Just pm me your address, I will come haul it away for free .... cause we are good that way Probably depends on the condition of the engine now. If it runs ok, drive it.
Depends totally on it's condition. If bearing clearances are OK, (usually indicated by good oil pressure) adequate compression, rockers oiling adequately and rear main seal isn't leaking, it will be a solid driver. as good as any in the late 50s/early 60s. All the stuff I mentioned can be fixed, just cost money and time,
I’ll probably get a lot of negative comments here! You didn’t say what car it’s going in. Unless you have a specific reason for running a Y Block 292 I would go for small block Ford 289 or 302. They are reliable, plentiful, reasonably inexpensive, lots of aftermarket parts available, can be made to produce easy good horsepower if you want, fairly small and lightweight. If you already have a good 292 in hand never mind. Your mileage may vary.
The old Y block is a horse and will live forever as long as you keep oil and water in it. Back in the day they had problems with the oil passage to the rockers clogging due to sludge. In fact, most of the problems I've found with Y blocks is due to poor/lack of maintenance. I've had a 312 (292's big brother) in my T-Bird and have driven it for the last 26 years. It has plenty of power for driving on today's roads. Back in the early 80's I was involved with a Shriner parade float build. It was set up on an old Ford school bus chassis that had a 292 in it. It was a bit tired, but after a tune-up it ran real well. One of the "mechanics" who was really involved and drove the float serviced the chassis before a trip to a town about 40 miles away. However, it seems that he forgot to tighten the drain plug very tight. The float made it there and completed the parade. On the way home it started losing power but it made it back to the dealership where I was working (this was one of the dealer's son's project). The next morning he asked me if I could take a look at it and see what happened. It was completely out of oil and wouldn't turn over. I had the same "mechanic" drop the pan for a look. The rods were straw colored from the heat. We were able to find a reman short block for it. So is a 292 tough, this one made it all the way home with no oil for quite a distance.
Sure It’s a chunk or iron with holes like all the others. Just look up top end oiling issues for em when ya build it.
While I have never ran a Y block, my Uncle had one he rebuilt for a 56 Crown Victoria. He was disappointed when he got the new engine running, it got no oil to the top end. Seems when the cam bearings are inserted they have holes in the bearings that align with hole passages in the block. It is very common to add external oilers to pump oil into the top end .... I only assume this is on a rebuilt engine. A vehicle with stock cam bearings would not need it. Just saying it is fixable & seems better oiling then factory. I always have a special spot in my heart for older engines. A flathead Ford with a mild cam has such a sweet melody .... I would love to make a audio tape from one .... play it while I'm sleeping. A Y block with a cam .... They just sound nasty! In a good way. They get my blood pressure pumped up, I want to hear them & see whats up ..... No way I'm sleeping to this sound. The flathead is the girl you met in school & married. The Y block is the girl you met while in the military service & taught you things you never thought possible. A modern 4cyl car would beat your Y block in a 1/4 mile. If you go with a modern 289/302 .... could just go with a sbc .... they all sound the same.
The Y-block is a very under-rated engine IMHO and experience. I drove a bunch of them over the years and had no more issues than any of the other engines I've owned. Big plus for me was that they didn't run hot like every SBF I ever owned. About the only dis-advantage to them is their weight. You didn't say what year or displacement you're thinking about, but I'd stay away from the 239's and 256's. Too early, too small and harder to find parts for. There are lots of urban myths regarding the cam bearings turning and cutting off the oil supply to the rockers. What actually happens is that the bearings simply wear out, were installed wrong or the passages got plugged with sludge. Spend some time on these websites to learn more. http://www.ford-y-block.com/ https://www.eatonbalancing.com/ http://yblockguy.com/ and remember; they're all 312's when they're for sale...
IMO the 292 is the best one. The hallowed 312 block was weak in places because of the crank specs. If you have a 292 block AND a 312 crank a good crank grinder can make it and the rods fit easily and a + .050” bore on the 292 gives you a 312. A 292 also can be bored .030, 040, 050, (stock 312) and 060. The center cam bearing or the hole it goes in needs a groove to assure oil to the top end but with good maintenance possibly not needed. Positive oil seals on the valves is also a plus as is using more modern rear oil seal on the crank. There are 2 nice aluminum 4 barrel intakes along with the old intakes on e-bay for a traditional hot rod appearance. Can’t beat 2-3’s or 2-4’s for looks. I’ve been driving my 56 Victoria for 11 years and over time added modern upgrades ie: newer transmission, rear end, AC, disc brakes, etc.
To add to my earlier post giving the y-block a thumbs up, Back in the mid 60s I put together a 312 for Dad's wrecker. It was a 61 Ford F500 that had a worn 292. I used a 312 block, bored .030, turned crank .020/020, new cam bearings etc. Pulled a bunch of cars with that thing. When he closed the salvage in 90 is was still running just as good as it started out. Dad used to give me a talking too before turning me loose with it, 'don't tow so fast'! It would handle a big old 50-60s land yacht at any speed you wanted to pull. Good engines. ford
Best sounding engine through a pair of good glasspacks ever built. I'd say that lack of proper maintenance killed a lot of them back in the day just as it did with all engines from that time frame. The guys who got a lot of miles out of their engines then faithfully changed the oil every thousand miles and if they didn't change the filter every time they changed it every 2 K and it wasn't unusual on a long road trip to pull into a place and have the oil changed while on the trip. The guys who had engine trouble were the ones who just drove around town, never got the engine warm for long enough to heat up the condensation in the crankcase so it could be drawn out by the draft tube and never drove fast enough long enough for the draft tube to actually work. They maybe changed oil once a year and didn't have much over 1000 miles on it in that year. Then when they traded the car off some poor ass kid ended up with it and it blew up on him in a few weeks because he broke all the sludge loose and it plugged the oil screenup. I worked on a few of those in the 60's that had a pocket around the oil screen in the pretty solid sludge.
That is exactly what happened to most and other makes as well. My moms 56 was sold in 61 and spent 90% of its life driving less than 2-3 miles. I’m sure if never had detergent oil either.
Two of my hot rods have them. A 312 and a 292. Put a toploader 4spd behind it and you'll have a good combo.
I have had a few. I like them. Its like a tractor engine.... they are hard to break. But don't expect good mileage out of one.
I worked on the line on them and hated Y blocks. Upper oiling problem, trying to keep your hands from being burned adjusting the valve, perennial oil leakage, and on and on. However having said that, I bought a 56 pick up with a 64 292 in it. I figured that I would put up with the 292 until I changed over to the 429 and C6 I had. Well, things got put off time and time again and I never made the swap. That old 64 292 made a believer out of me. I ran that poor beast for many years and it ALWAYS performed perfectly! It took evert bit of abuse I threw at it and came back for more ! 1964 was the last year for the Y block and changed my mind about them.
My high school car was a hand me down 59 Ford wagon with a 292. It was the first engine I rebuilt by myself (very little pointers from dad who showed me how to rebuild on a 59 Anglia - even taught me how to babit on that one). It ran fine and made enough HP to bust 2nd gear in the trans when drag racing at Irwindale on run what ya brung nights.
Tim McMaster of Hanford Auto Supply @mctim64 here on the HAMB would be a good source of info on Y Blocks.
When it comes to looks, nothing beats a pair of stock T-bird valve covers. Combine that with the sound and a pair of dual quads and you would have the ideal engine for a traditional hot rod.
I drove my 292 '57 Wagon to Vegas a few weeks ago and had driven it from Colorado when I got it. I been keeping it up with oil changes or just add as it does leak a little. I would recommend to keep the OG engine it its has it. I would sooner rebuild this than replace it with something else. I regret removing the 312 from my hardtop years ago.
The last 292 I had was bored .125 with Jahns 12-1 pistons which made it a short-stroke 312. It never ran hot, had a lot of power and I never managed to hurt it. Those were the days...
We had a 292 in a 1959 Ford 2 ton truck on the ranch, back in the day. It pulled that truck with a 22 foot bed on it full of watermelons all over Oklahoma , Kansas and Arkansas with out any failures! We also had a 292 in a 1959 1/2 ton that worked for a living and made several trips from Oklahoma to La pulling heavy trailers. We had a wonderful 272 in a ‘55 Ford , but I wasn’t happy, so I put a 430 Lincoln in it, then the 272 went into a 1959 Statin wagon for a short time, then it ended up in a pick up, where it is today. My Dad and I rebuilt a T-bird 312 and put it in a 1956 1/2 ton…..that truck was amazingly fast for its day! It is still in that truck in the barn! So …..I would say you should be good with that 292…….based on my experiences. Bones
292? I like them. They make good power and if you know what you are doing and don't mind getting your hands dirty you can build one for not a whole bunch of money. They have a nice sound and look better than most engines when dressed properly. I have one in a 1959 F-600 that will pull a big load and I have one in a 1928 Ford roadster that has run 196 mph. They are very versatile.
To add a note here: My parents bought a '61 Mercury with a 292 when I was about 12 or so. They kept if for 8-9 years. By that time my brother and I both turned 16 and drove the wheels off of that thing. Most of those years we/they lived 10 miles out of town so it got driven that far most times it got started. I have no idea how many miles were on it when they sold it but it was a LOT. After they traded it in they saw it around town for quite a few more years. It was no hot rod by any means but never failed us. Knowing my father (rip) I imagine that the oil got changed religiously. YMMV
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