Hey folks! I've done a lot of research on this site and learned quite a bit about my truck in the last few months. For that, I thank you all. However, I'm still a little weak on engine related stuff. Here's the deal: I'm about to (legally ) acquire a good chunk of change and I want to not only make my motor run, but run fast, mean and loud! I have a 1960 F100 with the stock 292. I'd like to have ramshorns, but haven't been able to find a good set yet...still looking. So, if you had $2000.00ish to spend on a 292, what would you do? I'd like to do the rebuild myself, but I'm not yet confident enough in my abilities and knowledge to go tearing into an engine. Also, any recommendations for the rest of the drivetrain? Thanks!

 

If you want to build a healthy engine yourself, the best use of your time, and the biggest boost in performance, would be to match-port it. It is not a difficult job to do, but better breathing is what makes more power. Even with a stock cam, the performance difference is significant. The idea here is to match size and location od the intake, head and exhaust ports to eliminate any steps in the flow at the manifold intakes. You will also smooth out the ports, removing any casting blemishes.

If you want, email me and I'll send you some pics and tips to get started.

As to cost, it will be under $100 for all the tools you'll need, assuming you don't have any of them yet.

I would also have it balanced when you have a shop clean and magnaflux it.

Not being a Y-block officianado, others here can tell you what other mods (performance parts) you'll want to do.

 

I would install a 300 6 cylinder there has been a lot of talk on this forum about them in the past and everyone seems to love them. JMO

 

Howdy,


Well I just did precisely that!

I took my 292 to 410 Machine ("The home of Serious Horsepower") in Buckley WA.

It was a total of $2000 and change.

He did a complete rebuild to include boring, balancing, hard seats, block & head milling, intake porting, Rod resize, "torque" cam etc. It got Forged pistons, new cam and lifters. We reused the valves (you could use SS valves)...


He told me that the compression ratio would be between 9.5 and 10:1

I still have the 2bbl manifold and carb....I'll install a 4 bbl manifold and carb.

I'd love to get Rams Horns also but they can be $800 or more for OLD possibly cracked(or gonna crack) manifolds so I will get these from Stans Headers in Auburn Wa (just down the street)....Instead of chrome I'll have them ceramic coated. They also coat the inside of the headers so they last a LONG time.

http://www.performancecoatings.com/headercoatings.html




I'm also going to install an MSD Billet electronic distributor and configure the fan mount for a viscous type fan clutch. I'll round it out with a internally regulated alternator.

I told him that I didn't want the comp ratio to exceed 10:1 so I could stay with regular or mid grade gas.


Regards,

Rick

 

If you don't already have a block, get a B9AE or ECZ-A 292 block. B9AE is preferred. Get a 312 crank and rods. Turn the crank's mains to fit the 292. Use 312 rods or the HD truck rods with ARP rod bolts. Use ECZ-G or -113 posted heads. Don't port match. Port matching increases intake reversion. Get at least 8 high ratio rockers and assemble the rocker shafts with the high ratio rockers on the intake valves. On eBay, a seller called 'maddog' sells forged rockers. A good distributor can still be purchased from places like NAPA.

I bought a 'marine grind' cam from CamCraft in Maryland but there's a good Isky cam that's a nice street grind; rpm-300. Use tubular pushrods of the proper length. Get the good RollMaster timing chain from maddog. Do not use a stock timing chain set, they're not accurate. Get 312 +.060 pistons from Mummert. Get Mummert's head gaskets. Get a valley cover that has the PCV provisions.

Bore the block out to 3.860" to fit full-compression-height pistons from Mummert. Zero-deck the pistons. Degree the cam. You can hunt for a ECZ-B intake on eBay and use a Holley, AutoLite 4100, or Carter AFB (Edelbrock) carburetor, or you can buy the cheaper ECZ-A intake and scare up an old Carter WCFB or Rochester 4GC carb. The ECZ-B lash-up is easier to make work with stock throttle linkage unless you can find an OEM application of the Carter WCFB carb. I've heard you can use a 6 cylinder gas pedal rod to make the Chevy-side linkage work.

Fix up the PCV system to help protect your engine. Use STP or other oil additive that has ZDDP to protect the cam.

That's about 322 cubic inches. Snappy torque.

Somebody recently posted a dyno test of his 292 build with the Isky rpm cam. It looked just about right for a street engine.

 

We rebuilt our 1960 292. You can see pictures in my gallery.

Here are some approximate cost numbers:

$800 Machine shop work:

• Inspection and cleaning
• Bored out .040 oversize
• Turned down the crank, .010 undersize
• Installed new freeze plugs
• Planed the heads
• Valve job, had to replace 2 valves, reused the rest
• Installed hardened seats in the exhaust

$750 Rebuild parts from Mummert

• Complete gasket kit
• new valve tappets
• new oil pump
• new street cam and bearings
• heavy duty timing chain and gear
• oversized pistons and moly rings
• crank bearings .010 oversized
• Spark plugs


$125 ECZ-B intake manifold for 4 bbl carb (Ebay)

$260 New Elderbrock 4BBl street carb (Summit)

$400 Ram Horns (Ebay)

$125 Heads ECZ-C , The heads in the truck Y-block have small valves. The heads with larger valves were in the car version, especially the 56 T-birds. The T-birds had the G version heads and they are the biggest. However they are as hard to find and just as expensive as the ram horns. The C version that we used are much larger that the truck originally had and the performance is great.

$30 Chrome valve covers

$55 New water pump

$30 Chrome Air cleaner

$200 Petronix Distributor w/ electronic ignition

$40 Plug wires

By the time you add the engine assembly lubricant, permetex, oil, filter, etc. The total is about $3000.

Original engine was 176 hp, I estimate the engine now is about 225 hp. It runs and drives like a dream and can lay rubber in every gear.

However, it is not a real suped up Y-Block. You can get lots more hp from these engines, but it takes a lot more money.

I wanted to give you an idea how much a fairly basic rebuild would cost. It adds up fast.

A couple other quick comments:

We drilled the block and heads to increase cooling (there is a tech article on doing this)

We converted the original valley pan to accept a PCV valve. The new carb makes this pretty easy.

We also installed a power stearing pump and converted to a 1-wire alternator.

Hope this helps ,