I've searched around, without much luck, for any kind of list of possible Y Block donor trucks or cars. Personally I'm looking for a 292, and I don't know what they were put in. I found one locally for real cheap but needs rebuilt, which will be the way I go unless I can find something else in better shape first.

 

292s are pretty much the only Y-block built by Ford after 1957 or so. If you find a Y-block built from 1958 to 1964 it is probably a 292. There is a small chance you could find a Mercury 312 built in the late 50s, but that would be nice too.

Lots of information is available. A couple websites to get you started:
About The Ford Y-Block V8
Y

 

I found one locally for real cheap but needs rebuilt, which will be the way I go unless I can find something else in better shape first.

JMHO, but if you have access to a supposedly good engine, go ahead and buy it and rebuild it. Try to buy it contingent on being rebuildable. Sounds like you may be paying core costs for this engine. It is a whole lot more comforting to know what you have vs some donor engine that you really don't know what is inside. This, especially if you want a reliable driver or worker.
Verify it is actually a 292 before you pay for it. 272s have been sold as 292s more than one time. Not that it really makes much difference.

 

The guy said he would sell me one for $150, says it's runs but does smoke. So that leaves wiggle room for machine work and gaskets. How do I tell the difference between a 272 and 292?

 

Go here, excellent site. I think John spells it out. I don't remember an easy way right now.

FORD Y

Another site with a chart: http://yblockguy.com/identify_y-block.htm

 

The 292 ID casting number should be located above the oil filter, This chart should help identifying the 292 you found, Also the 272 is a good engine, plenty of room to bored out to a 292. Lots of parts interchangeable, distributor, oil pumps, intakes, etc. Be sure you run a intake after 1957 (casting #ECZ-9425-B) AND A distributor after 1957. They will allow you to run a new modern carburetor.




<table class="MsoNormalTable" style="width: 555.75pt; mso-cellspacing: .7pt; mso-padding-alt: 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt;" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr style="height: 11.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes;"><td width="18%" align="center" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 11.25pt;">BLOCK I.D. </td><td width="24%" align="center" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 11.25pt;">DISPLACEMENT </td><td width="55%" align="center" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 11.25pt;">NOTES </td></tr><tr style="height: 11.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 11.25pt;">EBU<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 11.25pt;">239 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 11.25pt;">1954 cars only. Cleveland and Dearborn versions<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 11.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 11.25pt;">EBV<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 11.25pt;">239 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 11.25pt;">1955 pickup<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 11.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 11.25pt;">EBY<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 11.25pt;">256 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 11.25pt;">1954 Mercury<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 11.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 11.25pt;">ECG<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 11.25pt;">272 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 11.25pt;">1955-1957 cars and trucks.<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 11.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 11.25pt;">ECH<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 11.25pt;">292 cu. in V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 11.25pt;">1955<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 11.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 11.25pt;">ECJ<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 11.25pt;">292 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 11.25pt;">1955<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 3pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 3pt;">ECL<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 3pt;">292 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 3pt;">1955<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 11.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 7;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 11.25pt;">ECK<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 11.25pt;">292 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 11.25pt;">1956<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 11.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 8;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 11.25pt;">ECZ-A<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 11.25pt;">292-312 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 11.25pt;">1957. Many ECZ 6015 blocks were 292s I.D. crank flange ( main caps. EBU=292 ECZ=312)<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 11.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 9;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 11.25pt;">ECZ-B <o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 11.25pt;">292-312 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 11.25pt;">1956-1957 cars only. 292 with EBU main caps. ECZ main caps 312. <o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 11.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 10;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 11.25pt;">ECZ-C<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 11.25pt;">312 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 11.25pt;">ECZ 6015 C generally 312 292with EBU main caps<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 11.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 11;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 11.25pt;">EDB<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 11.25pt;">292 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 11.25pt;"> 1958-1959 cars trucks. Dearborn foundry 1957 only (or is it?.... still a fluid subject)
</td></tr><tr style="height: 11.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 12; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 11.25pt;">EDB-E<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 11.25pt;">292 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 11.25pt;">1958-1959 cars and trucks to April '59. (312 Mercury)<o> </o>
</td></tr></tbody></table><table class="MsoNormalTable" style="width: 555pt; mso-cellspacing: .7pt; mso-padding-alt: 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt;" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr style="height: 13.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 13.95pt;">B5AE<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 13.95pt;">272 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 13.95pt;">Replacement block. Marine and fleet use.<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 16.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 16.5pt;">B9AE<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 16.5pt;">292 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 16.5pt;">1959-1960 cars and trucks. 312 with ECZ main caps. 1959 and 1960 Mercury only.<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 15.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 15.25pt;">C1AE<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 15.25pt;">292 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 15.25pt;">1961 cars and trucks.<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 16.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 16.5pt;">C2AE<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 16.5pt;">292 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 16.5pt;">1962 cars. 1962-1964 trucks.<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 15.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 15.25pt;">EAD<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 15.25pt;">317 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 15.25pt;">Early Lincoln OHV engine. Not interchangeable with Ford.<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 16.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 16.5pt;">EBJ<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 16.5pt;">341 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 16.5pt;">Early Lincoln OHV engine. Not interchangeable with Ford.<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 16.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 16.5pt;">ECU*<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 16.5pt;">368 cu. in V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 16.5pt;">Early Lincoln OHV engine. Not interchangeable with Ford.<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 16.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 7;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 16.5pt;">EAM<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 16.5pt;">317 cu. in. V-8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 16.5pt;">1954 Ford HD Trucks <o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 16.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 8;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 16.5pt;">EAL<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 16.5pt;">279 cu. in. V-8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 16.5pt;">1954 Ford HD Trucks<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 16.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 9;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 16.5pt;">EAA<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 16.5pt;">215 cu. in. I-6<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 16.5pt;">1952 - 1953 cars and trucks<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 16.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 10;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 16.5pt;">EBP<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 16.5pt;">223 cu. in. I-6<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 16.5pt;">1954-1962 cars and trucks<o> </o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 16.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 11;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 16.5pt;">CEBY<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 16.5pt;">256 - 272 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 16.5pt;">Cast in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on"> Canada</st1lace> </st1:country-region> export block. Also used in <st1:country-region w:st="on"> Australia</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on"> South Africa</st1lace> </st1:country-region> <o></o>
</td></tr><tr style="height: 16.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 12; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td width="18%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 18.9%; height: 16.5pt;">CECK<o> </o>
</td><td width="24%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 24.88%; height: 16.5pt;">292 cu. in. V8<o> </o>
</td><td width="55%" valign="top" style="padding: 3pt; width: 55.72%; height: 16.5pt;">Cast in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on"> Canada</st1lace> </st1:country-region> export block. Also used in <st1:country-region w:st="on"> Australia</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on"> South Africa</st1lace></st1:country-region>
</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

Great info!!!! Thanks!!!