I have a buddy of mine that is a Mopar man, has a 69 Charger, hemi, etc. etc....

Got to thinking, would a hemispherical head for the Y ever be possible (I guess something like the Boss 302 head)? How much would the rocker shafts/arms get in teh way of just such and endeavor? And would there be any great benefit?

Just musing...

Dan

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

It will require a completely new head. I can't see how it's not possible. Ardun did it for the flathead. I do not believe that the stock valve configuration is not practical for a hemi head so the shafts would not be in the factor. I don't think the boss head is hemispherical. I think they are called canted. The intake and exhaust valves are not on the same plane. It allows larger valves to be used within the same area... or something like that. I'm sure someone else can explain it much better. I read about the boss engines 5 or 6 years ago, when I was trying to decide which engine I wanted to use in the truck.


Lawrenceville, GA

As Gary mentioned, when thinking ‘hemispherical’, the width of the head at the intake side could require some creative thinking in regards to the distributor but just about anything is possible which means a hemispherical head on the Y isn’t out of the realm of possibility.  Mickey Thompson had a hemi head retrofit for the 427 Ford back in the early Sixties before Ford designed and introduced the 427 SOHC so like the Ardun conversion for the flathead, this is doable.  The actual heads are only a piece of this in that peripherals such as pistons, rocker arms, intake manifolds, and valve covers would be required.  To keep from having to make new camshaft blanks and allow the current camshaft selections to remain viable, the intake and exhaust rocker arm orientation on top of the cylinders would have to remain the same.  It would be expensive to say the least and likely be cost prohibitive unless someone just did it as a personal challenge.  The benefit would only depend upon what the ultimate goal is but hemi heads typically allow for increased valve sizes as well as optimized intake and exhaust port tracts that have fewer obstructions and curves in which to hinder the flow.  A potential drawback to the hemi heads for a street use conversion would be the incompatibility with low grade pump gas as there is more surface or burn area within the combustion chamber and less quench.

 

If simply thinking canted valves like the Boss 302, 351 Cleveland, or the 460 Ford, then it’s not quite as complicated as that head could be designed around the stock intake and exhaust manifold bolt patterns.  This configuration would still require something different in a rocker arm setup as the intake and exhaust stems would no longer be configured in the same plane.  Oiling to the rockers would require some imaginative thinking also as most canted valve heads requires oil to be delivered by way of the pushrod.  The ‘Trick Flow’ heads that are available for the small block Fords incorporates a revised intake valve angle while leaving the exhaust valve at the stock angle but this still requires a specialty piston with a revised intake valve relief to accommodate the change in intake angle.

 

This is obviously way too much thinking early on a Sunday morning as I’d be content with just some good flowing bolt on aftermarket aluminum heads for the Y before getting into something so elaborate as a hemi head conversion.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

A remote mount or narrow distributor could be developed.  Or a crank trigger could be used.  The ports could be shifted toward the center of the head to make room.

The valve location's may be able to be changed so that the head does not have to be so wide.  The BMW motorcycle heads are very close to hemispherical, if they are not, and they really aren't that wide.  The new ones have 4 valves per cylinder.  The arrangement of the valves is perpendicular to the length of the head rather than parallel to the length like the Y and most other American V8s.  On a two cylinder motorcycle this is not much of a challenge but the layout could be used to adapt something that will allow for a hemispherical head that is relatively narrow.  With the valves positioned correctly, and ports relocated, it should allow for a relief in the head that will allow the stock distributor to be used.  It'll require some clever engineering.

Lawrenceville, GA

Fellas - I knew that was all it would take - throw out a new "head" theory and away we go...I guess I am just looking for other ideas - it seems this new head from Dove continues to lag behind. I hate to repeat the questions and the whining (but then again, how else are we going to get any new heads unless we make some noise!)

Dan

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

hi guys, why do we need hemi heads when we can make stock heads flow more than most y's can use. i'm all for aluminum, but lets make them a replacement with a little more material for porting, then everyone can use them and mabey some of us poor basterds can afford them, thanks wayne.

 lincoln/merc. y-blocks &mel's                                                               bucyrus, ohio.

How about an alloy copy of our Argentine friend, Anibal, Windsor style Y-block heads?

Pete, one of the Aussie mob. Beechworth, Victoria60 F100 Panel Van, Y-block. 65 Galaxie Country Sedan 390

Excuse me for not minding my own business here. But, Daniel, I noticed in the photos of your car that you have it setting on cinder blocks. Please, get rid of those yesterday and spring for some decent jackstands. Better safe than sorry.

       A  L  A  N   F  R  A  K  E  S   ~  Tulsa, OK    

Not a problem. That photo was taken over a year and a half ago, the day I pulled the motor. Unfortunately, only one of my 3 sets of jackstands was in the shop, so I grabbed some cinder blocks from outside on the fly when I pulled the motor. I do need to update my signature photo!!!

thanks for the reminder

Dan

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

While everyone is thinking out of the box, it's easy move the distributor these days, with crank trigger or being creative, using marine aluminum front cover, any dist. right off the cam.  Oiling the same, run a dry sump, direct the oil where ever you want.  All the oil you want too, Frankenstien lives !!

  

Po ol Davie

Sparta , Tn.