working on acquiring a 61-64 ford b-600 school bus. This bus appears to have the ford y-block. 2 center valve cover bolts and a crossover exhaust. I have found the casting numbers here (thanks) and will decode soon. My question is what are the major differences between a HD y block and passenger car ones and is this motor good for anything other than the bus?
I cannot give you a definitive answer but I know that a lot of the big trucks had the big Lincoln Y block. I have never owned a Y block bigger then 312 but if I could land the big one it would be a keeper for me. I would spend the cash and dress it like a Lincoln, slam it in something old and light and call it a hot rod Lincoln.
From what I've seen the F600 truck should have the car type Ford Y-block in it. I don't think Ford used the larger (totally different) Lincoln Y-block until you got into a F700 or larger truck. The Lincoln (LYB) is longer than the car type engine and has a normal symmetrical intake port arrangement rather than the stacked(one on top of the other) arrangement the car family engine has. The only part that interchanged between the two engines is the oil pump and the distributor if you change the gear on it. If I was betting your probably looking at a 292 at best since only the Thunderbirds got 312 engines.
John, Thanks for the clarity on that. I was not sure I just knew that some of the bigger trucks got the Lincoln motor. I know that I pulled the big motor out of a smallish dump truck (2 yard dump box) back in the early '80s.
Im 99% positive its not the Lincoln motor, I pulled one of those years ago. this looks like a 292. Was wondering about differences between car and HD y block motors
By '61 the Y-block was just three years away from being discontinued, the Lincoln version was already gone, and Ford was using 'truck' versions of the FE and MEL for large displacement options, so what you have is almost surely a 292. But it probably has a forged crank and heavier-duty rods so for performance work you have a keeper. Some of the exterior engine dress parts are truck-specific and may need to be swapped for car bits.
I seem to remember the bigger trucks like the F600 got a forged crank, and probably lower compression ratio. I have CRS, though. I thought the Lincoln version held on till 65 for the F700.
The HD truck 292s have better rods and a forged crank. Fords castings got better in the later years less core shift. I'd say you have one of the best Y blocks.
Thanks. Just went and checked it out. Its definitely ford and still rotates. Worked out a deal on the bus and plan to pick up this weekend (hopefully). I teach a high school shop class and want to use the bus as a shop project The y block may end up in my mercury
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