a few seconds at a dragstrip does not say the engine can run long at 7000 rpm,tho i am sure with deep pockets one could get to 7000 rpm and have decent life at many events, but cost to build would be out of touch for most of use who just want a good running Y WITH DECENT POWER TO SHAKUP THE GM DUDES

the 406 i spoke about has standard fe oil pump  but high pressure relief valve, oilpresur is controlled with a relief valve behind the fly wheel,also no lifter oil feed,as it was a solid lifter design,like i sead earlier it could do a dyne pull  no loss of oil in pan. all 390s had full oil galeries to lifters,by useing solid lifters  very high loss of volume asthe solid lifters have a large cutaway midle of lift,even if 1 used the 332 solid lifters in 390 big volum loss.

We have eight litres oil in FED and oil pan might be a little smaller than original. Crank is swimming in oil when idling.

I builded my own street engine and measured stock oil pan and got 7 litres without wetting the crank so I drive with about 6 litres.


Hyvinkää, FI

I helped a friend assemble a hot 390 for a friend once that we put into a Bullet Mustang Clone.  It had forged pistons, Cobra Jet heads with lots of compression, headers and a Crane solid lifter cam. He wanted to keep the stock oil pan for originality.  The engine had a high volume oil pump and stock pickup.  I opened up the oil passages in the block and advised him to take it easy and never run the engine on a dyno.  He had a problem with the carburetor so he took the car to a "tuner".  They put the car on a dyno and ran the piss out of it. During a number of sustained high rpm pulls, they ran the oil pan dry and spun a bearing.  Race engines have race car lubrication.  Engines out of a family station wagon don't.   You live and learn.

Y's have no problem sustaining high rpm when built for that.  It's been proven at the dragstrip, bonneville and I'm sure, even road racing.


Lawrenceville, GA

i am a big fan of Y blocks,but if was going to run a engine  in the 7000 rpm range it would not be a Y block..rebuilt a 406 in a 1963 galaxy and found the lube system and cross bolted mains ,2 relief valves and with all this changes barly able to hang to gether for a 4hr race,

A good engine with a high volume oil pump running at 7,000 rpm can easily suck all the oil out of a stock oil pan.  I can tell you from experience you don't want this to happen.  An engine that is going to see high rpm duty needs a higher capacity oil pan and a modified oiling system.  I don't know anyone who runs 7,000 rpm on the street these days.  At least I don't. 

Y needs more oil, not bigger oil pump. At 7000rpm oil pan is empty.


Hyvinkää, FI

why the high volume oil pump,not available these days,and if the engine is put together correctly is not needed. I can set vaves with engine running at idea with 20 psi oil pressure with no spillage,and do not need to adjust  valves as topend get  full lube.
FES are relevant as they use cast rockers on hardened shaft. but its a free world and we can do what we think is best for our use.

Just a slightly off topic note about FE's. Many people including myself use restrictors in the oil passage in the head just below the rocker stand, Holley jets do the trick. If you run a high volume pump the heads flood because the drain holes aren't large enough.