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By 55ebird - 12 Years Ago
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I'm beginning a supercharged Y-block project for my '55 T-Bird and have some questions.
1. I plan on using a 312 block and would like to know if there are special things to do to make it supercharger ready.
2. I'm assuming the Mummert heads are the best to use, but which cast-iron heads are preferable?
3. I am thinking a rebuilt VS 57 will be the supercharger i will use, however i am considering a rebuilt SN 60 also. Are the brackets the same?
4. Who or where would be a good source for the T-Bird brackets, pulleys, etc.?
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By NoShortcuts - 12 Years Ago
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Hi Steve,
I have an acquaintance who has gathered virtually all of the components for assembling a period correct '57 'F' 'Bird engine. He is a purist, so things like casting numbers and even engine date codes are BIG to him. What follows are the suggestions I have made to him based upon my y-block experience and reading of others entries on this Forum over time.
IF I were assembling a supercharged ’57 312 engine for a purist, I would:
1) use a ’57 vintage 292 block (exterior block casting numbers are the same for the 292 and the 312... ECZ-C) bored to original 312 cylinder diameter. (personally, if it were mine, I'd bore to 312 + .030 oversize)
2) modify a 312 crankshaft to 292 dimensions for the main bearings, seal diameter, and rear slinger to permit use in the above 292 block. (see John Mummert's web site in the 'TECHNICAL' section for crankshaft dimension information)
3) modify the ’57 engine block to permit the use of the longer main bearing cap bolts that FoMoCo went to in ’59, ’60, ’61, ’62, ’63, and ’64 for ALL y-block Ford engines. (I believe that Ford used the longer bolts to prevent cracking in the main bearing web area)
4) make a modification of a small drilled hole into the oil feed galley between the front main bearing and the front camshaft bearing to provide force fed oiling to the front timing gears and timing chain assembly. 5) make a modification of the front camshaft retainer surface where the retainer contacts the camshaft to provide improved oiling to that area . NOTE: the above modifications are not for improved power, but to promote engine longevity…
Reasons to use a 312 crank in a 292 : 1) 292 engine blocks are less apt to develop cracks in the main bearing web area because there is more ‘meat’ between the main bearing bolt holes and the main bearing area. 2) 312 rear seals are more prone to leakage than 292 rear seals. Why? Some suggest that it is because the retainer depth holding the rope seal is less on the 312 block and its removable retainer than the depth is on 272/292 block and its removable retainer.
There are several very knowledgeable 'F' code Forum members who will likely have far more information to share with you. Too, there are Forum members who may not have 'F' code vehicles, but they have built or are building supercharged y-blocks now.
Hope this helps. 
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By PF Arcand - 12 Years Ago
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Steve: As I understand it, the cast heads usually used for Supercharging are the # 5750-471s from 1959. Original 57 blower heads are rare & expensive! Mummert heads are wonderful, but too much compression for your job. Your moniker is 55ebird..has it been altered to 57 e specs?.. Anyway, good luck finding all the brackets bonnets & so on for supercharging, and paying for them!.. Might be better considering a high performance naturally aspirated engine..then the Mummert heads would come into play.
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By NoShortcuts - 12 Years Ago
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55ebird (9/29/2013)
I'm beginning a supercharged Y-block project for my '55 T-Bird and have some questions.
2. I'm assuming the Mummert heads are the best to use, but which cast-iron heads are preferable?
In '57 Ford used lower compression ratio cylinder heads with the 312 supercharged engine. Heads with the casting letters EDB-D were initially used, but were replaced in production by heads with the casting letters EDB-E. It's said that the EDB-D head occasionally failed in racing applications with the top of the combustion chamber being pushed up. The EDB-E head had steel rods added within the casting to provide more strength to the cylinder head. With the maximum of 6 lbs. of boost that the '57 'F' code supercharger was designed to provide, my understanding is that Ford made the combustion chambers 82 cc in volume with the compression ratio advertised to be 8.5:1. (Book source: Ford Y-Block by James Eickman)
Many seem to believe that Ford used this same combustion chamber shape and volume, and the same intake valve porting and exhaust valve porting in the cylinder heads used in 1959 on Ford LD, MD, and HD trucks with 292 y-block engines and 1959 Mercurys equipped with the 312 y-block engine. Also, these 471 heads have the same steel posts that were used in the '57 EDB-E heads. The casting number on these heads is 5750-471. In subsequent years, the replacement head from Ford for the 5750-471 had the casting I.D. B9TE. (Source: John Mummert's web site ford-y-block.com 'Head Casting Numbers')
As you move forward on your project, I would encourage you to make contact with John Mummert. I know that he has built several modified supercharged y-block engines for customers. One is in the hands of the brother of an acquaintance of mine in California.
Hope this helps.
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By NoShortcuts - 12 Years Ago
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Hi Steve,
After posting my entry, I just read what Paul wrote and posted. There's a lot to be said for what he has stated and suggested. There's nothing cheap about building a supercharged y-block. -And when you're all finished you may find it finicky to enjoy.
The cylinder heads that John and Geoff Mummert have designed, are having produced, and are themselves assembling... the dyno tests have shown that out-of-the-shipping-box these yield a 50 horsepower gain over a set of mildly ported 5752-113 heads on a 312 engine with a modest cam.
None of us mean to discourage you, we want you to go into this with your eyes wide open though. 
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By Daniel Jessup - 12 Years Ago
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Two years ago I sold a complete setup for Y block supercharger (passenger car bracketry though). You can see and hear it run at this photobucket address...http://s249.photobucket.com/user/danaxjessup/media/paxton/100_4309-1.mp4.html
I do not know if he would be willing to sell it. The whole kit and caboodle is just sitting in his garage (several states away from me).
Some of the guys on this site run a VS57 blower setup (and the SN60) on their drivers... I would trust those that actually run these things to give you the answers you need. Hopefully they will chime in soon.
You will pay a whole lot more dough if you want to get the 57 F code route - the VR57 is a different animal, albeit a good one.
Two guys you need to contact... just google them. John Erb (I think he did the Keith Black pistons). and then another guy named Craig Conley of Paradise Wheels. They have parts and quite a bit of knowledge. Craig actually bought out Paxton several years back and I bought the last NOS passenger car VS57 blower bracket that he had in stock. I do not know about Tbird brackets - I would assume that he had more of those. John Erb (I think he is in Arizona but could be wrong) works on VS57 conversions and rebuilds quite a bit. He was a big help to me for my project and some other guys on this site as well. If you want to modify an original teapot carb, the original Paxton information is out there and it is not too difficult for an average mechanic to pull off.
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By Rono - 12 Years Ago
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Just to expand on what Daniel was saying, John Erb is a good source of information for the McCulloch/Paxton superchargers. I actually brought him my supercharger to modify and rebuild at his shop in Carson City, Nevada and saw more complete superchargers and supercharger parts than I knew existed. You can John Erb with questions through his email, johnerb@sbcglobal.net. Also, another good source of information and parts is Gord McMillen located in Calgary Alberta. I purchased all my brackets and pulleys from him, although his "supercharger kits" are not stock set-ups for either the 57 T-Bird or passenger cars. His email address is rexrep@telusplanet.net. Both John and Gord helped me with my recent blown stroker motor build where you can find discussion and pictures in the "Street" section on this forum.
Rono
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By Daniel Jessup - 12 Years Ago
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Here is the website to those awesome Canadian setups Rono is talking about!
http://rexhp.com/contact_us.html
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By pegleg - 12 Years Ago
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Danny, Don antilla, who lives in Ct. has repo'd the cast iron brackets for the VR57 Tbird, The VS could probably be made to fit as could the SN60.
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By NoShortcuts - 12 Years Ago
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pegleg (9/30/2013)
Don Antilla, who lives in Ct. has repo'd the cast iron brackets for the VR57 Tbird, The VS could probably be made to fit as could the SN60.
Hmmmm... Good info. Frank! Bracketry has got to be critical to fitting the supercharger under the hood of a 'Bird...
I do not know Don personally, Steve, but I do have contact information for him.
Southbury, Connecticut
phone - (203) 264-8301
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By NoShortcuts - 12 Years Ago
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Frank's suggestion regarding Don Antilla got me thinking, Steve.
Another individual who I've been told is very '57 'Bird supercharger knowledgeable is:
Frank Stubbs
Newcastle, Washington
phone - (425) 228-7198
email - cfstubbs@msn.com
I THINK that Mr. Stubbs is reproducing some 'F' components. Air cleaner housings for one...
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By miker - 12 Years Ago
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For several years, I had a VS on my 55 bird. I removed it due to the smaller chambers on John's aluminum heads. I've got a nearly complete set up from Don Antilla, and a VR supercharger. I've also got one of Frank's F code passenger car units on a 32 ford.
Nothing is for sale, but if I can help out with pictures or background information, let me know.
Frank Stubbs is just up the road from me, but if he's doing more than just the air cleaner, he didn't mention it the last time we ran into each other. He was nice enough to let me take some pictures of a bird F code, which is how I reverse engineered my first set up.
south and east of Seattle
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