Does anyone know where I might find a torque foot lb chart for tightening bolts down on a 312? Specifically looking for how tight to make the bolts holding down the rocker arm assembly and the tightness of the aluminum valve cover bolts.



Any direction would be helpful.



Rod

1957 Thunderbird

312

For the rocker stands, I use 12ftlbs. The valve cover nuts are something like 24-30inch pounds. That's 2-2.5 ftlbs. If you don't have an inch pounds wrench, use a ratchet wrench held at the ratcheting end it and get it pretty snug. An average guy probably won't overdo it that way.


Lawrenceville, GA

Rods: If you have a Ford Shop manual, it has a torque chart. In 1957 it's on P.1-84

Paul

Rod hopefully this has worked for you.





Regards

Rick - West Australia
Do Y Blocks Downunder run upside down? Gravity Sucks!!

Rod

Didn't work the first time

Hopefully this has worked for you





As you can see this is from the 1956 manual

It's a bit scary to see the recommended torque for the main bearings knowing how they like to break. Maybe this is why.

Regards

Rick

Rick - West Australia
Do Y Blocks Downunder run upside down? Gravity Sucks!!

Rick: Wish you hadn't posted those 56 main bolt figures! Sure as hell someone will try to use them. In the Street Rodder series back in 1999, Doc Frohmader stressed not going beyond a "max of 100 Lbs" on 312s. I recall him recommending 90 lbs.

Paul

Thanks everyone for your responses. I should be good to go now.



R


1957 Thunderbird

312

I agree wholeheartedly with you Paul.

This is straight out of the '56 Ford manual. I would imagine this is the setting Ford used from the factory and and maybe this is why so many are cracked 50 years down the track. I definitely wouldn't torque the mains any tighter than 90ft/lbs which is the torque setting for a 272/292 with the same size bolts. I guess Ford engineers thought that with less surface area of the main bearing cap it needed extra torque to stop it from coming loose.

Regards

Rick

Rick - West Australia
Do Y Blocks Downunder run upside down? Gravity Sucks!!

Regarding torque wrenchs, would a wrench rated 0-150 ft lbs be a good choice for overall use on assembley of the Y-block?

Darrell Howard Whitefish, MT Outlaw 56 Ford F-100's

Yes. Does it really go to 0? usually it starts at 10 or 25 or something that's greater than 1.


Lawrenceville, GA