I'm considering pressurizing the rocker shafts on  my '55 292. I know there are at least a couple of methods, pinching off the shaft drain tubes appearing to be the easiest. My concern is about possibly starving some other part of the engine for oil. It looks like the output of the passenger side shaft goes to the timing chain. I don't know where the oil from the driver side tube goes, distributor/oil pump drive gear maybe...? I'm pretty sure a few guys here have done this so I'd like to know what method you used and the results before I pull the trigger. TIA for any advice.

I have been meaning to double check mine though as well as check the valve lash as some of them when I did a simple check did seem to be a little tighter than I set them initially years ago.

Rusty I know you know this, but some reading this might not, valve lash clearance tends to get tighter over time, not looser as it might be supposed. The old adage "A tappy valve is a happy valve" has some basis in truth as far as that goes. The valve doesn't spend very much time on the seat, but this is the primary method of cooling, a too-tight valve lash can lead to valve burning or other problems. I really find the whole valve train stuff kind of interesting.

There is a thing called valve reversion where the valve sinks into the head lessening the clearance, probably because of the seats.  I had this happen on a long trip (east to west coast) in my TBird.  Had a valve job done and all was ok.





54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

There is a thing called valve reversion ...

Valve recession ...

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valve recession is posable  but highly  unlikely with a y blocks. cam  and lifter wear as well as rocker and shaft wear,rven with some oil at spill tubes, indicates some oil is getting to some rockers and some valve train.. tho with todays oils from rebuild to high miles and heavy valve springs some seat and valve recession is posable

It's been my understanding valve recession was usually or at least often associated as a result of the use of unleaded gasoline, esp. with high speed highway use and/or heavy load operation. In addition to providing anti-knock properties to gasoline the addition of tetraethyl lead compounds to motor gasoline provided some protection to valve seats at high temperatures.

I'm a little hazy on which engines were particularly prone to this problem, Ford (and others) used stellite seats or good steel on some engines (from the 50s thru 60s) some engines didn't need them? But some engines were notorious for sunken valves, designed for leaded gasoline and operated into the unleaded era.

Are Y-Block heads known for soft steel in the valve seats? Leaded-gasoline wasn't the only choice back then either, seems to me Amoco gasoline was specifically sold as an unleaded choice long before TEL was banned for automotive use.