Hi all.  This is my first post and hope the members can help me.  I am working on a 368 inch Y block from a 1957 Mercury Turnpike cruiser.  I have read that the hydraulic lifters from the FE 390 engine will also work in my project.  Can anyone confirm this?  

On the front of the camshaft there is a sleeve that spins  on the fuel pump eccentric to push the pushrod.  Its about 3 inches in diameter.  The one I have is very pitted with rust on the outside and I have not been able to find a replacement.  Any source for this or is it used on any other engines from Ford? 

My last question is about the 2 brass plugs that close off the oil galleries at the front in the timing cover area.  The machine shop destroyed them taking them out and didn't same the pieces.  I think that these plugs have an oil hole in them to lubricate the timing chain.  Can anyone confirm these holes and/or the hole diameter?  Were both plugs drilled?  Does anyone know of a source of these?   Were these used on the 312? 

Welcome to the site.
 
390 lifters will work.
 
I’m not real familiar with the LYB family of engines but you might look at the fuel pump concentrics for the FE (390) and 385 (460) Ford families.  I suspect one of those will work.
 
Regarding the oil galley plugs in the front of the block, just get the size of the hole and any competent machine shop should be able to supply a plug that will work.  It doesn’t necessarily need to be brass and the need for an air bleed hole in one or both is debatable.  My druthers would be to tap the holes the appropriate NPT thread and install real threaded plugs in those holes.  If one of those plugs is directly in line with the distributor gear, then drilling a 1/16” or smaller hole will throw some extra oil on the distributor gear itself.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Thanks for your reply.  I have ordered the 390 lifters for the motor. 

The plugs are located in the front of the motor and are threaded 1/4 inch tapered pipe thread.  I have some brass plugs that will fit but wanted to find the size of the squirt holes.  Does anyone know if the FE or 385 motors have the fuel pump eccentric sleeve on the front of the cam?  I think the holes send oil to the timing chain.

The later model 460’s have the two piece fuel pump concentrics.  If your engine already has a two piece concentric, I suspect it’s been added as the two piece concentrics came out on the Ford engines in the Seventies.  I’ve no problem with the earlier model single piece fuel pump concentric that came out on the FE, SBF, and 460 engines but you’ll need to make sure you are using the one with the correct hole size for the camshaft retention.  The Fe fuel pump concentric uses a 7/16” bolt while the SBF uses the 3/8” bolt.  Seems like I’ve been both bolt sizes on the 460 engines.
 
If you can post a picture of what you have along with the camshaft retention bolt size, that will help in determining if there is a another engine family fuel pump concentric that will work.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

The fuel pump eccentric is cast as a part of the camshaft snout.  There is then a sleeve that runs on the OD of the eccentric between the camshaft and the fuel pump pushrod.  The sleeve is about 3 inches OD and maybe 3/32 inch thick.  It rides between a flange that is part of the front end of the cam and the timing gear. 
 

 


I should be getting the cam back from the regrinders today.  I'll add a pic of the cam.   Here are some pics of the sleeve.  You can see why I would like to get another one.  Thanks,  Bill

I now have a used replacement for the cam/fuel pump ring and lifters for a 390.

Billk

A 368 is a Lincoln Y Block.



Lawrenceville, GA

An FE (Ford, Edsel) is also a Y block.
Lord Gaga's Believe it or Don't !
Also, Dumbbells are not bells nor are they dumb!


"FREE SAMPLE"

My apologies. Never considered a 368 a "true" Y block when I talked to my T Bird friends.  Ref the 390 lifter question, does this make my old 368 roller lifters a rare item or are they available also?

The roller lifters for a 368 LYB are expected to be interchangeable with FE engines so probably not a rare item.  A roller camshaft for a 368 would be a novelty though.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)