Before anyone can give any advice that has any value we need some more information about the car and just what kind of performance you want to improve. Off the line, top end, on the road?

Stick and how many gears 3,4, or 5? Rear axle ratio? If FOM stock or FMX additions?

The very informative test that Ted Eaton did on exhaust manifolds convinced me that headers made more noise and heat than HP.

The car magazines are for the most part trying to sell the product that pay to advertise so be very skeptic of the things they say.

 So please tell us more. Pete

It has a T10 4 speed which like the engine is unknown internally, don't have a clue about the rear end ratio, it works fine in combiation.  Drives like a 56, sounds like a 56 and that is really what I'm after.  It will be a cruiser work in progress for many years is the plan, built to achieve my highest level of enjoyment.

Not sure that helps you much, thanks for helping me through this thought process.

Basic answer is, mummert intake, fix your 600 holley, fit ignition you mention, then tune it and you should be in the ballpark and improve from there.

AussieBill, what is ballpark? and why not put the headers on it now?

This is the thinking, headers yes, intake yes, get what I can, going to use the Holley and plug the crossover, hoping it may have something to do with the leak.  When I say leak I mean an annoying manifold stain in the front doesn't really drip, but must at sometime because of staining.

Thanks for thoughts this is helping, ordered some gaskets looking for the rubber valve cover gonna have to search old posts sure I read it.

There is a project on the west coast to build some correct, in car headers for our cars. Not sure of the current status. I believe Jardeen was working on the design. Jerry Christensen has a set he made that will fit and do breathe but due to low production numbers they are sort of expensive.

I would suggest you look for the later manifold that will accept the Holley directly, the same with exhaust manifolds. clean up the runners with a grinder and port match them to the heads. Then the MSD electronic ignition. It has vacum advance where the Mallory does not.

Hope this helps. You might want to EMAIL Ted Eaton for his suggestions. He is one of the top Y-Block builders at the current time. He's the one that ran all the dyno tests. Chuck

What have you got? You've mentioned a "A" manifold with a leaking Holley, You've mentioned a offy with triple 94's you've bought a MSD 8383 but what dizzy are you currently running.

If you have a standard 56 312 making it more crisp and to boost Hp is really easy and you don't need to spend up big. Really this subject has been handled so may times a simple search will find many posts. A standard 56 will respond nicely to a 57 or later distributor the 8383 is probably better. This will require a carb with timed vacuum or you can run direct but you will need to set the distributor up for it. Really it may only yield 10-20hp but it will feel like much more.

For carb 312 (engine capacity) x 5500 (maximum RPM)/2 (ever second down stroke is a intake stroke)/1728 (cubic inches to cubic feet)  496cfm which is the mean carburetor size for you engine. A smaller carb will give you better economy crisper throttle easier driving and larger carb will give better top end at the expense of bottom end. Remembering a standard cam favors bottom end. If you want to run a 4 barrel a 390, 450, 500 or a 600 with vacuum secondarys is all you need.  A bigger carb will not make it run hard, just the opposite.

Have a look at http://www.y-blocksforever.com/forums/Topic55379-3-1.aspx?Highlight=exhaust+test  unfortunately there is not a lot of headers around for a 56 car. Mummert has one on the way and I don't know if sanderson got a car to get some dimensions off.

If you have a offy with 94's or a "A" with a later holley try them first  with your 8383 and then come back with I want this or that.

cheers

Warren

As others have said and I concur the first thing is to get a '57 or later distributor and have the cent advance recurved to give about 15 deg max dist advance all in at about 3000RPM engine.  This will allow you to have 30deg crank advance and to set something like 10 deg static advance for a total of about 40 deg advance at 3000+ engine RPM.  Check that the timing marks on the harmonic balancer are correct ie the engine is really at TDC when the pointer says it is.  Since you car is running OK it may be good but they can slip. Electronic ignition is all to the good and good wires are esential. People mostly use Autolite BF-42 plugs.

The intake manifold is an interesting question.  The runners in the '56 manifold are smaller than those of the '57 let alone either of John Mummerts.  But if you are running stock, used valve springs you probably will not be turning the engine that fast anyhow so the smaller runners do not hurt as much. I would recommend that you take the tapered adaptor and grind out the 4 holes to become two long slots in both the adaptor and the manifold.  Then look down into the manifold and you will see a'pinch point' where the lower runner dives under the upper runner.  This chokes off that area and can be ground out quite a bit. Then put at least a 1/2" plastic 4 hole spacer under the carb. Don't use the OFFY manifold.

You need to check the pushrods,  If they are about 1/4" dia they are the solid type and are pretty useless, any tubular pushrods are better even cheap chain store ones if you can still get them.

You don't say how the '56 came to have '57 ECZ-G heads.  However the engine could be an 292 or even a 272 and it would be difficult to tell.

BTW I am going to try to send you a personal message please check fo one

Again, until you are a lot clearer on your objective the unlimited possibilities here are overwhelming.

Start by finding out the axle ratio of your car. If your car does not have a tachometer then get one and see what RPM you use in the driving range you wish to improve the most.

It could be that a rear gear change will be the "best" choice. Or a camshaft change or a NO2 kit of FILL IN THE BLANK.

Until you can say what your after its just a guessing game. Pete

Bought the car built like it is with no history, runs fine as is, it is a 312 B7ME, maybe that BM part meant boat motor, some say maybe.  It was born a six cylinder in Long Beach by the plate. It does have the later distributor but it will be on the shelf, the MSD 8383 with wires on the way from Jegs, $530. 

Pete I don't really have a target improvement area, grew up with Fords two 57 300s at $25 each were my first cars, recapped tires, filtered oil, and gas at 25 cents a gallon.  Lose a tranny and buy another car, thats how it was 1965 when I started driving.   Car will be used as a cruiser, have other cars so don't care about mileage, not going to race anything just trying to stay ahead of the grim reaper.  Looking to make it as powerful as possible without addressing the lower end.

Headers appear to be out for now based on value, and it has the late model exhaust.  I thought I read an Eaton test on car headers that was a marked improvement for the passenger cars, still hope they're available now or coming soon.

Timing is being addressed, only had two timing marks on damper but ran well at the advance mark.  Bought a tape to apply to damper and will have better look at where this unit will set up.

Question now is Mummert or no Mummert manifold, and I'm leaning toward the purchase, will be an improvement and fit well if I later decide to go futher. 

Having a time with the site losing messages hope this one goes.

Sounds like you are well on the way. The Mummert manifolds are a definate improvement. I know there is a current waiting list so I would get on it! The other thing that will really wake up the car would be a set of gears although the 6 cyl may have come with 4:10's anyway. Sounds like a great project. Chuck

Doug T, solid push rods, will look to change them out now, manifold and valve covers are off to change the valley pan which was leaking and started this, along with the timing and accurate TDC, going to do anything good while I'm in here thanks for the heads up. 

Left message for Mummert about manifold will report back on the wait, got my fingers crossed.

The rear end is a 56 with a 3.73 ratio on the tag, right now it's OK with the T10, but we'll see what happens as progress is made with the motor, need more wheel time to really make decisions.

The B7ME makes me curious about cams, if in fact engineered as a marine application would Ford have specifically designed or chosen a particular cam?  Boat motors are in general torque motors to enable plane, just thinking, doesn't seem to be alot of info on the B7ME.

Thanks to all

My plans for a Mummert manifold are on hold for a couple months, so I bought a B manifold on the auction site, and I'll have a little time to figure out the headers.

Thanks

Also this from Mummert and COLORMATCH, "B7ME 312 cu. in. V8 1962? later 312 replacement block. C2AE main webs. Only example seen was a marine." 

I guess it really doesn't matter, but if I was a cat my curiosity would be lethal.