Have engine and components bored, balanced and decked as necessary to start with a nice solid square platform.

Zero deck the pistons

groove block for oil flow in center bearing chase

Add larger valve heads with VITON seals( have found a nice set) would do aluminum but that is for another day since they aren't ready

57 up distributor with Peritronix conversion

Blue Thunder manifold with gaskets that restrict heat passages

FPA headers ( used on my mustangs and great product)

Modern carb with electric choke

PCV dump the road draft tube

Mild street cam (want a little rumble but be drivable)

Roller timing chain

Higher ratio rocker arms (found a very clean original set)

Large flow thermostat 170 to 180 degrees and 7lb cap

electric fan and modified water pump to increase flow (July and August get real hot in Southern Illinois so more cooling the better in my mind)

FMX tranny conversion

Balance tube and 2 inch exhaust

Any parts not used (original tach, fordomatic TPot will go into storage)

Need advice on Cam and any observations on mistakes I am proposing.  Love this website, the best I have ever been on for getting help

Tim and I agree on pressurizing Y-Block rocker shafts to give positive oil pressure to all the rocker arms.  This mod also raises your system's oil pressure.  You may want to consider the same after carefully examining at your original rocker arm shafts.  (Some members choose to leave them the way they came.)  By the way, Dennis Carpenter sells new shafts for $15/ea +s/h.

For my 292, I bought a Fel-Pro gasket full gasket set.  Now, I wish I had bought a BEST Full Gasket Set.  They're good quality and much cheaper.  The Fel-Pro set had four sets of intake manifold gaskets, and lots of other redundancies that I really don't need.  That's why the price is higher.

Remember to ask for a BEST set with a neoprene rear seal (instead of the rope).  They might come that way, but I would double-check.  - Dave

I"m just gonna throw this out there as some cam information.

I am currently involved in having the 57 Blower cam and ALSO the 1956 Mercury/Ford 260 H.P. cam remade to original specs.

They should be availiable shortly.

I am gonna use the 56 cam in my engine which is very similiar to yours (except mine is a 60 over 312) I assume you are doing the original 292 engine.

Specs on the 56 cam are 300* lift,113 centerline,257 duration.I can give you the valve timing event if interested.

The 57 Blower specs are 290* lift,110 centerline,290 duration.Again I can give you the valve timing event if interested.

I think either will be a fun romp!

Probably $199.00 plus shipping each.You will need good lifters.

Might be of interest to you.

Oldmics

Car is very original though a mess when I bought it. Had been in storage for 30 plus years.

Oldmics

Do you mean, hardened exhaust valve seats?  Modern fuels demand hardened seats.  Some guys claim they have no problem with the original seats because they only run the engine in the city and 'on occassion'.

I plan on driving my '59 Galaxie to Chicago (from Detroit).  My 292 must be totally roadworthy at highway speeds with no worries.

I retained my original valves because they were within spec's.  Sloppy guides must be re-worked and small-diameter valve stems must be replaced.  Most machine shops bore the guides and insert a bronze insert.  After reaming, they do a complete valve grind on the seats, using the guides for tooling.  The valve angles and tips are ground in a separate machine.

USE BRASS FREEZE PLUGS.  They don't cost much more and they will never rust out (from the inside as well).  Marine engines use them, so brass is available.

If you are running a stick shift then you can step up to a 232 @  .050  rated  duration  MA259-1  .495  lift  110  LSA.  I've run these cams and there much better than stock.             These cams are from Comp cams. Good luck with your build.                                                                                     

Appreciate all the advice!

Among other options are stainless steel freeze plugs which fit much tighter in the core holes and do not have the tendency to be pushed out by water pressure like the brass plugs.  Brass just doesn’t have the same friction fit as the original iron plugs so they are not looked upon favorably in this part of the country without additional measures being taken to insure they stay in place.  Stainless steel freeze plugs are available in most common sizes including those for the Y.

It is then drilled upwards towards the 12:00 o"clock position.

There is also a reccomendation in Eickmans Y Block book on page 66 about cutting 4 stright grooves into the thrust bearing itself.

Worth taking a look see at.I can send you copys of both if you like.

Oldmics

I drilled my hole straight in.  You are going into an oil hole with ~40-psi of pressure.  The concern is, not to make the hole too large because the #1 cam bearing needs oil flow.  There will be plenty of oil (regardless of angle) to lube the timing chain.

I like the idea of cutting passages into the bearing as that ensures the bearing gets oil first.  Either method is good as long as it's done right.

I put a rod inside the oil hole from the crank journal, and picked my drill-hole location by eye (it's easy).  Then I drilled the sixty thousandths hole straight in at 90*.  I spread a very thin layer of plumber's putty (or clay) on the thrust plate, I bolted the uncut plate in, to squish the putty.  When I unbolted the plate, the block hole showed up as a dot on the back side of the plate.  I center-punched the dot, and drilled a shallow dimple in the punch mark (for location variation).  Then I grooved the plate from the dimple to the plate's edge with a thin Dremmel disk.

The thrust plate (not the block) gets the small groove.  That way, if you ever need, you can block the hole by simply turning the plate.

Whew!  All that for a tiny (but important) hole.  The chain only needs a few drops of oil per minute.  A .060" hole will give much more than that, in fact, a smaller hole will do just fine.

-  Dave

-  Dave