Tech & Auto
Ford’s Most Outside-Of-The-Box V8 Engine Design
By HAMED PAYDARFAR
Getting its name from its powertrain block resembling the letter “Y,” the Y-block was Ford’s first overhead valve engine. It received a lot of attention for good and bad reasons.
The first iterations showed a considerable increase in brake horsepower, but the engine weighed a considerable amount. However, this issue was the least of the owners’ concerns.
The Y-block was designed to use high-detergent oils to lubricate the engine compartments. However, using non-detergent oils would clog some of the oil passages.
It would also misalign camshafts and cylinder heads due to a lack of lubrication to the engine’s top end, even when using the correct oil.
Ford addressed the problem, but others arose. Ford installed the cylinder head intake ports vertically to optimize fuel distribution, but this compromised the air intake flow.
While it had issues, the Y-block engine significantly impacted the automotive industry and paved the way for Ford’s legendary FE series of engines.