how to adjust your valves, posted almost a year
ago originally... by me...

The easy way was discribed in a previous post, or you could
try googling Walt Nuckels, who wrote the article I posted...

Found it, here goes...

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...

 

The rockers should be very wet. And their should be oil comming out of the over flow tubes on the ends of the rockers. Some people smash the ends of these to help it build more pressure. If the rocker shaft looks wet you might be ok. Check to see if your rockers and shaft is worn that can make it hard to keep adjustment or open the valves corectly. If so you might need to find a nother set and find a external oiler kit I have seen them on e bay. You may be luckey and be able to clean out the oil passages. What kind of oil pressure are you running wnen hot? If you are getting some oil try going to a thicker oil like 20w50.
Canzus, Thanks for posting that again sound like a real easy way of doing it.

 

Hello callen

I have a 64 F-250, the last year of the 292 V8, I have always set the valves with engine hot and idling, both .018, has always worked good for me, makes just a bit of oily mess.
They still click a bit, although the last Y blocks I believe had improved oiling to rocker arms, but back to adjust, I just use a feeler gauge and it should slide snug but not tightly between rocker and stem while running. Hope this is helpful.

Bill