Ah, a love fest for the Y-block... I've owned my fair share of 'em over the years. I've seen them absorb abuse that would kill a SBC in a heartbeat (pun intended). Had a buddy that drove a 312-powered '60 Starliner for six months with essentially no oil pressure before it finally expired. The very used 312 replaced a 292 that was seized solid after the owner blew the forward gears out of the Fordomatic in a neutral drop and backed the car home about 15 miles. It got so hot we couldn't get the pistons out to rebuild it, which why another motor was acquired. We did rebuild the 312 however... But I've also personally seen them break crankshafts for no apparent reason. Two 292s and a 312, the last one (a 292) broke while cruising at 50 mph on a flat level road. Took the front two main bearing saddles out of the block as the crank broke into multiple pieces. This was a well-maintained, low miles original with good oil pressure, very clean inside upon disassembly. And no, it wasn't making any strange noises before failing. They can be made to run as Mummert and McMaster have demonstrated, but don't expect it to be either cheap or easy. They do have a great exhaust note as mentioned and have the 'hot rod' look suitable equipped. But parts for them that used to be common at the parts houses aren't anymore, so there's also that. With all this said, I wouldn't pull out a good runner if I was happy with the power level, but if after more I'd do a swap to either a Windsor or if you want to be more 'period correct', a FE. Back in the day a 352 swap into the 54-56 Fords was popular and made for a very lively car. Put an aluminum intake on a FE and it weighs less than the Y-block...
Growing up, my dad went from a succession of flathead Fords 34,46, and 47), to 216 Chevies 39 and 49), to a 53 flathead, a 57 272 and 61 292 Y blocks, and then on to 289s, 390s, and various Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, and SBC Chevy trucks. The Y blocks are the first I remember in any detail. They were reliable, if unexciting family toters. The only issue I recall as a kid was a cracked exhaust manifold on the 57 272. Ironically, the only other engine issues in over sixty years of him driving were short fuel pump life on the 34 (he said he always had to carry a spare), cracked piston skirt under warranty on the first 289, and bad camshaft on one of the small block Chevies. Based on that anecdotal sample, the Y blocks were more reliable than the SBCs.
Well, I think that a 292 with a set of T Bird valve covers and the right air filter is one of the best looking engines ...........and it is reliable if you take the time to address the oiling system. Couple it with an overdrive automatic or a 5 speed manual transmission and you should have a versatile driver in town and on the expressway. Use a 2 speed FordoTragic.........not so much!
The transmission of choice should be a T85 with the R11 OD. Drop in 3.7 to 4.11 rear gears and they're sweet cruisers and won't break the bank on fuel economy.
I’m not disagreeing with Steve, but a stock engine and just cruising’, a T-86 and R-10 will live just fine. Much easier and cheaper to locate. Van Pelt Sales is the place to start for parts if you go that route and need something.
They were when I was younger, but lately they seem stronger. No doubt the T85 is the stronger combo. Most oem ford combinations were in the 3.7 to 4.11 range. Some years 6 cylinder wagons got 4:27’s with the Dana rear end. Works well up to probably 75 mph roads.
With the .7 OD, a 4.11 works out to a 2.87, plenty high enough for mileage. A 3.7 nets you a 2.59 which could work in the flatlands but not so much around here. A 3.56 is a 2.49 in OD, that's getting into 'hard to pull' territory...
I had Tim McMaster rebuild my 312 and am planning to fire it up for the first time next month and can't wait! Since we are on the gear topic, what can I expect for cruising speed and MPG on a 312/3.10 gear combo with Ford o Matic? I am guessing I should be able to cruise all day long at 70-75 and get about 19-20 MPG? I will eventually get an OD tranny to help save engine life.
From my personal experience from the last 11 years……good luck on the fuel mileage estimate. Automatics chewed up a lot of mileage.
Title of the thread is “fuel mileage check in”. Several posts. http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic163430-1.aspx
My worn out 292 with a worn out Fordomatic gets around 16-17 mpg typically. I figure that isn’t too miserable. Oh, and I must like y-blocks...I can’t imagine putting anything other than one in my car when I get around to rebuilding one.
I can attest to the durability of the 292. I had a ‘63 F100 with one. The truck had sat in a field for over 10 years. It got vandalized so I put it in a container and then got it running and driving over a few years in my free time. It fired up on the first try and was the smoothest running V8 I ever had. I got it running and driving well. I was moving at the time and I needed to get it home so I could sell it. It was in storage about 60 miles from where I lived. The drive was uneventful until about the last 20 miles when the radiator blew a seam. I had a 5 gallon water jug with me just in case. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough for the remaining part of the trip. I was completely out of water on the last two miles. I didn’t want to leave it on side of the freeway as it would have been towed away promptly because of how rough it looked. The temperature gauge pegged soon after and it pinged terribly. It still kept running but power was dropping. It sounded like a diesel on the last few blocks home. It wouldn’t shut off at the end. I had to dump the clutch to kill it. I thought I destroyed the engine. I waited a few hours to cool it off and refilled the radiator. I decided to try and start it. It started, ran and drove like nothing happened except for the nice waterfall streaming out of the radiator. I still had no trouble selling the truck the following week. The guy who bought it had the radiator repaired and drove it regularly after that.
I wouldn't put it in a Model A, too heavy and too big. Excellent engine for cars and trucks of that era. The oil passage problem doesn't occur with clean oil in the engine. I put a lot of miles on '57 T-Birds with 312's. Charlie Stephens
huh, that means 3.56 gears would have been on the higher side for the era. the (modern) boats im used to used either 2.73s, 3.23s, or 3.55s
Toss in a modern distributor, and ditch the crossover exhaust for some ram's horns. Check the coolant level and oil level before each trip. Drive it until the sun burns out.
The thing you youngsters don't realize is there wasn't any freeway system when these cars were new. Authorization for its creation was signed in June of 1956, up until then it was a patchwork of highways tying the states together. High-speed highways were rare most places, typical speed limits were 40 to 50 mph on most roads. I can remember going to the Seattle Worlds Fair in 1962 and I5 wasn't completed into Seattle. I5 ended there, it didn't extend north yet. The typical 'high speed' ratios were in the 3.20 range and nearly always found behind automatic transmissions. A 3.5 could be either an automatic or a non-OD equipped manual ratio. The steeper ratios were almost always found behind manual transmissions, both standard and OD.
huh, i watched an advertisment for firestone run flat tires from the late 50s and it said they said something like "Brought it up to a typical interstate speed of 65 miles per hour" seems they were overselling speed limits of the time. found it
“The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, also known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act, Pub. L. 84–627 was enacted on June 29, 1956, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law. Wikipedia” There may have been some Interstates built back east, but most of them were still in planning. Most of the country didn’t have them. Our 50’s cars rarely saw todays speeds. On the other hand, I drove in Montana when the limit was “reasonable and prudent”. It doesn’t change what the factory ratios were, or where those engines liked to run. Not like todays world. Even then, I didn’t believe Firestone.
My grandpop bought a used '54 in '63. I hated to hear it run. Later on there were two guys that would street race with 56 and 57's : 292 and 312 respectivley. They both were on top of maintenance, and did well against challenges. ( Thanks for saying that. I been given goofy looks, when telling people of our treatment of our 65 Chevelle SW. 5 quarts -2 bucks? ) In '74 a kid in a Mustang challenged me at a stoplight, he tried, but failed. I Agree.
My only experience with a 292 was when I was a kid. My dad bought a ‘54 Ford 2.5 ton to swap the ramp bed he had made that was on a ‘46 Chevy 1.5 ton he used to haul his D4 Cat with Dozer blade he made. He towed the ‘54 home and found the engine was stuck. This was in ‘73/74 or so, maybe before. Been awhile. He had a friend who knew Fords and it had one 312 head on it and one 292 head. Anyways, they loaded up the cylinders with some concoction some period of time later they commenced to towing it up and down the deadend street we lived on. Dumping her clutch rearend chirping and bouncing. Eventually the engine broke free. Happened right in front of the house, the hood was off and I recall the “concoction” shooting out in the air. Once he got it running he put the ramp bed on it. He hauled that tractor and dozer around till he sold the equipment in ‘79. That engine ran smooth, idled like a sewing machine and didn’t use oil/smoke/over heat, etc. it was a damned good work horse for sure.
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