Hey all sorry for my ignorance here in this post I have just acquired a 54 ford f600 tow truck that i am looking to rebuild and honestly its getting quite complicated just figuring out any of the specs of these trucks the motor i have in this ect i can always find parts for 150-250-350 but the established 600 i have not a clue yet but from what i can find out this truck had the 317 in it? i do know it has the Holly teapot 2 barrel carb it does have the 2 speed rear end. but that is where i am at a dead end any information would be great

 

That is not a 54 Ford it's a 56...

 

Not a 317 either, more like a 272 292 or even a 312 they all look the same.
I rule out a 239 nobody wanted those. I wouldn't get thrown off track by
having a tea pot, what I mean is I have a 317 in a F900 It had a tea pot, it
now has a 2300 square bowl Holley > a simple $15 adaptor plate so (I changed
it) Its a who knows question whats been done in its 60yrs. Also there is no way
to actually tell what it is (small Y Blocks) until you open it up and break out the
micrometer. Other than that all tune up stuff- fuel pumps etc are the same. I see
a spin on oil filter, meaning its a late one or someone bought an adapter maybe?
Your best bet is to buy a F100 to F600 Parts book on ebay. I say parts book cause
there's lots of pics and numbers to go by. Also there is nothing exotic or scary about
a F600 its just a overgrown F100. The F7-8 & F900s are a whole different story...

 

Wecome to FTE!
Nice looking truck. Post the serial number (vin) and we can decode it for you.
Actually, here is a decoder: 1956 Ford VIN Decoder & Data Plate Decoder - VINmagic.com

As for the engine, there are numbers on the intake and heads. What are those? Here is a site that decodes them for you: TECHNICAL

It has a high fan mount water pump. I used to think that was only for a 239, but I have learned otherwise. I don't recall what other engines had that though.

I would highly recommend getting the parts catalog. It's well worth it.
1948-56 Ford Truck Master Parts Catalog CD - HiPo Parts Garage

What are your plans for the truck?
When you do work on it, be sure to take way more pictures than you think you need. Mark everything you take off. If you have it off for more than 5 minutes, you WILL forget where it went, trust me on that one.
Ask lots of questions and search FTE, there is a wealth of information here.
Oh, and post lots of pictures. We love pictures.

 

Add my welcome. Your service bed looks to be an Ashton Power Wrecker, like one I have. Another good thing I see is a tubeless 22.5" wheel on the right front. Hope there is a full set with the truck. Stu