Ok fellas here is the first set of many questions im sure to have about this whole project. first things first. The car is a 4 door customline with an automatic trans and Y-block 8. it appears to be completly stock with original everything.....seriously. The interior is falling apart, there is some serious rust on the p***enger's side front floor and the wiring is gonna have to be completly re-done. now for the questions.. first. what Y-block 8's came in this car and how can i find out which i have? second. what transmission came in this car? third. where is a good place to get replacement parts either NOS or re manufactured? that's all i've got for the moment more to come and thank you to those of you with the answers.
I too have a '54 Ford Customline and I'll give you some sound advice to start with,go on ebay and pickup a 52-54 Ford Shop Manual a new one will run about $30 there is a wealth of information and lots of pictures and worth every penny as almost anything you will need to know can be found there.For parts I recommend these catalogs to order:www.cl***icautoparts.com, Dennis Carpenter,www.usapartssupply.com and www.macsautoparts.com almost all these should be a must have, since many of the members here have made changes to their Fords don't be afraid to post any needs you may have here.Best of Luck!!
54s came with a 239 ci Y-block....it was the first year for the y-block. It's not a 100% sure method for knowing whether you have the 239, but if you detect any whitish tan paint on the block or intake and if you have red paint on the valve covers and air cleaner, then chances are pretty good that you still have the 239 in the car. That's the only year Ford used that color combo on their V8s. (It's plausible that someone could've swapped in a later model y-block and painted it those colors, but not likely) See here http://www.1954ford.com/main/page_photo_album.html for a photo of the engine. Transmissions offered that year were a 3 speed manual, available with or without an overdrive option and an automatic. All of the vendors that Jeff mentions are good ones, but don't forget that the big parts houses quite often have common replacement parts for old cars, like water pumps, ignition parts, and so on. You typically have to wait a day or two while they have it brought it from a warehouse, but you don't have to pay shipping this way and these parts are typically the same ones that the catalog vendors sell. Congrats on buying a 54. I bought mine in almost new condition, drove the snot out of it for 20+ years, and am now about 75% done with a frame-off rebuild. I swapped in a 302/AOD combo into mine and can't wait to experience this great car with a more powerful drivetrain.
If the engine is the original 239, castings on the block, intake, timing cover and heads will be EBU. If you find castings other than that, post them and someone here can help you identify what you have.
The absolutely best thing to do to a 239 OHV is to yank that ****er out and put in a later y-block. I understand that it is an important historical engine, but I also know for a fact that they're slow as snails. Also, mine was blown up, that coulda been why is was slow. Though, that 239 will pull you around for as long as you want it to, slow but strong. You've got an air cooled Borg-warner ford-o-matic incase noone has told you that yet. At least you should if everything is stock. Keep us posted on the car sir!
No doubt that a later model y-block is a good choice for an easy swap. My 239 was almost new when I bought my car and I was amazed the first time I heard it run...I literally could not hear the car running while standing a few feet in front of the hood. The old guy I bought it from cranked it and I was waiting for him to crank it again....nope it was just a smooth as gl*** and utterly silent....I'll never forget that. All that having been said, as I put more miles on it, it started developing minor issues, mainly related to the oiling, and yes....it was slow. Slow...but dead on reliable...it never ever left me stranded anywhere and always got respectable mileage. It made the trip from Denton, TX to the Rio Grande Valley several times during the last few years that it was running....a 9 hour trip....each way, and this was when it had 80K miles on the odometer. See there....I'm getting all nostalgic and stuff!
The only problem with 239's is that there is a lot of parts differences between it and the later YBlocks. If you need a replacement, go with a 292
The 239s also have oiling issues...particularly in getting oil to the rockers/lifters....not so much when the engines were new, but as soon as they get any gunk in the oil p***ages. The oiling problem is caused by the p***age from the center cam bearing to the cylinder head being offset by an inch and too small, especially in the first-year, 239 Y-blocks. This was such a common problem that there were aftermarket kits made to bring oil in from the top of the valve cover. To be fair, all of the y-blocks have this issue to a certain extent, but the issue was especially acute in the 239s. I never installed this kit on my 239, and by the time I tore the car down, the top end would rattle for a couple of seconds when I first fired it up. It's funny though...in the 80's there were still a fair amount of 54's in the junkyards and I remember seeing the oiling kit on a lot of those cars....I should've pulled one off and installed it on my car, but I never did. It's also worth mentioning that the oils of the 50's and 60's were inferior to today's detergent oils which seem to mitigate this problem somewhat.
pshycobilly , welcome aboard ! It's a shame you don't live closer to Pa. I am replacing my strong running Y block with a 302 and I am selling the engine . If you ever decide not to use your side body molding please keep me in mind . Not sure if it will be the same measurements as my 55 Fairlane . If you need any help finding parts or trying to figure something out , just ask ! Jim
FYI, there's a great bunch of folks on the Yblock group ( link - http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=159 ) and a lot of tips & other helpful info on these engines.
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