I'm pretty sure this has been covered before, but it just came up today.  I am rebuilding a set of 1957 Ford Rockers and shafts.  I took everything apart for cleaning and there are no scored or worn parts.   When I took them apart I noticed that the shaft ends were plugged with tiny freeze plugs. I have done this before myself, but I was not aware this was done from the factory.   They are the good ratio rockers and look to be original. Also, they had the little tubes on the ends to direct the oil down the hole in the head.  My question is: Do I need the little tubes?   I can see the tube keeps the shaft from turning which could block the oil feed to the upper end.  I had a few YBlocks in the day, but don't remember the tubes being there.

The tubes were factory installed on every rocker shaft on every Y-Block.

People do block off the passage in various ways to pressurize the shafts.  If you do choose to do that, then you do have to have a way to ensure that the shaft does not rotate.  Tapping the stand and machining a bolt to fit into that hole is one way to do that.  Leaving the tubes in place but pinching the ends closed is another way.


Lawrenceville, GA

Other than preventing the shaft from rotating, do the tubes have any serious purpose? If my tubes were pressurized, shouldn't the tubes be blocked off so the oil will be forced out around the rockers?

The little Plugs in the end are also installed on all Y Blocks. You can buy the correct size Ones from most of the vintage Parts Sellers or match them possibly at local Parts Store. 

  

Florida_Phil.  There has been a lot of discussion over time about pressurizing the rocker arm shafts and eliminating the oil overflow from the tubes in the Forum Archives and a YouTube video on Tim McMaster's website Y-BlockGuy.com

Many opinions.  None wrong . . . I think you need to consider how you are going to use your engine.

Ford located the two overflow tubes for a define purpose. 
- One overflow tube assures lubrication to the distributor gear that is driven by the camshaft gear with some lubrication potentially traveling via the hex shaft that connects the distributor shaft to the drive for the oil pump internal rotor or gear.
- The other overflow tube provides lubrication to the front of the valve lifter valley where the oil overflows down the front of the block to the timing gears.  I LIKE adding the sheet metal oil trough tray originally used on the '55 and '56 FoMoCo y-blocks to assure the oil gets to the crank gear teeth for dispensing to both timing gears and the timing chain.

There are other techniques to get adequate oil to the timing set IF you pressurize the rocker arm shafts and totally eliminate the overflow tubes.  I like Tim McMaster's method, but take your pick.

For me, for my street and highway engine applications,
- I favor retaining the oil overflow tubes, BUT significantly crimping the tubes so that there is restriction to the overflow that causes more oil to be pushed out the shaft rocker arm holes, onto the rocker arm shaft bearing surfaces and out the rocker arm bleed holes and down the push rods to the tops of the cam lifters and onto the lifter guide bores. 
- I also like using a die grinder for grooving the oil holes on the underside of the rocker arm shaft to assure oil flow across the lower load bearing surface of each of the rocker arm bores.
- Off the subject, but I also like die grinder grooves in the nose washer on the cam to assure lubrication across that camshaft retainer surface.
- As referred to previously, I like Tim McMaster's pressurized oil hole in the face of the block in the feed line from the front main bearing to the camshaft front bearing that can supply the oil drip trough tray that gets secured to the block above the crank gear by a single machine screw as it was on the '55 and '56 y-blocks from the factory.
- I also use Vern Schumann's modified Dura-Bond F9A camshaft bearings with the 360 degree externally grooved center cam bearing to assure oil flow to both y-block rocker arm shafts.  Ted Eaton also has a way to accomplish the same thing on all the y-blocks he builds.  Ted's method that he has shared with y-block enthusiasts involves machining an oil flow groove in the block bore for that one cam bearing.

Food for thought.  Hope this helps!    


NoShortcuts
a.k.a. Charlie Brown
near Syracuse, New York

Thanks for the great info.  That does clear up a lot of my questions.  I always wondered what the tubes were for, now I know! 

As long as you have them off knockout those plugs and clean the shafts. They can collect a lot of crud over the years. The rear most tube also drops oil on the cam gear to help lube it. As said if you aren't going seriously racing I would leave those tubes.

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

If You haven't visited Tim McMasters Site its got a lot of interesting Information from another Intelligent Y-Block Fan.

  

Here are links to additional threads discussing rocker arm oiling and other oiling modifications.
Center cam bearing
Grooving the center cam hole in the block
Oil Flow Diagram
Pressurized rocker shafts
Pressurized timing chain oiling
Slotting the rocker shafts for improved oiling
Timing chain oil trough
Adding lifter valley holes for camshaft oiling
Valley holes for aiding crankcase evacuation

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Can anyone please provide me with the size of the rocker shaft end plugs?  I can't seem to locate it.