Yes Paul.Its counter clockwise.

  

I’ll add this about cam bearing installation on stock engines.  If the groove on the center journal of the camshaft does not align with the holes in the bearings, then oil will also not pump up to the rockers regardless if the holes in the bearings are aligned with the holes in the block.  The center bearing being installed not quite on center (offset slightly) and the groove in the cam journal being biased in the opposite direction is all it takes for oil not to be transferred to the topend.  During engine assemblies, I’ve been able to look down the oil hole in the decks and see the groove with the camshaft properly installed.  If the cam journal groove cannot be seen at this point, then this is an opportune time to correct that particular problem.

 

I’ll also add that there are some replacement cam bearings out there that are extremely soft and with any kind of valve spring pressure allows the groove in the camshaft to deform the bearing enough that the oil flow is effectively blocked.   Bearing material is pushed into the groove of the cam blocking the oil flow.

 

Grooving the block behind the center cam bearing has been the sure fix for all these kinds of issues.  The only problem this has created is the need for an oiling restrictor prior to the oil getting to the shafts as there’s way too much oil to the top end with this mod.  Too much oil is obviously easier to deal with than not enough or none.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

You may be able to use the shafts as is ONCE you get the oil problem fixed up.Mine are slightly scored from running dry and I just cleaned the burrs off with fine crocus cloth.If the inside bushing of the arms are OK you should be able to reuse them.Bushings are not available as far as I know.If the arm is no good replace it with a new one(expensive) or a good used one.Shafts are available from Macsantiqueauto.com or Tee-Bird.com just to name 2.Many of us are using 15w40 or 20w50.I am using Shell Rotella 15w40 which Walmart for one sells.Other members have their own preferences.Modern 10w30 is not the best choice.Lacks certain additives which are in the "diesel" rated oils like Rotella.Hope you get your "lack of oil" problem fixed up.Pretty frustrating to spend money for a rebuild and still end up with a problem!

  

I would have the rebuilder measure the groove in the camshaft as it likely is to shallow. Many of the after market camshafts have about .017" depth. I have seen some cams as shallow as .013" depth about 5+ years ago. The factory originals I have measured were ~.021" deep and as we know they did not oil the top end very well. The easiest way to measure groove depth is to measure the journal, (I just use a vernier) then measure in the groove, subtract from each other then divide by 2 for the depth of groove.

Let us know what the depth is.



Whenever I do an engine I have the machine shop cut the groove in the new cam the same width as it was but deepen the groove to .032" this has given lots of oil to the rockers and still have 50 lbs oil pressure at idle and 75 PSI cruising. I use Clevite cam bushings as I have found the clearances tighter than many other brands.



Teds method of grooving inside the block would also work. Myself,I just have cut the grooves deeper for many years and works also.

marv

Just a thought.Has the end play on the cam been checked?Possibly with too much end play the cam is shifting forward and putting the groove in the cam out of the groove in the bearing.Just an idea.

  

Hello Roger! I would not put it back together until you figure out the problem.No reason this should not work properly on a rebuilt motor.Something is not right in that middle cam bearing or the camshaft.

  

Was your oil pressure gauge checked against another to insure it was not reading higher than actual?  There are a rash of gauges out there that are reading twice or more too high.  Low oil pressure simply compounds any issues regarding getting oil to the top end.  Which oil pump design are you using?  Spur gear design or Gerotor design?

 

I have good results using the premium Durabond cam bearing sets.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Thanks Ted...I get it now! I'm sure I will be talking to you again now that I've found this site and have started building this stroked and blown motor. I do want to try out this grooved cam bearing from Schummans.

Rono

  Ron Lane,  Meridian, ID

The EDB-E block is 1958-mid 59. D-17 doesn't mean anything now. It is just the number of the pattern used to make that portion of the head. They were making a million Y-Block heads a year and needed more than 1 set of patterns.

Don't under estimate how important the depth of the groove in the cam is. If it is too shallow you won't get oil to both sides even if everything else is perfect.

http://ford-y-block.com 

20 miles east of San Diego, 20 miles north of Mexico

Roger56



Did you get a chance to measure the groove depth.

marv