Since we all know what a Y block is now, how about some of the old timers telling us what kind of modifications and performance goodies were used to make these puppies howl?

How about some factory casting #'s or model crossovers for the performance parts?

Any aftermarket companies still supplying parts or older gearheads with a garage full of lost goodies?

How about some backyard blueprinting and shoe horning stories?

Lets hear from the Guru's out there. I wanna know more!!!!!

Krosati

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 22-Jan-01 AT 06:32 PM (EST)[/font][p]I'm interested...
Let's hear it guys!
https://www.ford-trucks.com/dcforum/DCForumID34/475.html
That's a thread I posted a while back on the blowers that went into (I think) '58 T-birds with Y-blocks.

-Andrew
f250_64(No Email Addresses In Posts!), same for yahoo messenger

Nothing, and I mean nothing, stirs the soul, saying I'm a bad **** like lettin'em rip with a window shaking, fuel gulpin, carbon monoxide belchin, attention gettin, V-oh my LORD!-8!

 

well... the big merc was the king y block... was it the 363?
but i don't know of any stories about those mercx.
1957 was the year for the superchargers, on the 312, to compete with chevies fuelies coming out in the nascar of those days, ford had to produce so many to be legal to race... i believe the number was around 500, but i have heard they produce many more than that number... (side note: ford outproduced chevorlet 2 to 1 in '57, but how many 57 ford do u ever see, i swear sumbody is building chevies in his garage)....
that blower was a mcculough (sp?) supposively the same chain saw company.
Then each year they had an interceptor model y block, in the first year it was the 256 with a 4bbl. it was offered on law enforcement, special orders, and apparently fire trucks (i have a4bbl manifold from a 54 fire truck and the "T" pot 4bbl.
For those of u who run across one of those strange looking "T" pot 4bbl's they're kinda cool to look at, but i wouldn't advise use. Very tempermental, and i'm sure even worse now with the fuels we use now, compared to then.
the one i have apparently drove sumbody nutz, it has silicon sealer all over it.
not sure what he interceptor cubic inch was on the other years but i would guess in the later years it would be the bigger mercx.
This era was when it was discovered to balance exhaust fumes to keep carb rythems going for headers and the like (big dual exhaust). so that most of the gear heads of the era were putting x-over pipes on their fords with dually's.
this theory has still panned out to this day with "H" pipes on 5.0's and will work on any breed of v-8. But me being a shade tree guy don't know for sure what the advantage would be for fuelies.
don't know much else for hopping up on those ol' y blocks, but i do know they were run really tough on the street becuz of their low end torque.
foots

 

Now I'm assuming that there are modern 4x carbs available that will fit the vintage manifolds? Holley or Edelbrock?
I know that Isky cams has several cams available in their catalog for Y-blocks, and flatheads as well. I've yet to find intakes or heads or timing gear sets. [link:www.kanter.com|Kanter] has major internal engine components, stock only.

-Andrew
f250_64(No Email Addresses In Posts!), same for yahoo messenger

Nothing, and I mean nothing, stirs the soul, saying I'm a bad **** like lettin'em rip with a window shaking, fuel gulpin, carbon monoxide belchin, attention gettin, V-oh my LORD!-8!

 

some one correct me because my memory fails me. I found a 292 4 barrel intake but the Holley wont work on it unless you have an adapter to fit the factory manifolds. the only holley that fit was the factory offering. i also came across what i guess was the teapot carb. the old guy who had it said it was a fuel injection manifold ( i have no idea this was better than 10 years ago when i had my 64) edelbrock doesnt make y block intakes anymore. i think offy does but they are expensive ( 10 years ago) weiand said what engine? i will have to go back and dig out some OLD stuff to find those parts again. i had some numbers in Va for people who had old hi po parts for a 292 or 312. my mom has thrown tons of my stuff away. but when i get a chance i will go thru the stuff i have now and see what i can find. i still have a few good contacts in va. anyone that wants some of this old stuff can email me and i will see what i can locate for ya.

 

The 57 models had a 4 barrel manifold with a standard Holley mounting flange, however all the previous models used the "towering inferno" type Holley which was so named for it's bad habit of catching on fire each time the engine backfired. ( the float bowl was above the venturis on top of the carb). This carb should be avoided for all except the purist restoration guys. I would advise anyone considering building a performance y-block to review Street Rodders magazine series that they ran a couple of years ago called "Y Notta Y-Block". It ran for about ten issues and was the best source of in info that I have seen on Y-blocks. It covered reccomended part numbers to use in the build-up as well as procedures and parts sources for the Y-block.

 

Do you have access to the backissues, or know a source for the series of magazines? If you even could look up the dates for the magazines I could see if some of the local libraries have them. I'm interested in finding as much info as I can, and I'm looking to hop up my 292 a little

-Andrew
f250_64(No Email Addresses In Posts!), same for yahoo messenger

Nothing, and I mean nothing, stirs the soul, saying I'm a bad **** like lettin'em rip with a window shaking, fuel gulpin, carbon monoxide belchin, attention gettin, V-oh my LORD!-8!

 

finding a machinist to custom build an adaptor for a mondern 4bll should't b a big deal at all
make an imprint of the manifold and the 4bbl... i would think the 390holley would b all the bigger u would need, unless u relieve the dickens out of it to breath hardy

 

the stock manifold looks like any other 4bbl manifold out there that i have seen it will just be the studs and bore with differences

 

I contacted holley tech. support about a holley for my 312 and they replied that holley part # 1850-3 600 cfm would work. I am running the 2 bbl. from my 292 on the 312. I switched manifolds. I need to do some linkage work before I put on the 4 bbl. but will let you know how it blew up, I mean how it runs.

 

600 really?? when i put a 4bbl on my 223 inline 6 it was reccommended not to put anything bigger than 390 if it was smaller than 300 cubic inches.....hmmm interesting..

 

Ya know, with the cam +headwork that I want done, I think 600 might be a tad small...

-Andrew
f250_64(No Email Addresses In Posts!), same for yahoo messenger

Nothing, and I mean nothing, stirs the soul, saying I'm a bad **** like lettin'em rip with a window shaking, fuel gulpin, carbon monoxide belchin, attention gettin, V-oh my LORD!-8!

 

Hey guys, I'm still needing suggestions here...

-Andrew
f250_64(No Email Addresses In Posts!), same for yahoo messenger

Nothing, and I mean nothing, stirs the soul, saying I'm a bad **** like lettin'em rip with a window shaking, fuel gulpin, carbon monoxide belchin, attention gettin, V-oh my LORD!-8!