Dropped my oil pan the other day, need to replace my leaking gasket.  Found this small metal tube inside the pan, not sure where it came from.  Cannot find it in the engine manual.  Any one know what this belongs to?  Do I have a serious issue developing?  Also as I'm replacing my timing chain cover was questioning whether to put back the baffle plate I installed a few years ago, not sure whether this is beneficial or not, found some calcium or buildup of some type around the opening, am I hurting the water circulation with the baffle.  Thanks folks, really appreciate the help. 

Lee

The tubing looks to be like the ones used to dribble oil from the rocker arm shaft onto  the timing chain and another for the distributor gear. It must of came loose and fell down into the oil pan. I have seen engines that have them and lot that don't. As for the baffle I don't have one so I don't if they help or not.

The tube is 1/2 of a rocker shaft oil tube.  Here's a photo of one in position.  They drain oil from the the rocker down a hole in the head. There is one on each side.  I believe their purpose is to provide extra oil to the timing chain and the distributor gear.  Mine are blocked to pressurize the rockers.  Do you have an after market external oil line?   Make sure you are getting enough oil to your rockers.  That's a potential problem with Y Blocks.

That piece of tubing looks to be the drain back tube from the side/block mounted road draft tube.
 
General consensus is that those water pump baffles do not help the water flow on the early ‘Birds.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

I am not a T-Bird Expert but I seem to recall there is a better Water Pump available than the Original Design specifically for T-Birds?.  

  

CASCO has the better water pump for TBirds.





54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

Regarding water flow, I found this post enlightening: 

http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic135031.aspx

https://pti-az.com/

.150 Stroked Y-Block:327.25 ci @ >1hp per ci

My '55 TBird overheated in traffic.  A couple of traffic lights and my temp gauge would march over to hot.  It never boiled over, but it made me so nervous I quit driving it in town.  It had a stock water pump with an old stock radiator that looked original.   After some research, I removed the old radiator and installed a new Champion aluminum radiator and electric fan.   I also removed the stock belt driven fan.  The whole cost of doing this was around $200.  

Since this swap, I can not make my TBird overheat.  I still have a stock iron water pump on my engine. I am running a 170 degree wide gap thermostat I bought from NPD.  Once it opens, you can remove the radiator cap and see the water rushing though the radiator.  It's a torrent.  I believe most TBird overheating problems are with the radiator, not the water pump.  My solution will never win a Concours d'Elegance, but it works great.

I have One in my 56. I want to try painting it Black so it does not look Obvious as it does now. I understand Black Barbeque paint will work and stand up to the heat. Any thoughts?