Why a Y-Block? Here on film are Ford spokesman Bob Maxwell and a crack team of Ford engineers to explain the new 1954 Ford overhead-valve V8.
The 1954 Ford Y-Block V8 wasn’t the Ford Motor Company’s first attempt at a modern, overhead-valve engine. In 1952, the company tested its engineering skills with a new OHV, high-compression Lincoln V8, and also introduced a new 215 cubic-inch OHV inline six—and it actually outperformed the venerable Flathead V8 introduced way back in 1932. The V8 that came next, and finally retired the old Flathead for good, initially displaced 239 cubic inches and featured a deep-skirted crankcase that gave the engine its name: Y-Block.
Why a Y-Block? The flathead V8’s cylinder block extended down only to the crankshaft centerline—a compact, lightweight design, but not terribly rigid since the crankshaft and driveline were supported through only 180 degrees. (Among others, the small-block Chevy V8 shared this configuration.) As a result, all through the Flathead V8 years (1932-1953), Ford engineers struggled to manage clutch chatter, drivetrain shudder, and related issues.
The Y-Block solved the problem with good old engineering overkill, as the stiff, deep-skirted block casting stabilized the bell housing and transmission once and for all. In fact, the Y-Block gave tireless service even in big, heavy-duty Ford trucks well into the 1960s, and in South American Ford vehicles well into the 1980s.
In this original factory footage from 1954, actual Ford engineers come on screen to sing the praises of the new Y-Block V8, touting the benefits of the deep-skirted block, the short-stroke, low-friction architecture, and an advanced combustion chamber design with generous squish area. No PR fluff here. In this case, it was all true. Video follows.
The Y-Block 358 Lincoln engine in the Continental Mark II is one of the smoothest-running engines I’ve encounter. You would never want to set a car this low, but we’ve had them idling at 350 rpm. That’s so slow you can see the fan blades. My mechanical partner is a RR mechanic and has nothing but nice things to say about the Y-Block.
My mom had a 1956 Victoria 4 door when she met my dad in the late 50’s I can remember riding all around in that car as a kid. Sadly it was destroyed when my grandfather was T-Boned in it by a careless driver in 1968.
The Ford Y-Block was an excellent, over-engineered design. It was discontinued because it was limited in displacement and expensive to manufacture. The engine itself was quite sound.
They seemed to overl look top end oiling . Those rockers starved for oil that led to those oil lines had to be run to valve covers to quite those dry noisy rockers!
So many say the LS is a copy!
The old Y block though was heavy and not very powerfull. Smooth and quiet though that exhaust manifold crossover was a killer.
And Ford was not true to its own story as every other Ford since has been a crank centreline engine.
The Ford Coyote 5.0 is also a Y block.
Lots of Y-block engines in that era. The old Buick Nailhead definitely along with all the Mopar Hemi and Big Block engines both 1st and 2nd gen.
The Ford FE was a Y block. So was the 1915 Cadillac. The design is not unique to Ford or any mfger.
FE’s were not crank centerline at all. @ 5/8″ below the centerline.
It should have read 2 5/8″
The video left out some ‘why did you do that’ parts of the ‘Y’ block. Like the ‘T’ shaped valve lifters that had to installed from the bottom up. They were all solid lifters too. The goofy rocker arm shaft lubricating system. The oil came up through the block, then had to move horizontally through a slot in the head, then up to the rocker arm shaft. Over half the ‘Y’ block motors I worked on had an outside oiler system installed. And everyone of them leaked, bad. The upside down exhaust manifolds and ignorant crossover pipe.
The ‘Y’ block had one good feature though. It made a great boat anchor.
The T-shape or mushroom lifter is a complete pain to service, but heaven to cam lobe designers. Far superior geometry, makes the accelerations much more gentle and manageable. Done right, it eliminates cam lobes going flat. Model T and Model A Ford used them.
The Y-block was a well-used design. International used it, as well as the 2nd series of Buick. I think that the V-block eventually won over because of the cost of producing it.
I build my first YBlock 312 for my first car by finding different pistons and rods from different engines. Put it together and it lasted many years. Even the crankshaft was from another engine.. Just lucky I guess.