Hi to all, 
   I'm loving my 58 292 2bbl Y-block. It's a snappy little puppy and the only Y-block car I've ever owned.  I want to upgrade from my 2bbl carb to a 4bbl. The only thing I'm fairly certain of is going with a CZE-9245-B manifold, converting from a factory single exhaust to dual exhaust with less restrictive mufflers and a cam upgrade that won't be to much for the stock engine. I'd sure appreciate any thoughts on what carb and cam would take the most advantage of the 4bbl -B intake and less restrictive exhaust on my bone stock engine. I've read the rocker arm push rods are a weak spot on the stock engine. Thanks again for any and all advice. 

A cam upgrade is not required but if you want to do it, the transmission, your desires and wallet will influence which level you use.  An automatic transmission limits your choices and as cams get bigger, more complimentary work is required to make the whole package work well.  A cam swap is also more difficult to do in a Y than it is with a  main stream engine because of the lifter design.  You can do it in the vehicle.  Most who have done it both ways say it's easier to pull the engine for the cam swap.

The carburetor required will be influenced quite a bit by the cam you choose.  Stock 4 barrels were about 390cfm and they matched the throttle bores in the manifold.  Any bigger and you need to start thinking about using a tapered spacer.  Significantly bigger and with a bigger cam, the intake needs to be modified to look more like a modern one at the carb flange, to help the carb function closer to it's potential.  At some point, it would be better to get an aftermarket manifold.  They're actually not too much more than the factory iron ones tend to sell for.

Pushrods are not a weak spot, particularly if yours are tubular.  Solid ones are considered weaker but as long as they are straight, they're fine for most stock or near stock uses.  That said, I'd probably replace any that I know to be original simply because they are over 60 years old at this point and pushrods are fairly cheap and easy to get.

I think the best approach is to do the carb / intake and exhaust swap and see how you like it.  Go with a 450-500cfm carb so that it is a little more capable than stock but not so big that it is difficult to tune or driveability is poor.


Lawrenceville, GA

Charlie's advice is spot on.  From my experience you will notice your biggest improvement from the manifold and carb swap.  Back in the day this was the first thing everyone did.  It really wakes up these engines.  The 1957 iron 4V manifold is all you need for a street driven car.  I like Holley carbs. You can buy a new carb or mess around with old parts.  I bought a new Holley 0-1848-1 465 for my 292 and I love it. The throttle response is great, It's a bit pricey, but it works right out of the box. The stock cam is fine.  If you want a better cam there are lots of choices.  I like Isky cams for YBlocks.  Old man Iskenderian has been working with these engines since dinosaurs ruled the earth.  They have two cams I like, the 301333 and the 301444. The 301333 is mild with a smooth idle.  The 301444 is a little hotter.  It has a noticeable lope.  I have a 301444 in my TBird and the mid range torque is fantastic. Here's a video so you can hear what the cam sounds like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udhHN197V_E The video title is wrong.  The cam in the video is a 301444.  My car has a three speed manual transmission with O/D and a 4.11 gear.  I also have "G" heads and rockers.

Changing the cam in a YBlock is no day at the beach.  You must use new lifters and I would advise doing this with the engine out of the car.  I have done it in the car, but never again.   Use a good quality timing chain, moly lube on the camshaft/lifters and the right oil.  I have never had a cam go out on me, but lots of people have.   YBlocks are fun engines.  You aren't going to run down any Hemi's or 427s, but they will put a smile on your face.

I like all the rest like a 4-barrel carb but if if you think you're "snappy" now I'd leave it alone. Most 2 barrel engines "are" snappy off idle and across an intersection and 4 barrels take over on top end. 
With that said look to what Ted Eaton has done using the "Summit" repos of the Autolite carbs. They are reasonably inexpensive and work very well on stock engines right out of the box, plus they don't leak. I would stay with a smaller CFM for the throttle response to remain "snappy".
You don't say much about your car but that's got a lot to do with it. Full size 500 or base model, auto or stick. rear gears mean a lot especially with an overdrive car. Main thing is to drive it, enjoy it, and have fun....

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

A vacuum secondary four barrel carburetor is a two barrel until the engine needs the other two barrels. 

Good advice here. Sounds a lot like the '58 292 Custom 300 I had '63-'65. I ran the B manifold and AFB off of  a'57 Merc 312. Dual exhausts, 3 speed all syncro out of a '63 Ford. 3.89 rear end. It was snappy for sure. Would break the tires loose on the 2-3 shift at will. A slightly larger carb won't hurt. A mild cam would help. I would consider a repo of the '57 Blower cam or maybe a little more than that. Headers would also make a big difference and aso increase fuel economy. Have fun with it.

Thank you all for the advice. Your information is answering all the questions I have on my mind. For starters, the intake, carb and dual exhaust suggestion sounds like the way I would like to go. I've got the Isky 300444 full cam kit, B intake manifolds and Holley 0-1848-1 465 carbs all bookmarked on the computer. I like the header idea also, but after looking around I'm not sure what or if anything is available to use on a 58 Custom 300 with a Y block. It seems like the TBirds and trucks are what's covered. My car is a 58, Custom 300, 4 door sedan. I'm not sure about the rear gears, but the trans is a Ford o matic. I wish it was a 3 in the tree, 2 door sedan, but when I saw it up on Craig's list for the third time (above), I couldn't resist. It runs great and I drive it all the time. I'm really becoming a big fan of the Y block. It reminds me of the 60 scruby Biscayne 283 2bbl my parents had when I first started driving. The same jump off the line for such a small engine in a big, heavy car.

My '58 Custom 300 was also a 4 door. I never liked the fact that it was a 4 door but it was one of the best cars I ever owned. One of the reasons the '57-'58 292's ran so well is they all had the ECZ-G heads with the larger valves.

58s are cool.  We swapped the 58 hoods onto our 57s to get the scoop.  Back in high school (many years ago), I had a 1956 Victoria with a 272 and a three speed on the floor.  My friend had a 1957 with the same motor.  His engine was much stronger than mine.  When he put his foot in it, it took off like a rocket.  My car just kind of moved off.  Later I blew up the 56 motor and bought an engine out of a 57.  We never knew why 57 motors ran better, but we knew they did.  Now we know the heads, valves, rockers, cam, intake, carb, distributor and exhaust was better. It only took 50 years to find that out. 

Another model carb that would work well is a mid 60's Ford Autolite 4100-1.08 series, (such as used on 289 Mustangs) if you can find a good or rebuilt one. It was only advertised at about 480 cfm., but that's as big or bigger than an original 4Bbl. When our moderator Ted tested a series of carbs, using the EMC scoring system, quite some time back, it finished just a hair behind the Holley 465 in 4th place & ahead of several other carbs. (some of them modified) Also, those carbs are noted for being fuel sippers with their "annular" venturie boosters. (Summit carbs use a similar annular setup)  Note; that a new fuel filter is a must...   


Paul