Hi Y'all. I own a 55 F100 which for years now has been a daily driver. However, recently the engine has been making sounds as if mixing aggregate. Also has been running very hot on the guage. Water pump ok, three stats later still runs hot, new radiator still runs hot. Tank temp also ok, right at 179-183. Runs great, just hot and noisy. I had another 239 Y-Block handy so I took it in for evaluation, Too much taper in the bore so it will need bored and have the appropriate pistons purchased. Cost of a rebuild approx $2000 to $2500. My question is (finally) Is there a late model engine ie. 289, 302....? that will fit my bellhouse and allow me to use my original tranny, clutch, starter. I know I will at least need to upgrade the mounts but I like the straight axel and everything else Henry Ford had in mind. I would just like a lower budget engine replacement if possible (late model rebuild parts are much more economical). First time post, Thanks for any info, (old) Fords Rule!

 

Up-dateing to one of the engines you listed you'll have to purchase an Adaptor in order to use your tranny as well as Fabbing new mounts.
If you go w/ a 292 Y-block, which there are still Tons of parts for & plenty of Performance Up-grades, your tranny Should, if I remember correctly, bolt right up.

 

Ditto whan the Colonel said, with a couple of additions.

I'd check the rocker adjustments/valve lash before anything else, with a Y-block with some miles. Could be a lot of noise is coming from excessive lash or a slipped pushrod; could also be a blown head gasket or cracked head. Need a little more info to see. BTW, is it smoking heavily?

Most of the adapters available are slanted more toward using the Y-block with a more modern trans. However, there are still a couple that will allow using a Ford small block with your existing transmission. Try Wilcap, Advance Adapters, or Trans-Dapt. A couple of caveats:

1) The SBF needs to be the later six bolt pattern for the bellhousing, not the five bolt. Every 302/5.0 is the six bolt, most 289s are as well, but very early ones are five. Just something to watch for.

2) Since the SBF is externally balanced, you need to use the proper flywheel for that particular engine. In many cases that might mean using the one that came with it (cheaper). It may not have the correct bolt pattern for your clutch/pressure plate, so you may need to swap them for one with the right pattern, diameter, & spline count. Or, get the correct flywheel for the engine, with the correct bolt pattern (or drilled for several patterns). At any rate, as long as you are going to go to all this effort, I'd recommend refacing the flywheel (if used), getting a new clutch plate, & a new pressure plate (or having yours inspected by a qualified person). Also, getting a new throwout bearing.

3) If your donor engine was originally equipped with an automatic, don't forget to get a pilot bearing installed BEFORE you start to get everything put together. That may require having the crank drilled if the hole isn't there. Rather annoying to find that out on the long-awaited "swapping weekend".

4) A 272 or 292 will bolt rigt in, as mentioned; parts are somewhat cheaper, for certain items. You will need to use the truck mounts, if the donor was a passenger car.

Hope it helps. I've probably forgot something....

 

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Tim beat me to the welcome again! He's a postin' machine and a great guy (for an administrator ).

Anyway, welcome aboard. There are a bunch of us nuts, a few guys and gals that know something, and some other people that just hang around for the laughs. Whichever category you fit in, you've found the best place on the Internet to get your questions about these old trucks answered.

Read through the forum guidelines - they really clear up a lot of questions for new folks. And remember, there are no dumb questions, only dumb answers.

 

Thanks for the info gentlemen, I'll research the trans adaptor option for a 302. Another expensive part of rebuilding an older engine is having all the soft exhaust seats cut out and replaced for unleaded gas (dang near as expensive as the gas itself I believe). Thanks again,

 

By the way, if I recall correctly, at least one of those current adapters is designed to mate your early transmission to the donor SBF bellhousing, totally discarding the Y-block bell altogether. It's been a while since I've looked at them, so I may be confused. Just one more thing to research!

Others might argue this one...but IMHO the issue of hardened seats has been somewhat exaggerated. If I was doing a complete rebuild, I'd do it, unless the customer budget was just bare, bare-bones....but in virtually all the teardowns I've seen or done, in spite of years of unleaded use, the seats were in decent shape (except for unrelated reasons). Other engine builders I've spoken with seem to agree with this for the most part. Again, not saying that I wouldn't do it at all; on older heads, frequently the seats are sunken due to previous work & the new seats are the best fix (though in a lot of cases for the common engines new aftermarket heads are the most economical option, for performance use anyway).

Also, the price of new inserts & labor has dropped somewhat (or not kept pace with inflation, anyway) due to this procedure becoming more common. Again, JMHO, based on experience. Good luck with your swap!

 

I don`t know the cost of the adapter but would consider swapping in a motor and matching transmission if a donor vehicle could be found for the right price. Hate to spend money on an adapter only to have the old transmission give up with the extra power and the years on it. It will cost to modify the driveshaft but maybe cheaper and better in the long run with a better operating newer transmission that has parts readily availble. Newer engines (after 1972 or so) have the hardened seats, another bonus to up grading.

 

I have a spare 55 239 V8 truck motor that ran when I bought it. Am in Detroit and would gladly donate it if you want it and are willing to travel up here. Don't know where in Ohio you are loacted.
Fred

 

I'm starting to think along the lines that HOMESPUN91 has on valve seats, Ive dona a few engines changing the seats but the last 2 I didn't as sort of a test, one is a 223 six, now with 80,000 miles on it and no problems, the other was a 289 in my mustang with about 60,00 miles without a problem..both are stock engines low compression motors, my the other mustang has a built 302 that I did change them..

 

I might toss in, for what it's worth, the three pre-hardened seat engines that I've seen that did have serious seat wear- (related to lead content) - were high load, high exhaust temperature applications; two medium truck engines (429 Ford & 427 Chevy), and one marine engine (350 Mercruiser/Chevy). I have not yet seen a passenger or light truck engine with seat erosion due to unleaded fuel.

But. as I said, there's a lot of legitimate reasons to have them installed. I do as a matter of course, unless again, the budget is paper-thin. However, I wouldn't worry much about using an existing engine that doesn't have them, for average use, given the above.