Hey guys, I’ve searched a few days and have come up dry. I’m looking for examples of Y blocks swapped into a 1946 to 1948 ford bolted to a stock trans. I found one convertible with a y block installed, which gave an idea of space available but it was not bolted to the stock trans. I figured it was worth a thread to see if anyone has any examples on hand or tips for such a swap. length looks pretty dang close to a chevy and those are swapped in all the time with nearly no effort. As far as I can tell a rear sump oil pan and a shorty oil filter and it should go right in?
Knew a guy years ago who had a 272 powered '47 coupe. It had a RH exhaust manifold backwards on the drive side to clear the steering gear. One of the harder to find center dump manifolds would probably work.
If you can keep it stock color painted with stock air cleaner it would be right at home. A short spin on filter helps with any installation.
@HEATHEN the passenger side manifold On the drivers side was my first thought. Even with out an oil filter right there it’s a tight squeeze.
Iron Trap Garage had a Y block in a 39 bolted to the stock drive train. don't know it that will help.
Yeah I’m not sure how much will really carry over from a 39’ to a 46’. They used a sectioned rear sump pan and the firewall is pushed back a good three inches in that car. I did look at it a fair amount.
A buddy of mine put a 292 in a 46 coupe back when we were in high school, so it can't be terribly hard. We really didn't know anything, but it didn't stop us. We had a falling out and I wasn't involved in the 292 swap. His next car was a 55 Chevy and we pulled out a worn out 6 and put a 348 tri-power in it.
Shots of a sbc bolted to a stock trans via cragar adapter. I suppose if someone wanted to measure a Y block from the bellhousing where the adapter would bolt on to the distributor, or heads which ever is further back, we could compare it to the chevy. But sure seems it would fit with out cutting the firewall
A friend had a '46 coupe with an FE in it back in the early 70's so I know a Y-block will fit. His used a T-10 4-speed behind the 390, so had it some butchery done to the center of the frame to clear the shifter. But no cutting of the firewall was required; there's a lot more room under the hood in these than there is on a '40 or earlier.
Yeah I know it will fit in general, just trying to see where it locates with a stock trans. Bet that moved with a 390 t-10 though!
According to Dana, this is the length difference ford vs chev. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/y-block-vs-sbc-size-length.994640/ 3 common oil pans, front sump car, rear sump truck, and shallow front deep rear from the Thunderbird. There are also some larger truck pans, 6 quarts or more, rear sump. Finding and modifying one of those might be easier and cheaper than finding a bird pan. Birds and trucks used the front mount off the timing cover. Birds used the rod type steady rest mid block. Trucks used rear mounts off the bellhousing. That bell is deeper, how that plays with your trans I don’t know. FWIW, the driver side bird 57 exhaust manifold is unique, pass side is the same for cars and birds. It lets the downpipe clear the clutch, steering etc in the bird. The 57’s flow better , along with the truck rams horns. All the above are reproduced. Pick the combo of pieces, you’ve got a lot of chances to making it fit. How it bolts up to the transmission I don’t know.
Good info on the oil pans! I asked @redzula to measure from where the trans bolts to the block to the first thing that would hit the firewall- distributor cap- and he figured around a 1/4 inch very technical photos here lol I compared to my sbc and seems maybe between a 1/4 and a 1/2 inch. So I think it’s feasible to clear the stock firewall with it bolted to the stock trans via adapter. May need to smack the firewall with a hammer and you’ll for sure need to get rid of the fire wall mounted battery tray. But no cutting the firewall should be needed. the inch longer length - sbc with short pump compared to the y block in the previous linked post comes up with the Y block an inch longer- I think you could still fit a mechanical fan if your very careful picking out a fan and use one of many methods to nudge the radiator away from the fan. still looking for examples, real cars, with this swap but I feel pretty confident that it should be a un complicated swap as far as it fitting into the car as long as you’ve got the right oil pan
When you go looking for yblocks look for a truck one that still has the front mount. I think trucks and birds had a different front cover which gives you the option of using that mount or making a front motor plate. The side mounts are available, but I’m guessing they might be more of a clearance problem. That’s how my 32 is set up, a front plate and a truck bellhousing. Leaves the sides clear, where you need the room. If you’ve not seen the bird steady rests just go thru a Tbird catalog, all the parts are there, but you can fab what you need easily and cheaper.
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