y-block questions

[Revhead]

What are the differences in a 55 compared to a 59? Did they change the oil filter housing in that time? Will a '59 still be able to use a front mount like in a '55 tbird? Also..is there a company that makes a bracket to use the front mount for a yblock on a shoebox? I see back in the day the welded one up then welded it to the crossmember of the car.

[Deyomatic]

I put this question up on a Y block email list that I'm on. If you have one, you should find either or both of Yblocksforever and the forums there, or the yahoogroups list.

I checked on Autozone.com for you and they show different oil filter part numbers for 55 and 59. I have a Y block book that shows photos, and they all (even 1954 Passenger car Y blocks) seem to have the filter on the driver's side of the block, about 3/4 of the way toward the back.
The pics stop being labeled at 1957.

[du$ty]

hey rev...not sure when they changed filters...but as for the other question id check and see the width of the shoebox frame and maybe you could take a crossmember outta a 55-59 and mod it to slid betweeen your rails and mount the motor that way.i bought a whole center motor crossmember one in little johns in ftw and they cut it out for 30 bucks...also ...the trucks had a front mount style also...as for the motor mount holes are all the same as far as i know.

[Paul2748]

I think the difference in the oil filters is when they went to a spin on canister type filter. The early ones (don't know what year they changed) used an element inside a can for the oil filter. As far as the front mount, pickups and tbirds used a front mount. The back mounts in the pickups were part of the bellhousing (don't know about the birds). You should be able to use a front mount on a 59 by using the pickup (or bird) front cover.

[Rocket Scientist Chris]

There was a kit offered by Fram a few years ago that converted the old canister type oil filter to the more modern spin on type (much more economical! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif ). You can probably get one from any of the mid fifties Ford parts dealers.
The T-bird and truck Y-blocks used a different timing chain cover than the passenger cars: they had threaded bosses for the front motor mount.

[286merc]

Front housings and mounts are all interchangable in the Y block family. The primary difference is that the 57 and later uses a modern style dizzy with vacuum & centrifigal advance as well as the current style 4 bolt carb pattern. The early blocks can be updated by swapping the parts.

One small problem is the Cleveland built 239 which requires the later oil pump also when changing the dizzy.