Rocker Arm Pedestal Caps


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By Ted - 15 Years Ago
Carl Lynn sent me some pics of some rocker arm pedestal caps he found on a Y engine he was tearing down.  Anyone seen these before or have any idea what their intended purpose was?

   

   

By MoonShadow - 15 Years Ago
I've seen several on engines of unknown origin(truck/car?). I always thought they were a factory item. Possibly an early attempt to block the oil returns to pressurize the rocker shafts? Chuck in NH
By lowrider - 15 Years Ago
I've got a pair on my 57. I picked up some 1.5 rocker assys. off ebay. When they arrived they had those caps on the end pedestals where the oil return lines went. I assumed it was to make the rocker shafts pressurized. Seem to work fine I have plenty of oil topside.
By marvh - 15 Years Ago
That is part of a rocker arm oiling system. In the picture the cap is on the opposite end to the return tube.



The picture shows two bolts in the stand there should only be one as the other bolt is the valve cover holding stud.



One removes the valve cover stud and replaces it with a supplied partially hollow stud (only drilled to the horizontal hole). The stud has a hole drilled horizontally to supply oil to the slot shown in the picture and then connects to a thin copper line usually run to a port on the oil gallery or the sender unit for oil supply.
By oldcarmark - 15 Years Ago
Hello Marv! This is part of an aftermarket oil supply kit?
By Glen Henderson - 15 Years Ago
I have found these on at least two y blocks that did not have the external oiling system installed. They were both early models pre 57.  I don't remember the slots, seems as if they were solid. I'll dig through the stash and see if they look like these.
By Hoosier Hurricane - 15 Years Ago
I have a couple made from aluminum stock, these appear to be cast iron.  They are from an aftermarket overhead oiler kit as described above.  There would only be one per side, not all 8 stands.
By carl - 15 Years Ago
The engine these were found on was supposed to be a 63 ford truck motor but after cleaning off the dirt and grease it turned out to be a ECG block.Someone had taken off the truck parts from another engine and used them on this block,probably the origional 292 had blown and they had the 272.It had one ECZ G  head and one ECL A head, both rockers were 1.54 though.The alum. pedestal caps were on the ends where the overflow tubers are normally and the valve cover studs were solid.The piston were stuck so solid that the block and crank are going to be scrapped.I t also had a alternator instead of a generator,the alternator bracket looked factory made but someone might have fabricated them.   Carl Lynn   
By charliemccraney - 15 Years Ago
carl (12/24/2010)
The piston were stuck so solid that the block and crank are going to be scrapped.

Scrapped because you can't get it apart?  If you just can't get it apart, let someone have it.  It will come apart.  You gotta be patient.  When patience runs out, you can bust the pistons and then it's easy to get apart.

The engine I'm running right now was frozen solid.  I sacrificed a few pistons after a month of patience and it was in pretty good shape.

By rgrove - 15 Years Ago
I got 'em.  They came as part of a rebuild in the early 90's from a machine shop that did a lot of work on y-blocks.  I always assumed that they were to keep the rockers pressurized....not sure if they are OE parts or not.  Mine look exactly like the pics...
By carl - 15 Years Ago
If anyone needs or wants the 272 block come get it,its free.  Carl 
By crenwelge - 15 Years Ago
I remember someone ordering some of them from Warshawsky Bros./ JC Whitney, but I don't remember what they were supposed to do. And like all of Warshawsky's stuff; some of it worked and some of it didn't. I never had the urge to install any. I made a point to change my oil every Sunday in those days and I kind of think that had something to do with not needing such gadgets.
By The Master Cylinder - 15 Years Ago
crenwelge (12/25/2010)
I made a point to change my oil every Sunday in those days.


You changed your oil 4 times a month???w00tw00t Sound a little excessive, but whatever floats your boat...Wink
By southsidejohnny1954 - 15 Years Ago
i've got a good ECG block out here on the west coast for free too if anyone wants it ..gonna get scrapped if no one takes it,don't have thr room for it
By crenwelge - 15 Years Ago
Master Cylinder, 50 years ago oil was nothing like it is these days and recommended oil change interval was 1,000. I was commuting to college 95 miles one way 5 days a week in a 56 Ford, running around at night and an occasional trip to the drags on Saturday night. I was putting closer to 2,000 miles a week. My first 18 wheeler got a weekly oil change too. Now we run them 25,000 miles between oil and grease jobs and the transmissions and rears never get changed.