Hey fellas, I need your guy's opinion on parts selection for a newly aquired Y-Block. The engine is in a 1962 Ford F100 unibody shortbox 2wd, automatic transmission. I wish I knew the gear ratio in the back. The truck is a real cherry. My dad wants to warm up the 292 that is already in it. The guy that had it before rebuilt it and the transmission. Both have about 12,000 miles since. The truck already has a dual exhaust setup as well. What would be a good cam (hydraulic and at what specs) to install? Can the valve springs hold up to a good street cam? If not, who makes good street valve springs? Does anybody make a dual roller timing set for a 292? For exhaust, do headers or those ram's horn manifolds work better? I figure that a stock four barrel manifold with a 450 cfm carbuerator will do the trick for both performance and mileage. What else would you guy's recomend to do? Price is also kinda important too!

 

The master website for Y-blocks:

http://www.ford-y-block.com/

Everything you need to know about the engine. If you search deep enough throughout the site, there's quite a wealth of information.

 

You need to find out what heads are on it. There were several different size valves. If it came with a 2 bbl it likely has the small valves. The heads with the largest valves are extremely expensive, but you at least need ECZ-C heads. The small heads keep the engine from breathing so to speak.

I got my street cam from John Mummert (website on previous post), I recommend calling and talking to him about the cam, you don't want too much cam, or it will idle like crap. There are no hydraulic valve options for a 292.

You may consider replacing the points with an electronic unit if that has not already been done.

 

The 292 can be built to some real good street performance numbers but as the saying goes "Speed costs money - how fast do you want to go?"

Lots of good info at a nother Y site (below) and again read thru John Mummert's site also shown below. Let us know where you are located - someone may be close.

http://www.y-blocksforever.com/forums/Default.aspx

http://www.ford-y-block.com/

Later
TC
Austin, TX

 

I bought a 292 longblock from S & S Engines in Spokane, WA. They three-angle grind and increase the intake valves to the large 1.92" (I think) size on all the heads they rebuild. They also put in 95# valve springs instead of the 65# originals in anticipation of high ratio rocker arms. I had them put in a 264 duration cam. I have the Blue Thunder intake from John Mummert and an Edelbrock 500 cfm 4-barrel. I have the reproduction Ram's Horn exhaust manifold from John. I tried to put in an electronic points replacement kit but found the previous owner had switched to the loadmatic distributor, so I'm stock for now.

I just spent the weekend doing a good tune-up and, frankly, this old Y-block is now showing great signs of life! Most people just don't respect the acceleration it is capable of and I get pulled out in front of alot (makes that disc brake upgrade seem pretty attractive!). The biggest problem now in the 3-speed manual and 3.70 rear end just don't do the engine any justice.