I recently became the proud owner of a 1955 Ford Crown Victoria Skyliner. The car sat in a warehouse for 39 years after the original 272 took its last breath. At some point the Fordomatic was changed out to a manual 3 speed. This is where my questions start. I have a buddy who has offered me a 332 y block for a great price. It currently has Mercury valve covers on it, but from what I have read so far, this motor was in Lincolns, not Mercs. Please correct me if I am wrong. My first question is will the bell housing from the 272 work for the 332? I plan on driving this car, so is there a 4 speed transmission that wil fit the bell housing so I don't have to wind the motor out at highway speeds? Any and all help is appreciated!
You can find a BW T-10 that will bolt to the bellhousing but I doubt the bellhousing will bolt to the 332.
The 332 is indeed a Lincoln/big Ford truck Y block. Having Mercury valve covers is possible, as in 1957, Mercury did use the 368 turnpike cruiser engine, that was also a Lincoln engine. Now to the bell housing. I don't think the 272 and 336 bell patterns are the same, as the 272/292/312 Y blocks are much smaller than the Lincoln Y blocks. If you are trying to adapt the transmission to the Lincoln 336 Y block, you might want to check Ford FE bell housings. I recall some saying that the bell patterns are similar, if not the same.
If you don't get an answer here, try over at http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/default.aspx. And make sure it's a y block 322, there's also an FE 332. The yblock-MEL-FE series can be confusing.
It is definitely a y block 332. It is currently sitting next to a 352 FE motor, and the two are completely different from each other. I have played with y blocks a few times. This 332 is basically a 292 on steroids. I like the idea of more cubes. How difficult will it be to find a bell housing and manual transmission that will work with this motor?
Check your numbers because the only PRODUCTION ECU motor that came with Mercury valve covers(usually red with an aluminum casting with cast in "turnpike cruiser" attached to the top on one side only) came in '57 & was 368cu." ( There was a factory special order '57 only motor/3 spd trans available with a 2x4bbl manifold rated at 332 HP, & had special cast aluminum valve covers as part of the package.) Allegedly(as per Rich Fox) FE flywheels & bellhousings can be modified to fit the ECU motors. '58(?) & newer commercial intake manifolds that fit std Holley 4bbl carbs, as well as 'ram-horn' exhaust manifolds are available(check truck/commercial dismantling yards). I hope someone didn't put a set of Merc valve covers on a commercial 336cu" truck motor, although you'd be gaining a forged 3-5/8" crank that would be a good start to build a 'stout' 368! (368" = 4" x 3-5/8'' BxS) Hope this helps, & good luck ; these are a great torque motor, just don't take them much over 6000 on stock rods!
Old thread, but most of these guys are still active here. http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic62659.aspx
These may just be Mercury details that were stuck on the valve covers. I do have a set of Turnpike cruiser valve covers sitting at the house, so I know what they look like. I will check the numbers tomorrow to make sure it is a 332 I am dealing with. The guy I am buying it from has been playing with y blocks for a lot of years, so I would think he knows what he is talking about. Then again, he was of the mind that my bell housing would bolt right up to the 332, so I do have some concerns. The car is already set up with three pedals, and I would like to keep it that way. So if the motor is in fact a 332, what modifications would be needed to convert an FE bell housing to work?
Rich Fox, are you out there? you mentioned FE bellhousing & flywheel in an earlier post ; what mods are required to fit them to an ECU motor? Thanks!! Movinman : If you do wind up using this motor, & it is an ECU, you'll need a set of '57 Turnpike cruiser motor mounts, as they were the original design to let this motor sit down on '57 +/- ford frame mounts.
There is a Lincoln Y block forum here. From reading it, I understand the FE bellhousing will fit except for the dowel pins. So you would need to do something there. After you sort that out Ford T10 and Top Loader 3 and 4 speeds should blot to the FE bell. I also understand that transmissions that came from small block (289-302) cars have longer input shafts and you want one from a FE car. Check the forum.
A 3-speed versus a 4-speed won't make a difference on the top-end, unless you are lucky enough to score an overdrive unit. Otherwise they both have a 1:1 top gear.
Two different 332 engines, one was for Ford big trucks and is part of the Lincoln/Ford truck Y series. The other is an FE motor, looks like a 352. Now, for the interesting part. BOTH are technically Y blocks. Just look at an FE motor, oil pan gasket is one piece, just like early Ford and Lincoln Y blocks.
The Jalopy Journal
