Hi all glad to have found this fourm. Just bought a 57 Custom 300, 61k original mile one owner car. It has been sitting since 1990 so it needs a few minor things to get it reliable.

First I cant tell what engine it has. What should I look for? The Vin tag indicates its a 272. B7RG-108xxxIt also had a bent push rod that i took out and straightened on my bench and put back in, adjusted the valves and now she purrs like a kitten but i want to replace it and has some spares, whats a good source for them?

So far we've replaced the tank, sender, fuel pump, front wheel cyl's, master cylinder, adjusted brakes, exhaust, tires and chrome wheels, battery, outer tie rods, lowered the rear 2", have Areostar springs for the front and converted to spin-on filter.

Car drives like a dream right now!

Thanks for your help, hope to be able to return the favor!

Doug

57 Ford Custom 300 27269 Mustang 302
29 Model A Blown 460 4spd
37 Ford inprogress
40 Ford Pickup inprogress

Vancouver, WA

Doug:

Welcome aboard. If you can't find an answer here, there just isn't one. First off, the '56 carburetor and '57 distributor are not a very good match for each other. It can be worked out, but right now it is a very good possibility that is the reason for your surge. You can find a lot of discussion of this issue in the search threads.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Doug;

Welcome to the forum. I noticed you have a 37 Ford in progress and wondered which model? I have a 37 ford 5W standard coupe in progress also that I built a blown Y-Block for. Maybe we can compare notes sometime.

Rono

  Ron Lane,  Meridian, ID

Like John F. said you found the place for all things Y. It would help if you add your town and state in your tag line so we have an idea where you are located. Welcome aboard. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Go to John Mummert's site www.ford-y-block.com for head and block ID. Should get you in the ballpark.

The 37 is a tudor slantback. It has a 3" chop, MII front, 9" Versallis rear, 351w and c4. Its gonna a great sedan and made to drive everyday, rain or shine. Pic from when I first got it home!


57 Ford Custom 300 27269 Mustang 302
29 Model A Blown 460 4spd
37 Ford inprogress
40 Ford Pickup inprogress

Vancouver, WA

Doug;

Great looking project. You're a lot further along than I am.

Rono

  Ron Lane,  Meridian, ID

Welcome to our world Doug - nice set of projects you have there!

Pushrods - The older pushrods (solid section) eventually got changed out to tubular versions on later engines. They are more than twice as strong. You can usually buy them from "Rock Auto" (on the web) as singles, sets or what-have-you. Length shouldn't be an issue - we often order and use parts from the '64 292 truck engines to avoid trouble with "clerks" at the auto parts stores. The bending situation has to do with the current state of "gasoline" - and its effect on the old valve guides, especially when the engine doesn't get a daily workout.

Distributor - The '57 engine should have come with the later design centrifugal advance distributor, that uses a vacuum pot to provide additional advance at low load (high vacuum). Just a guess, but the surge may be due to use of a rather high initial advance and then a high vacuum signal pushing it too far lean at cruise.

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

I know what you mean about the "Clerks" at the auto parts store, fortunately the one I go to has bunch of motor heads there so they are a huge help! I did order 4 from them and they should be here today.

I will check out the timing. I did a vacuum check at idle and it gave 16in and was in the green on the gauge so I'm assuming thats ok.

Ran into another issue with the cars brakes. After sitting over night when I first apply the brakes the pass front Shudders, moans and locks up and real quick and has a hard pedal. I let off then roll forward and brake and it locks again. It will do this 3-4 times before it frees up. It seems to pull that way most of the time too. I have adjusted the brakes so that when you spin the wheel there is a slight amount of contact between the shoe and the drum. I have looked at all of them and they look fine. The front has new wheel cylinders and it has new master cylinder. Shoes are all 50%+ and clean. I thought maybe they had some oil or brake fluid on them and it may have just gotten soaked in. Maybe should replace the shoes.

57 Ford Custom 300 27269 Mustang 302
29 Model A Blown 460 4spd
37 Ford inprogress
40 Ford Pickup inprogress

Vancouver, WA

Nice looking slant back. Thanks for putting up your location, we have a few members out in the rain forest!

When you had the breaks off did you clean up the drums too? I've had cars act like that when the drum was rusty or out of round slightly. Did you change the brake fluid completely or just top it off and bleed them? May be some contamination in the lines after sitting for so long.

If the hard pedal continues after you fix the problem the brake rod has an excentric bolt where it fits into the pedal arm. You can loosen and rotate it to change the play in the pedal. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire