John, you're correct, as usual. Many of the penetrations you see in the block and head deck surfaces are strictly there to support the sand cores while the part is being cast. That's why the early heads had core plugs in the ends. Just there to support the core.

If you look at a lot of later Ford heads (302 ect) you'll see pipe plugs near the valve springs. There were pentrations there to keep the sand core from floating. When the head is machined they are drilled and tapped and plugs installed

http://ford-y-block.com 

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

Pegleg may jump in here about the holes possibly being used for support of the cores when casting the block.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Those blocked passages at the front of the head gasket assist in forcing the coolant further along into the cylinder block before allowing the coolant to go back into the heads.  The FE and small block Ford engines are also designed similarly.  John is right in that if the passages in the Y head gasket are opened up so water coolant goes straight to the cylinder head at the front of the engine, then the back of the engine fails to get sufficient coolant recirculated and the engine subsequently slowly overheats regardless of how good the radiator is.

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The cylinder heads do not have blocked passages at one end as that would make the heads specific to the left or right side.  Aussiebill’s guess that the block is open at the front due to casting considerations is as good a reason as any and very likely correct.  But assuming the block could have been cast without the coolant passages at the front, then the head gasket could be used without consideration for a front or rear of the gasket providing provisions for two mirrored holes were in the gasket to insure a supply of oil to the topend regardless of which way the gasket was installed.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Only guessing it would in the casting procedure?

  AussieBill            YYYY    Forever Y Block     YYYY

 Down Under, Australia

Maybe ford found out that what John says was true and decided to fix it with just the head gasket????

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

Just curious, why are the holes there in both the block and head if they are blocked off with the gasket?

BOB

Bill:

Wow!  This is just like an auction.  We are up to .04 already.  But I wonder who gets all the money when the bidding stops?

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

John, add another .02 cents worth to that!

  AussieBill            YYYY    Forever Y Block     YYYY

 Down Under, Australia

Bill:

My take on the subject is that if those holes were opened, the water would take the path of least resistance and circulate principally in the front, thereby causing the rear of the block and heads to run hotter.  My 2 cents.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Charlie:      The "square" corners were at the top next to the intake.

          John says that's correct. What I'm seeing on the old gasket

          is marks of rusty water on both side of the gasket where those

          passages have it blocked. John says the "open" holes go to the

          rear and closed to the front.(that's where I had them) I'm

          not saying the gasket "blew" because of it(the deck had a low spot)

          I just wondered why these passages would be blocked off!!!

                                        Bill

Bill

Pelham,Al