I have an over heading issue with my 312. Yes, I know, we all do. Talking to an old time Y-Block builder about my issue. He told me and gave me copies of an article from Rod & Custom dating 5/16/03 titled "Y-Block Revisited" and a FIT FEL-PRO Installation tips from a FEL-PRO 312 engine rebuild kit.
Both talk about a FORD TSB in 1955-56 regarding the overheating of the 312 engine and that the over heating will cause early head gasket failure. The engineers fix was to drill two 1/4 inch holes between the center two cylinder bores. both instructions use a new head gasket as a guide template because they all have the two holes already there. (It appears the later 1961-64 ford truck 312's had the holes added by ford) Take a punch and center punch the two holes. First, drill a 1/8" pilot hole then follow up with the 1/4". Next, the article said do the same with the head, using the head bolts to hold the head gasket in place for the pilot holes.
My questions are simple.
Does anyone have a copy of the FORD TSB describing this process?
Can I get a copy?
Has anyone done this or know of anyone that has?
If so, what kind of results did they have with cooling their 312?
TSB to add cooling holes in 312 block and heads
Moderator: Joe Johnston
Re: TSB to add cooling holes in 312 block and heads
I found the magazine on E Bay take a chance to buy one at a very fair price,
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R ... 3&_sacat=0
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R ... 3&_sacat=0
1956 Thunderbird Sage Green
1953 Ford Custom Liner Hot Rod With Flat 8 Motor with Henderson three 2 barrel Carbs
VTCI Member # 12309
1953 Ford Custom Liner Hot Rod With Flat 8 Motor with Henderson three 2 barrel Carbs
VTCI Member # 12309
Re: TSB to add cooling holes in 312 block and heads
And from the other viewpoint -Y Block Guru - Ted Eaton has posted this on another site.
"Those are ‘steam holes’. They were put in the deck surface and the heads starting in 1960 to get rid of an air pocket that could potentially form between those two cylinders in the block. While they are sometimes referred to as cooling holes, they are not large enough to aid in any additional cooling at that particular area. I have found the cylinder heads cracked at those steam holes so it’s questionable if that was a good idea or not.
Those added holes were installed at the same time that the low profile radiators started being used on the cars. My experience has been that the ‘steam holes’ holes are not needed on trucks and vehicles that have the taller profile radiators. The earlier vehicles and pickups with the tall radiators were not as prone to those air locks in the block as those vehicles that were supplied with low profile radiators (1960-1962 Ford cars with the 292 engines). While the Fel-Pro gasket sets are supplied with instructions to drill the blocks and the heads with the added holes if they do not have them, I recommend against doing that. I go out of my way to plug those 'steam holes' holes in those blocks that do have them when using heads that are not drilled for those holes.
If you already have the holes in both the heads and the block, then just make sure they are clean when reassembling the engine and use them."
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That came from the Y Blocks Forever Forum
This is the link to the discussion on the Y Blocks Forever site.
http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic149402.aspx
Oldmics
"Those are ‘steam holes’. They were put in the deck surface and the heads starting in 1960 to get rid of an air pocket that could potentially form between those two cylinders in the block. While they are sometimes referred to as cooling holes, they are not large enough to aid in any additional cooling at that particular area. I have found the cylinder heads cracked at those steam holes so it’s questionable if that was a good idea or not.
Those added holes were installed at the same time that the low profile radiators started being used on the cars. My experience has been that the ‘steam holes’ holes are not needed on trucks and vehicles that have the taller profile radiators. The earlier vehicles and pickups with the tall radiators were not as prone to those air locks in the block as those vehicles that were supplied with low profile radiators (1960-1962 Ford cars with the 292 engines). While the Fel-Pro gasket sets are supplied with instructions to drill the blocks and the heads with the added holes if they do not have them, I recommend against doing that. I go out of my way to plug those 'steam holes' holes in those blocks that do have them when using heads that are not drilled for those holes.
If you already have the holes in both the heads and the block, then just make sure they are clean when reassembling the engine and use them."
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
That came from the Y Blocks Forever Forum
This is the link to the discussion on the Y Blocks Forever site.
http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic149402.aspx
Oldmics