I have a 272 Y-Block, is it possible to drop in a 292, 312, 317, 341 or a 368 into my 55 F-100 with out any modification?

 

Absolutely!!! But stick within and no larger than 312, because the 317 on up will bolt up but parts are more scarce...Janet

 

like she said no bigger than 312.bigger engines are completly different.

 

Like they said stick to the 292 or 312 I just hauled a good 56 317 block heads & most related parts to the scrap yard because after 7 years of looking I had found 1 that is ONE useful part for it.

rlangs58

 

I just took out a 292 and replaced it with a 272. The blocks, mounts etc are the same. Most of the Y block Ford engines have pretty much interchangeable parts , especially on the exterior of the engine.

They're great engines, parts are fairly available and technical help via forums like this are great.

Good luck

Bubba

 

Bubba

Yes I agree, that is something these young people need to know & I meant to
mention it & just forgot, Old Age I guess.
But indeed the Y-block engines are all pretty much the same on the outside &
I've talked to some of the old guys that used to race them and some of the internal parts will interchange. A while back Hot Rod (I believe, I'll have to get
my mags out & check), but one of the Mags did an articule on the right
way to set one of these up and do a real rod rebuild. Hell I learned a few
things myself from it.

rlangs58

 

Hey, if it were me, i would completely refresh the 272!!!...I remember when i was a kid out at our wrecking yard way back about 2000 years ago, laughing out loud, but true...your 56 chevy V8 sedan 265 and your 57 chevy 283 v8 sedan, sure they were fast... but those regul;ar 55 fairlanes with 272 engines would burn clouds of smoke!!!!! And i also think the 272 Yblock sedan 4 door would still even outrun the supposed 57 chevy 283, im talking memory here, not specs, i remember this....Janet

 

If you want to run a big truck Y block (279-317-302-332) or Lincoln (317-341-368) in your rig, then you are going to have be be a little more dedicated to the project than if you run a regular Y Block. Parts can be had, but they are harder to come by. The few hot rod parts are much more rare and sometimes expensive.

These motors are heavier and larger externally than a Y, but were chosen for power by famous custom car makers (Kurtis and Cunningham) and racers in the early 50s. They were famous for dominating the Pan American road race in those days. My familiarity with them comes from their use in big trucks of the late 50s and early 60s. They were very tough engines. Someone has said that the Y Block has enough iron in it for 3 engines, and the Lincoln Y was built with the same philosophy.

There is some neat factory stuff for them, like nice cast aluminum valve covers that come on Lincoln Mk II 368s, and 2x4 carb setups, such as was used on the Merc Turnpike cruiser of 57.

This would be a harder way to go, but if that's what turns you on, go for it. Otherwise, you can use the "normal" Y Block in your truck if you have the right front motor mount and timing chain cover and bellhousing with mounts, or you can use a custom crossmember and trans crossmember and use car mounts, tho you will have some fabricating to do if you use car mounts and a manual transmission. (the car clutch linkage pushes and the truck linkage pulls.)

Some folks don't like doing what everyone else does. That is what some find attractive about the Y Block -- it isn't a "belly-button motor." If your tastes are for even rarer iron, a Lincoln Y could fill such a need. There are guys at www.y-blocksforever.com/ on the tech forum who run them and race them. Royce is one of the racers and is pretty knowledgable on the motor.