The engine was stuck and after a week of soaking the cylinders and not getting it to move I pulled the heads. #4 and #6 had a little (really only a little) rust around the edge of the pistons and a tiny bit on the cylinder walls. Another week of soaking and tapping with a wood block and still no luck. Long story short, I pulled the engine and it is completely disassembled in my barn.

This is my first y-block. I've spent hours in these forums and have learned a lot - what a great resource for an engine that hasn't been made in 45+ years! I ordered and received a Fel-Pro gasket kit, new water, fuel and oil pumps, rings, and a bunch of other stuff.

I still have a few questions. I will continue to search the forums but to date haven't found this info. My goal is to end up with a fairly reliable driver engine used for 1-2K miles a year. No racing (it's an Edsel!) and no long trips.

Cylinders:

• Most are smooth except #4 and #6 have small areas of surface rust. I removed the rust with 1000grit wet paper and oil. You can still see the marks but it feels smooth to the touch. I would like to measure to see what I have. I've found a dial gauge for $60 online - is it worth having? Are the Fowler gauges better then nonames? Fowler model 646-300 at about $80 or the 646-400 for $100. The only different I can tell is range.
• I'm leaning toward honing and new rings. I have new iron rings and a stone hone but I've read the ball hones would be better. Can I get good results with the stone hone?

Oil Filter Adapter:

• I'd like to remove it and replace the gasket so I don't have leaks. Is it a paper gasket (don't see one in the kit) or a rubber ring (3"?) The kit has two rubber ring gaskets that are about 3" in diameter, a thin one and a thick on.
• Is the center bolt that holds the adapter in place right or left thread? How tight should it be?

Pistons:

• Rings are stuck on 4 pistons. What is the best way to remove them without damaging the pistons?

Fuel Pump

• The new pump (with vacuum for wipers) just has a cover where the old one has a bowl and filter. Do I just add an inline filter or should I move the bowl from the old pump? If inline filter should it be before the pump, after or both. I do have a brand new tank (not cleaned and lined - new and shinny) and new gas lines.

Exhaust pipe valve:

• The old exhaust pipe valve (to aid in engine warm up) is seized shut and unlikely to ever move again. I cannot find a replacement (Rock, Macs. 123, Joblot) for the 292. I did see one listed for the 332 - is it the same size (with stock manifolds)? Can I just cut the inside flap out and use it as a spacer so the pipes line up?

Engine Gasket Kit:

• I know the kits are made for more than one engine but I thought I'd asked about a couple items so I don't miss something. The kit contains a copper o-ring and a copper spring washer (both 7/8" ID). Where do they go? There are also two 1/8" rubber rods about 2 7/8" long with molded flat rubber rings (washers?) at a 90 degree angle at one end. Where do these go?

That's it for now - Sorry it's so long and thanks for any help. With luck I can get it back together between Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Why is it that people want to buy old cars and only spend pennyies doing the engine. Then only to find they have an unreliable, oil burning, peice of crap,  Then spend thousands on replacing it a new engine from another model or make Blaming the engine that they originally wrecked. When it was them who were to tight in the first place?

If you have hammered on pistions they need to be replaced. if you have forced turning a stuck engine you will need to replace bearings.

Really for about $2500 -$3500 you can rebuild a y block removing the minimal amout of metal from bores and journals. It will start, run and drive like a new engine and will last several hundred thousand miles. Or find a good second hand runner.

Do it right and do it once. 

Warren  

Well said warren, maybe not totally in this case but more often than not.

Replacing rings and bearings on a good running engine can extend the running life of an engine but this one was taken apart with a hammer and block of wood.

I don't mean to be harsh, you probably have good core parts, just take the time and spend a little more to get it right. You'll get the reliability you need and be able to drive it when and where you like.

cheers

Warren 

First, I'm not a redneck hack (no offense to red necks!) but I don't know of any magic to get stuck pistons out of a block.  I tried different penetrating oils for weeks to see if I could get them out without much force - it didn't work.  I pulled the engine turned it over and removed the crankshaft and then had to hammer out #4 and #6 with a wood dowel.  If there is another way that would be practical I'm all ears.  The other 6 came out as they should - tight around the crank and pushed out of the bore with a little pressure.  Actually #6 came out with just a few taps.  I did have to hit #4 pretty hard!

The mains look good and I've looked at them closely - yeah, I know to be perfect the crank needs to be checked for round and the bearings plastiguaged.

I don't know of many people who want to spend money when it is not required.  Again, I'm not aiming for a race or even show car engine here.  Just lookiing for something that runs well in a driver car.

And sure I could have taken the whole thing to the machine shop and given them a blank check but what's the fun in that?

I agree with most of what you are saying. BTW the hammer and wood trick is reasonably accepted. Just be carefull with what you reuse.

I accept that you are not reponsible for 40 years of neglect but as an owner rebuilder you are resposible for how it goes back together  

Quote:- " I don't know of many people who want to spend money when it is not required.  Again, I'm not aiming for a race or even show car engine here.  Just lookiing for something that runs well in a driver car."

True but this is one of those areas that get expensive when you have to revisit them. You may be able to find some replacement pistons on the list but while you have the engine out why not rebuild to to the best of your ability and within you budget.

http://www.y-blocksforever.com/forums/Topic62652-3-1.aspx?Highlight=cost+rebuild I though this was a bit

more detailed.

Good Luck With it.

Warren

I just priced oversized pistons and ran into a huge price difference and was wondering if anybody had an idea why. Several places have what look to be standard pistons (not performance) for $280-$300 a set (Sealed Power 1022P) but one placed linked to from parts123 lists B5A-6108 pistons for $100 a set.

How can there be that big of a difference?  I've emailed and asked the supplier but thought somebody here might know.E RELIABLE PARTS COBSOLETE

We're back to the cost factor again, but if you are going to spring for a new set of pistons, why not get oversize pistons and bore the block and eliminate all doubt about pits and wear?  See, one thing leads to another, and each is just a few dollars more, but when you reach the bottom line you have spent more than you wanted.

Real easy, the sealed power are made recently with modern techniques, materials and costs, the old badger pistions were made in the 60,s and are old stock, i use the both with good results, but its not a matter of compareing $ to $ differences, there is usually a genuine reason, you should not start queriyng manufacturers about why their costs are different, that is just a fact of life, some may have lower operating costs, staff, better buying rates etc. Shop around to your budget but dont forget theres more expeirence here than you will ever have and people are trying to help based on that. good luck.

When I ask a retailer about a product I'm looking for info from them as to what exactly they are selling and why I should buy their product.  There is very little info at these sites on some items so you don't really know what they are selling, where it is made, NOS or New reproduction, etc...

Welcome to the world of Y-BLOCK. The people here are usually very helpful and will give you good advice.

I for one, have done all the things you have been told not to do ( banged the pistons out, then re-ringed the honed cylinder walls using iron rings per OLD SCHOOL ) on both 302 Fords and 350 Chevys and for me it worked fine and was CHEAP. If I had the money sure I would have bought new pistons etc etc but for me at the time it did not make sense.

Your plan to get it back in driver status and back on the road sounds good to me. You can always redue the re-build at some future date. Pete

My original plan was to do it inexpensively and if I needed to to re-do it later.  This was one of the easiest engine pulls I've ever done...

The piston I mentioned before is for  3.75 bore 292.  It seems to be available in std, .020 - .060

Everything will be new inside and maybe I will have a newly assembled rebuilt y-block for Christmas.

Lovely If the car has been storage for so long what condition is it? Is it nice and original? Can you post pictures?

Cheers

Warren 

The new shafts and some rocker arms are on the way. Towers and the rest of the rocker arms are cleaned and waiting. The bad rockers had narrow but deep gouges in the center of the wear surface almost centered between the center grrove and the edge. That seemed kind of weird to me - like something hard got caught in there - but how did it get in?

I did make sure I cleaned the oil holes (2 per rocker) and the center groove. They are going to look so much better! Engine has been sitting for 40 years but the top end was not get oil for a while before that...

I've cleaned and rebuilt the rocker arm shaft and have decided to leave the overflow tubes stock (after reading alot about it).  I have a new oil pump and of course all the oil passages have been opened and cleaned.

I'm reusing the original cam with NOS bearings.  The old bearings had no visible wear anywhere including around the groove.  The oil cam oil groove is not very deep (about .020).  What are the side effects as far as oil pressure is concerned to cutting the groove deeper (say to .035) and leaving the top end stock.

Whenever I open an older engine (50-80s) there is lots of sludge/oil build up inside but if I look into a newer engine even with high mileage they are much cleaner.  Is this because of better oils, oil changed more often or because of fuel injection instead of carburation - or all of the above?

I've seen threads talking about tapping the top of the overflow tube stand at the end and plugging it.  That would pressurize the whole shaft with an issue being it may flood the head and/or trap air in the shaft.

I've not seen anything about tapping the bottom of the stands.  Are you just talking about the two feed stands and using the 1/16 hole to prevent an oil pressure drop?