The lathe issue you bring up is interesting. I have read thousands of posts on Y's and have not read that. I suspect that the biggest reason Y's are leaking oil on garage floors is that they have run for 20 to 40 years without overhaul. Improved rear seals are available, road draft tubes can be changed to PCV, improved rocker cover gaskets are out there.

 

I'm a older person, and was raised around many of these old cars. I remember the Y blocks were slinging oil after these engines were around only 3 years or so, and 57 was a bad bad year, as being labeled as having many flat spots on the crankshafts.

Around 1969, when i aquired a 58 ford pickup, and a 57 ford fairlane both with Yblocks, AJ Moore had to put crankshaft kits in both of mine because of slinging oil. So it's not an age factor of the engine, but was a problem with them all along. Some did okay, while most did have to have crankshaft work done and seal replacements.

On neoprene type seals or the chrysler seal many have used that interchanges, works well with those Yblocks having extensise machine work done which means especially the crank saddle area, and crankshaft. Back then again after these engines were only 3 years old many of them were fitted with overhead oiler kits, one of the main reasons is because of thrust issues and main clearances that would be there because of an un lined ream crank saddle bore, causing loss of oil pressure. Unless one is machined, i would use rope seal soaked in oil, because the stress on a straight seal for a unstraight wear pattern of the Y will only woller out a straight seal if that block isn't machined.

But as someone who was around back then i can say, it isn't an age deal here on the Y but is a defect of when the block was manufactured.....Janet

 

I hope no one thinks i'm knocking the Y from my post here, i'm just going by what i remember from my youth. As a youth cars and trucks came and went. We ran the Guytons salvage yard and wrecker service as i grew up, and i still have many of our books and pictures pictures pictures. I remember those Yblocks could burn the tires off those cars back then, LOL!! And Chevy lagged behind, but when Chevy came out with that 283 in 57, it had no problems from then on, but Y block Ford owners, had to carry quarts of oil in the trunk in those days just to go 100 miles out of town and upper rocker shaft oiling was a big problem too. To go on with my experience, all your 50's and 60's Cadillac had absolutely NO PROBLEMS but the Yblock cars were the funnest i always thought. But they did leak oil in big puddles even when they were brand spanking new...Janet