Rebuilding 351W

horkn wrote: No distributor belongs at the back of the motor. That's just plain wrong!

Ford HAD a "better idea" A long..... time ago!!! Then they screwed up!!!

And no Tom this is not a flywheel forward engine. Since you're such a big Ford guy, you should know exactly what the engine is!

horkn wrote: Is that a Y block Pete?? Gotta be since it has 2 bolts where they are to hold the valve covers down. Other than a y block, or a early 50's flathead I can't think of any other rear mounted distributors in ford V8's.

Tom,
Yes, it's a "Y" block but no it's not a flat head. A flat head wouldn't have valve covers!!! None were commercially marinized ether.

horkn wrote: Yeah, I figured it HAD to be a Y block. I only listed the only other rear mounted distributor fords I could think of. The cologne v6 and those couple of years of flatheads were odd balls ( for ford), along with the y block.

I really wouldn't say 11 years of production of the "Y" block was "oddball".

Tom,
Do you happen to know why Ford went to a front mounted distributor? I do!! Ford kept on snapping cam shafts because they couldn't make a quality shaft like GM could! Putting the distributor and oil pump drive forward they eliminated some of the mid cam loading.

8122pbrainard wrote: Tom, Do you happen to know why Ford went to a front mounted distributor? I do!! Ford kept on snapping cam shafts because they couldn't make a quality shaft like GM could! Putting the distributor and oil pump drive forward they eliminated some of the mid cam loading.

Interesting, but when are you talking about year wise?

Fords had front mounted before the Y blocks and those few flatheads then switched for a few years on some models, then went back to front mounted distributors.

All of these manufacturers buy parts from many of the same places. It's hard to say that ford couldn't make the cam shafts good enough.

It's a moot point anyway because they are all DIS now.

Pete, worry less about semantics, and assumptions, and more about what is posted.

I am far from a ford expert, but I know a bit about them and they have treated me well.


I'm well aware that the "big switch", or actually switch BACK was when the FE's came out after the Y blocks. As far as why ford went back to a front mounted distributor, your reasoning may not be the exact reason the engineers that designed the motors would specify for going to different layout of the distributors.

I grew up in a 67 390 FE cyclone GT convertible. The FE took the ideas from the Y block, and improved upon them. I've never had a Y block ford, but my Father has had a few. From what I have read and heard about Y blocks, I'm, glad I have not had one.

Obviously the same specs would not be used on different brands of cams.

The reason the point is now moot is that no new GM or Ford vehicles have distributors now.   All are DIS, or Distributor-less Ignition Systems now.

Luchog wrote: what's the problem with Y blocks?

Luch,
Two issues plagued the Y block but to what extent I don't know. Besides my own experience with my 312, I listen and learn from a group of Y block enthusiasts. Every year at one of our ACBS chapters wood boat shows, a group of Y block guys from the AACA (Antique Auto Club of America) show up with Thunderbirds, Mercurys and even Y block F100's. One year they spotted my marine 312 and ever since search me out and we talk Y block even if I'm not showing that boat that year!!

The cam breakage information problem came from this group. One of them is a retired Ford engineer who actually worked on the design/production of the Y block. He said the breakage was extreamly low but when he moved on to the design of the FE block, Ford decided to be safe and move the distributor to the front. This removed lots of the cam center loading. Ford had done lots of experimenting with the cam manufacturing/production process but really never solved the breakage issue.

The other issue was the routing of the oil. The Y block oil goes to the cam first and then to the rocker arms. If poor quality oil or oil changes not made on a timely basis, then the port from the cam to the rocker shaft would get plugged starving the rockers. This problem was infrequent as well but solved with external oil lines bypassing the area that was plugging. Kits are even available.

So, disregard Tom's comment since getting the information first hand from a Ford design engineer is not a assumption!!

Did you figure out how to time the protech? I had to pull mine out when I did my intake and Im pretty sure I will have to retime it.   It sounds like if you get it close, then plug it back in, it will auto adjust it to the correct time correct?

I know, it should be replaced.. but it works for now... so I will run with it.

Thanks!