Hi Folks,
For the past week I have been dissassembling the red '53 I have on my site, CLICK HERE to see engine. Somewhere along the life span of this old girl, the original owner I'm told decided to up-grade to the Y-Block V-8. I have no idea what year or if it came from a car or truck. I did notice that it has threaded holes in the side of the block for side mounts even though it is front mounted. I would like to know some way of identifying the engine in regards to year and displacement.

I have the entire front body assembly, radiator and radiator support removed. I pulled the plugs and filled the cylinders with diesel fuel. I was able to use a crow bar in the spokes of the front crank pulley to turn the engine over. I have it turning easy enough to spin it with the starter. I tried the starter but the Bendix gear was bound up so I had to take it off to free up the mechanism. As soon as I get that back on the starter I will put it back on and spin up the engine for a while with the plugs out. The oil is dark but there doesn't seem to be any crap in it. There was antifreeze in the block so I doubt it is cracked or damaged. I was surprised when I pulled the plugs to find they were not clogged up with a lot of deposit. They looked as if it had been running good when they parked it. The plate on the front is 30 years old so I have to assume that was when it was last running.

The engine has been under the hood, the radiator was hooked up, had collant in it and the air cleaner was on it also. There has been no way for stuff to get into the engine. I think if I work on the ignition I can get it running.

I don't have any need for this engine but if it will run I want to sell it or trade it for body parts. It is hooked up to a good T-98 4speed tranny that I will sell or trade with it or seperately. If I can identify the engine more specifically beyond just being a Y-block I am sure it will help to sell or trade it.

Thanks in advance to any and all who can help with this.

Later Folks...

 

I clicked the link and found lots of pictures, but no engine pictures. It is hard to tell one y-block from another from a picture. Are there any casting numbers on the heads? The intake numbers are good, but an intake could have been easily changed sometime in the last 50 years. A used y-block, even a good running one is not sought after much. My 56 came with a 57 y-block 312 that had only 40k miles. I found a home for it with an owner of a 57 T-bird that wanted a spare engine.

 

Hmmm,,, that's strange... I just clicked on where it says CLICK HERE and the first two pictures on the page were the engine. I will have to try it from another computer on the network here to see if it gets something different. Try this http://www.pvpmedia.com/53-7.htm . I don't know what kind of service you have but sometimes even the web ios slow ans it often loads bottom pics before the top ones. The page heading should say "RED 53".

In the case of this particular engine and knowing something of the history of the truck I would venture to say that ithe intake is original.

As for selling or trading the engine, I already have some interested parties who may want it with the tranny.

Where do I look for the number on the intake and how do I use it to determine what engine it is?

Let me know if that link works and let it sit for a while in case there is a problem at the ISP who is hosting the site.

 

You are right about my slow loading dial up service. I see the pictures now. There should be a casting number on the top of the intake near the carb. Try posting the number and pictures on the Y-block forum listed below. They are more knowledgeable than most is us darksiders. Good Luck!!

 

Thanks for the info there Pat.

as a fellow Darksider I have something interesting for you to take a look at. CLICK HERE I'll take a look at the emgine for that nuber and I will take this to the Y-block forum. Why didn't I think of that???

Later Man...

 

That is a straight 6 215, which was very popular in 53. J/K

 

Posted this answer in the Y-block forum post but I will post it here also.

Odds are that engine is a 272 or smaller Y-block. The 292 and 312 Y blocks came out in 1955 and since they came out till 58/59 they all had Thunderbird Y-8 on the valve cover. I also see some hint of yellow and remember another post in the Y-block thread about the 272 truck engines being painted yellow. But that is no definiate answer.

The casting number on the block though (cant use the head cause some heads overlap such as some are 292 & 312) is located in two places.

On Dearborn blocks the casting number is located near the distributor and above the generator

On Cleveland blocks the casting number is generally on the side of the block above the oil filter.

Yours would most likely be a Dearborn block since those were generally used in trucks. However after 1954 nearly all Dearborn blocks were 272`s.

But once you get the codes this might help. This is for cars how ever but theres no special truck block the trucks and cars used the same Y blocks but my casting number records are limited.

EAL 279 cu.in. Y8 - 1954 heavy duty truck
EAM 317 cu.in. Y8 - 1954 heavy duty truck
EBV 239 cu.in. Y8 - 1955 Pickup Samll Cam bearings

Now I know yours is a 1953 but the only thing that I have that covers 53 is a Ford 215 OHV I6 or a 317 Y8 52-54 Early Lincoln engine.

But odds are its a 272 though. But however the Y-Blocks are 239, 256, 272, 292, 312 on displacements so yours could be any of the 239, 256, 272 engine.

The heads if you can get the casting number on that, I couldnt help you there. My head casting number records start in 54.

 

Nope, it's not a six, it's a Y-block V-8 that was put in to replace a flathead V-8. Check the pics in the link.

 

Come on Dave, didn't you notice that I put J/K at the end of my post (i.e. Just Kidding)

 

Hi Rusty,

As suggested in an earlier post, I found a casting number on the intake behind the carb which was ECG 9425 B .

I will look fore more numbers if I can get the crud off to see them.

I got the starter back on and whirled ithe engine without the plugs and squirted more oil in in the cylinders while it was turning.

I am now rigging some ignition parts to get a spark going. When I do I wil try a shot of starting fluid to see if it will even light off. If it does I'll. get the carb working and try some gas in it.

Later Man...

 

that is the intake manifold number the block number would be like this.

ECZ 6015 A
ECK 6015
ECZ 6015 B

6015 is the ford number for cylinder block, 6090 is fords number for cylinder heads, and 9425 is fords number for intake manifold

Now yours is ECG 9425 B

Mine is ECG 9425 A but mine is a 4V 292 from 56. I dont have codes for the manifold so I couldnt say. But if you could possibly get the number off the block (I got mine by using piece of paper and pressing it against the number where I felt it at and left a dirty impression of the number. You can try that but the two places I would look is to the side or above the oil filter or above the generator.

Since you know this engine isnt orignal to the truck with the codeI migth be able to narow down long as is not the following.

CEBY
ECZ 6015 A
ECZ 6015 B

Those three casting numbers (including one is a export model) were used on different engines.

 

Nope, I'm afraid I missed that one. I never did get all those little texting acronyms memorized. Too old school I guess... Sorry about that...

I was also in a hurry to get back to the shop. I want to try and fire this baby off today. I have to make a decision, junk or keep??? I sold my boat years ago and have no need for an anchor.

Later Man...

 

Well if the engine is trash, I might want the trany if it will mount up to a 223 I-6

 

OK, I'll go look and get back to you.

 

OK, here you go... I looked at the block and found this over the oil filter. EDB 6015 E . Does that make any sense to you???