1963 f 250 4x4.
My 292 Y block is very tired and I am thinking of rebuilding or having it done.I have some questions.
how far can I punch this thing out without cooling problems?
running 455 gears front and 456 gears rear so what cam for general use not thinking of hauling *** just useing as a truck?
runnung a HEI distributer but would like to upgrade but don't know which to buy?
will any of those Y block 4 barrel manifolds work?
which 4 barrel carb has jets that I can change?
does anyone know a reliable engine builder in Colorado (Denver and north to Fort Collins)?
thank you for any suggestions or positive advise up front,gatorjaws

 

I'm of the opinion that vintage engines should not be " punched" out to the maximum unless there was a real reason to do so. In my opinion it's wasteful as this is risky and you loose the possibility of several rebuilds and or overhauls in the future.
Unless you are going to find earlier 1957 era heads that perform better or have your heads milled, plus other stuff. There is no reason to punch one of these out unless you are going all out......better heads/ custom head work....cam....stroked crank...4 bbl intake...ect etc etc.

If you are doing a soup job on a stock engine you do not need to punch it out. If you are building a full race engine, get your wallet out.

All it may need is an overhaul, basically a ring job and maybe new bearings. Some of this you can do in chassis. If the bore taper is not excessive. If the main and rod journals are still in spec. Al it may really need is rings and bearings.

The block deck and heads can be trued with a flat file. This more diagnostic than anything. You can true it a little with a file but what you are really doing is checking for warpage that will require milling.

If the valves are in good shape, all they may need is lapping.

If you have had good oil pressure, you may can keep the cam bearings, if not replace them....it's a judgement call.

What I'm getting at is that engine may not need a full house build. Most of this you can do if you have the knack for it.

Distributor, I like the original points.

4bbl intake......1957 up uses the Holley Bolt pattern plus there are many aftermarket intakes. This is a great upgrade even on a stock engine.

 

It's been 54 years since I owned anything with a Y block in it but I remember them being reliable but not very powerful.
I'm sure you have looked at John Mummert's but if you haven't here is a link FORD Y
Here is a link to a person I've done business with who makes a distributor just for Y blocks. Best in Industry Y-Block Distributor cutom built in the USA for your USA Built Ford Y-Block

Any aftermarket carburetor will be tunable to some extent. Holley is the king and is the most tunable but requires disassembly to do it. Edelbrocks on the other hand can be tuned without as much work or spilled gas.

 

You won't have cooling problems as long as the cooling system is in good condition.

A '63 will have a C2AE block. It has beefier mains than earlier blocks making it fantastic for serious performance builds but the cylinder walls are thinner than earlier blocks, limiting displacement potential more than earlier blocks. 3.80" is usually safe but it is always wise to sonic check the walls. For your use case, using it as a truck, only do whatever is necessary to clean up the bore. There will not be any significant benefit to going bigger.

For the cam, again, for your use case, keep it smaller, maybe nothing more than 2teens @ .050". A regrind of the standard 1957 cam will be a great upgrade over the '63 cam and Mummert will have some options, as well as Isky. The best thing to do for the cam is to call your favorite cam grinder, answer their questions honestly, and take what they send you.

If you already have an "hei" distributor, then you are not likely to find anything that is an upgrade from that. Pretty much the only options there are MSD and the Chinese knock offs. If the one you have is working and in good condition, use it. If it needs a rebuild, i'm sure it can be done if it is MSD but if it is Chinese, just buy another.

Any '57 or newer Ford Y-Block intake will work, including the 4 barrel intakes. The factory intake, ECZ-9425-B tends to sell for nearly as much as a new Mummert aluminum intake. There is also an intake made by Blue Thunder but it's more expensive. Mummert and Blue Thunder are pretty close in performance. The significant difference is that the Mummert intake does not have the exhaust crossover passage but the Blue Thunder does. Blue Thunder also looks correct at a glance when painted, it even has ECZ-9425-B cast into it, if that is a concern.

The Summit carburetor is hard to beat for the money. You can change primary and secondary jets as well as air bleeds, which you don't usually find on lower end carbs. You basically get all the adjustability of a Holley 4150 but with the addition of adjustable air bleeds. For your build, you want 600cfm or smaller.