I am in the process of finishing up the shortblock on my 312/333 Y and fitting the windage tray.  I have installed 351W main studs for windage tray in the main caps to allow the 302W rear sump windage tray to work in the Y.  The windage tray needs several tweaks to fit inside the Y block, but does nestle down quite nicely with patience and a cut-off wheel.  This is the third windage tray I have fitted, and it is the first one that the oil pan didn't want to fit with ease.  The Thunderbird pan has two baffles that will need to be bent down to clear the tray, and a slot cut out to clear the oil pick-up tube and dipstick.  Other than slotting the mounting holes, it goes in and looks like it was made for the Y.  Here are a few pictures of the install.  Joe-JDC

JDC

I am looking at the pictures of the one I installed in my 57 Tbird in 2022 and don’t see cuts made for the dipstick or the oil pickup tube. It’s been a couple of years but I only remember some minor trimming of the tray and elongating a couple of the bolt holes. Don’t remember an issue with baffles in the oil pan. I think I bent the oil pickup tube to get it to fit. I may be forgetting a detail or two. It took some time under the car but I actually enjoy projects like this. 

On my 292/345 Y Thunderbird engine, Ted cut the caps flat and mounted the pan closer to the crankshaft centerline.  We still had to bend the windage tray/oil pick up tube with a hammer to get it to fit.  On my 303Y with the truck pan, it went on without a problem.  I wanted this 312Y to be easy to rebuild for someone if it was ever taken apart.  I can actually lower the tray closer to the crankshaft, but would rather space it as far away as possible and still have it all work without interferences.  Joe-JDC

JDC

Hello Joe can you tells us about this engine. Sounds like you offset ground a 312 crank and slight overbored on  a 312 block? Inquiring minds want to know.

This is the engine that was in my '55 Thunderbird when I bought it.  The car was terribly slow, got terrible gas mileage, and had a 2V carb on it.  I built the 345Y as a replacement to install in the car, and it was not until I removed the engine that I discovered the shortblock was actually a 312.  It had 272 heads, 2V intake, and everything else was 312Y.  So I decided to rebuild this 312 and upgrade it with all the tricks I learned going to EMC four times.  After determining the block was already at 3.840', I only wanted to do a minimum overbore to keep as much cylinder wall thickness as possible, so I bored it to 3.850".  I also wanted to decrease the rod journal diameter as much as possible and stroke the crankshaft at the same time.  The rods were already undersize, so the maximum stroke possible with a 2.000" journal was 3.580".  The mains were already at .010, but polished up nicely and I kept them at .010.  I had a set of Oliver rods that were 6.250" and 2.000" journal with .927" pin, so I asked Ted to help with parts needed, and came up with Diamond forged pistons to use with Mummert heads to keep the compression at pump gas level.  I completely deburred the crankshaft, rounded the throws to reduce windage, and polished everything.  Ted ordered a custom Isky camshaft, and it should prove to be very healthy when I get to the dyno for testing.  I have already ported the Mummert heads, Mummert and BT intakes and have a new set of FPA headers for possibly replacing the 345Y in the Thunderbird.  The 345Y has iron heads.  It made 402hp with FPA headers, and I am hoping this 333Y will have quite a bit more power with the Mummert heads and larger Isky camshaft.  I would love to have done an article for the Y Block Magazine on the build with pictures, but that is not going to happen.  Joe-JDC

JDC

Thanks Joe for engine specs.  Before I bought Mummerts rods I searched for rods with right pin dia, lenght, rod width at both ends with no success for basically  same  setup. Are  your rods custom  (probably same cost)? Ted  recommended a Isky cam  (split duration 228/238) that  I used,  are you using a more aggressive cam ?  This combo you are using will give idea how much AL heads help as I remember your 345 engines heads flowed about same CF.  Bill Oregon

The Mummert heads that I have ported for this engine flow ~280+ cfm, and both intake manifolds flows 320 cfm average.  The compression ratio should be 10.5:1, and the camshaft is 242/250" with .370" lobe lift.  I will be using Harland Sharp 1.6 rocker arms and Smith Brother's push rods.  I haven't decided on the intake manifold I will leave on the engine until dyno testing, and the carb size is yet to be determined.  I would really like to dyno test several combinations on this engine if it proves to be solid with the initial dyno test.  I guess it will come down to how much my pocketbook can stand and how much time Ted is willing to spend again on the dyno.  We still haven't re-tested the 303Y with the 113 heads that flow 260cfm to see how close we can come to 500 hp with iron heads and 10.4:1 compression on pump gas.  It made 463 after the EMC with the Mummert single plane intake and Isky cam.  I have used Crower rods, Eagle rods, and these Oliver rods.  I found the Crower 6.400" rods on their clearance site that someone had ordered and  backed out on buying.  The Eagle rods I bought from Ted, and the Oliver rods from a local machine shop that specializes in Ford engines.    Joe-JDC

JDC