Looking for around 300hp/350 torque from a 272 HD.


I'm all over the place as far as what engine to use in my 56 F600, between initial cost, maintenance, daily life, ect.

It has a 272 HD in it with about 15k miles on it (worked in a mine for ~50 years of it's life). Love the sound, I've managed to start it when nothing else would in Wyoming winters, and it just has a really cool factor.

So I've been debating building it up. Problem is I'm having trouble finding what it would cost me other than "a lot".


From what I've come across they put out something around 170 hp and 258 torque from the factory with 50s style power measurements and the engines are over built and can handle a lot more than what they originally produced.

I would be happy, for now, in the 275-300hp and 325-350 torque range.

I'm guessing I'll need a new carb, manifold, exhaust, probably stroke it, maybe distributor work, maybe new heads and because it be fun maybe throw a super charger at it (which I think in combination would put me well over what I'm looking for).


Any idea on cost? I have no idea what I can swap in off the shelf and what I have to have custom built.

Thanks

 

FORD Y start browsing and add up the $$$$$$

 

Thanks for the link.

So not cheap but certainly doable. Basically heads and intake and I'm in the 325-350 range. Stroke it and we're in the 400 range.

Any less expensive options with off the shelf parts? Like 460s have a year of heads that where factory and worked way better than the others.

 

Howdy Stephen! (where are you near the "Seattle Area"?)

I am not sure you can get that kind of HP out of a 272/292 unless you do some pretty serious "building"!! [Ala Mummert] www.ford-y-block.com/

AND if you build the engine for a hotrod [car] I don't how well it will be for a truck.....especially if you might load it up and go over the "pass"

I had my 292 rebuilt by a guy in Buckley, Wa several years ago (approx $1800) . He did some porting , decking that would require me to run "Midgrade fuel" [his words] + balancing the rotating mass.......

I wasn't looking for a hotrod engine, I just wanted it to run good with a 390cfm 4bbl Holley..

What axle/trans are you using? AND, what size wheels and tires?

I have an E4OD automatic behind my 292. I also am planning to install my 5.83/8.11:1 2-speed with 9.00-20 tires. (currently a 6.80:1 single speed axle is installed)


Cheers,

Rick

 

A 272 at the 300hp mark is not going to be a truck motor. It might not be any fun in a truck that big, even if it is empty.

300hp is about the most you will get out of any Y, with the best factory heads, without any porting. That means your goal can be done relatively cost effectively. You will need ECZ-G heads or the later 5752-113 heads. If you find a 292 block, that will be about the cheapest way to get more CI. Your crank will still work because it has the same dimensions.. In addition to that, you will need a Mummert or Blue Thunder intake, headers, a bigger cam, a rebuilt or new distributor.

If you want to focus more on torque, which will be better for that big truck, do most of the same above except maybe use the factory ECZ-9425-B intake. Do some basic mods on it, gasket match, port cleanup, and open up the carb flange so it has 2 ovals like most aftermarket intakes, rather than 4 holes. And, of course, use a smaller cam, something like the factory '57 cam or a hair bigger. This should get you around 220-250hp, but provide a nice bump to the torque.

No matter which way you go, you'll probably have $3-4K in it when it is all said and done.

 

I'm just south of Everett.

The truck will be running 37", actually it already is with a 5.83/8.11 rear. It's going 4x4 so I have a few options with gear ratios. I was sort of hoping I could loose a little high end speed to counter some power issues.


I do love the sound of the engine and it's always started for me, even in the coldest of days in Wyoming, but I'm not sure I can get out of the engine what I need to make the truck practical. It be nice to keep that Y-block, it has such a cool factor, but it's hard to justify over $4000 for less power and mpg than a Powerstroke or new engine at the same cost. At the end of the day I want this truck used and put away wet.

Guess I'll have to look more into the cost of things and what I can get for the money. The aluminum heads on that link showed some serious gains, but there is also part of me that goes, "That's more than $2000 to bring the Y-block up to where another engine would start at"

I'd like to keep things simple so I could work on them, but if I find a good engine or even buy a new crate engine that shouldn't be a issue that comes up all that often.

 

WEll, if you're going to add 4x4, that will of course change everything. (Can you find a 5.83:1 ratio front axle?)

I wanted to stay with the 292 for the same reason. I do like the sound. My truck came new with a 223 L-6 so it didn't have much power to start with. When I got it, it had a 239 V-8 (not really much more HP than a 223!!)

When I started considering engines my second choice was going to be a 300 cu-in 6.

A 300 can be built to make respectable HP and it would have directly bolted right up to the E4OD........I also could have went to a ZF 5 speed or possibly a 6 speed. (the ZF also bolts directly to a 300)

I decided to stay with the 292 for the same reason you want to.

If you do decide to go to a PS, (I assume a 7.3L) You may have problems with steering box interference. There's not a lot of room there.

Also, 5.83:1 would still be WAY too low for an engine that might want to turn around 1800-2000 on the highway.

It's near impossible to get a ring and pinion for an Eaton 1350 (yours is a 1350?) Can't remember what the 56 would have had.

The other guy on here that did a Cummins 6BT in his 56 F-600 used a DANA 80 axle in the back with (I believe) a ZF .......He might have used an aux trans....can't remember.......... (his is 2 wheel drive)

If I had it to do all over again, I would have also gotten a DANA 80 rear axle and a newer front axle so I could get rid of the 5-lug BUDD wheels. But with the 6 rebuilt wheels, new TOYO 9.00 x 20 radial front tires + 4 re-capped 9.00-20 rears, and all new brakes.....I'll be running them for quite some time.

I wanted tall gears for cruising on the highway The 0.71:1 OD, locking torque converter PLUS the 5.83:1 rear ratio should give me around 2100 RPM at 60 mph when running empty on the freeway. (9.00-20's are 40" diameter!) I don't think that 292 will have any problem with that.

I also wanted a transmission with a tail-mounted E-brake. My transmission came out of a 94 F-450 and it had provisions for the trans mounted brake. (no parking brakes on Medium duty rear axles!)


I like your pickup "Bed".

Do you have any other pictures?

 

Ok, I looked at your "Build thread"! Duh!

I have seen it before!

Very cool!!

 

Not many engines start with heads that are equivalent to the Mummert heads. Those heads are good for probably 400-450 hp out of the box and with porting, well over 500. And for your stated goals, absolutely not required.

I also don't think a 300 I6 is a good choice. It comes down to hp/ci and 300hp out of 300ish ci is not going to be a truck motor. For that kind of power which will be reasonable for a truck that big, you will need a big block or diesel.

If you forget the hp, you can easily get the torque you are after out of a Y and that is what will really matter.

And I'm pretty sure the supercharger part was a joke, but with turbos, you can get diesel torque out of a Y.

 

Glad you like it I've sure missed the build on it, had to hold off for a couple years.


The idea is to stick with the 37" tires, but have much wider ones, gear wise I recon I'll need around 4.56 but it depends on what engine I go with (hence why I need to figure this out now)

I'll be swapping in 1-ton axles. The rear has like 12 1/2" leaf springs per side, so without the 4,000# of the bed that it was made for, I might as well have just welded the axle to the frame. Since I want to drive it daily I need modern brakes as well. It's not worth the effort for me on this build to keep the original axles and the massive rims, this truck was meant to be a daily driver 4x4 since before I found it.


I would like to keep the Y-block, but the truck needs to be usable. It's hard dumping thousands of dollars into something to make it on par with a much cheaper engine, I wouldn't think twice on it if it didn't have such a cool factor. I could throw a 460 in there, get probably the same MPG, and spend about a fifth as much money... but a Y-block is cool, it just might not a good choice for this particular build.

Thanks for the help, much to consider.