Are 292's in the big trucks any different than the cars?

My question is that according to my 1957 Car shop manual a 292 puts out max torque at 2700 rpm, which is high for a truck application. I'm getting a 56 292 from an F-600 that's going to go into a 1954 F-750, so I want low torque rpm's. I'm just wondering if heads, cams, etc. are different or the 2700 number is what to expect....

 

2700 rpm seems odd. I'd have guessed it would have been somewhere around 2200. Are you sure you're reading the right 292 config? 2bbl?

 

I thought it was a little high too, but looking at other sources 292's are generally 2400-2700 rpm. Does anyone have one in a large truck, are they dogs? I was going to swap a 300 six into my truck, but I got a good deal on a 292 and was wondering what I should do....

 

The only difference in 292's was the 61-4 F-600 used a forged crank. Often sought after by some but not necessary on a street engine.
After 59 Ford detuned the Y, especially with small valve heads in ALL applications, cars and trucks.
With F350 and bigger rear ratios in the 5 to 8 range top end was pretty limited, even with 2 speed rears. My 54 F350 with a 239 and 5.14 rear could still run 55 with plenty of pedal left.

Any year block with 56 ECZ-C heads will breathe well and allow regular gas. Several large valve options 57-9 are available, most require premium gas these days.

Im presently using a .060 over 62 F600 block with the forged crank (cuz I got it real cheap!), a truck specific cam from Mummert and 3 94's along with headers. Still has the old rear but now I can cruise at 65; probably glad I dont have a tach! Going to a Dana 60 soon.
For daily performance, a 57 and later stock 4 bbl intake and Holley/AFB will probably run better; I just wanted the looks of the 3 carbs.

 

The truck originally had a 279 until it lost oil pressure suddenly and seized. It would do 60 without much trouble with that engine, and I would like to keep although rebuilding is just going to be too expensive. I have a 300 from a donor F600, and I got a deal on a 292 with 60k, supposedly only needing valve stem seals. So it's kind of a toss up, with low end performance being my main deciding factor. In a large truck more hp<>more performance if the engine can't get up to speed.

So with that said, better to have torque at 1800 or 2700 rpms? As an interesting thing, anyone ever drive the same vehicle with a flathead 6 and a v8? Practically the same engine only different torque rpms....

 

Nothing works better than inches.
I'd seriously consider looking around for a 302/332 upgrade to the 279 as that series were designed for trucks; cams and valves are different than cars and light trucks.
The 317/341/368 Lincolns are also drop-ins and sheer inches makes up for cam specs.
Another choice is the FT series such as the 391.

I dont think you will be happy with a 292 in a working truck, a friend swapped a 272 to a Power Stroke diesel into his 56 F-600 and loves it. But it gets worked hard carrying loam and gravel in the summer and plowing in the winter.
He also has a 56 F700 with a tired 332 which we are going to swap with a 391 FT soon.

 

I've got some info here: According to the Ultimate American V-8 Data Book by Sessler (ISBN# 0760304890), only the 57's and '58's torque peaked out at those high rpms. If you've got a '56, your peak is lower. How low? Depends what you've got. the 2bbl 272's peaked at 2400rpm. 4bbl Y's (of all displacements) peaked that year at 2600. In '57, the peaks were all over the place from a low of 2400 to a high of 3400. The truck engine comp. ratio in '57 was 8.0:1 whereas the car engine was 8.6:1

For '58, the peaks ranged from 2400-3200 and from '59 on up, all but two offerings ('60's 312@2100 and '59's 190hp version (not the 171hp) of the 292) peaked at precisely 2200.

Like I've said earlier...what you have depends on the configuration you've got in your lap there. Is lower better? Depends entirely what you're geared for and your own driving patterns . Highway? City? Will you pull a load? Too many questions still exist to be able to answer that question.

 

It's a working truck pulling loads in the city and on the highway. Why I'm asking is that the torque peaks are almost 1000 rpm apart, which is quite a bit, and am looking for a general opinion. In real truck applications it seems that lower torque is always better, but 292's were in trucks....

 

In that case, I'd suggest that you'd be happier with a torque peak that's at a lower rpm than one at a higher rpm. You're right...in real trucks, lower torque peaks are more desirable. As a kid, I remember when my aunt, upon purchasing her new ohv six, lamented that she couldn't go around right angle corners in high gear whereas that was no problem for the flathead that she previously owned. That's the difference between a high torque peak rpm (the ohv) and a low torque peak rpm (the flathead).

 

<b>In real truck applications it seems that lower torque is always better, but 292's were in trucks....</b>

Very true but so were Model A 4 bangers.
Trucks werent the highway cruising monsters we have today either. No interstate systems and 35-45 was considered high speed by many back even in the 50's. People were different back then and trucks werent expected to go very fast or far. Lots of trucks were also fitted with governors so they wouldnt blow the engines.
Heck I dont think my dad ever got over 50-55 mph until 1959 or so in a regular car. In fact he had a 69 Olds 98 with the 455 in the 70's and he still never drove any faster than 65 and even that made him nervous. I was a leadfoot from Day 1 and havent slowed down a bit.

I remember very well a Ford dealer who took delivery of Holmes wrecker bodied F350's in 57, tossed the 292 and installed Lincoln 368's. A stock wrecker couldnt get out of its own way on the NY Thruway with a car on the hook; with the 368 it ran the fast lane.
Thats a case of bigger is better. The torque peak was up around 3000 but it was a humongous 415 ft lbs and at the right point for the high 4's rear end. Im sure the torque curve was still impressive at 2000.

 

hi just reading your post

i have 1963 f700 dump with 292 5/ 2speed and love it
11.22.5 tubless or round gvm= 10430 tare=4460
i have a mustang skid steer that go,s to work with me
if you want to no anythink about it as on road speed s
i have tiwn fanbelts that will tell you if it is a truck motor
on the parts numbers startswith T =truck