Hot Rods Y-Block swap

And even in the early 60,s you could have bought a used 352 FE cheaper than rebuilding a Y block. the 2 bbl 352 was rated a 250 HP. My father bought a New 64 chev Pk. 283 & 3speed 410 gears. The cam went flat. and in 65 I installed a sears remanufactured short block. cost $125. bored .060. I added a 4 bbl carb and dual stock mufflers. And I never was beat in any drag race in that truck by any Y Block. I heard several stories about fast Y blocks however I never came across a single one. I hauled heavy loads in that truck. I would put weight in the bed and drag vehicles behind it on a tow bar. many of those I towed where 55 and 56 fords. I eventually totaled that truck. Then put the same engine in a 63 short bed with double hump heads and a 30-30 cam. eventually a pressed in piston pin came loose and wore a deep groove in the cyl wall. I blew up a lot of Muncie 318 three speed transmissions behind that little screaming 283 bored to a 292.

 

Here's a video Tim did of the run in of my engine. He talks about all the specs in the video.
I think it sounds sweet.

 

Most people don't even know what the y block is when I am at shows,etc.
I don't regret using it in my build. I also think you are in good shape with the 283 set up.

 

Then there is always the 368 Lincoln Y-block.

 

Its not like I never had any experience with Y block engines. ive owned dozens and still have a few. and lately ive been able to actually sell some parts. Got a potential buyer for some valve covers and stuff.

 

My uncle worked at the ford dealer in 57 and bought a new 57 with a 312 stick. He was a avid drag racer. and before the year was out he got a special stick bellhousing and installed a MEL engine in his 57.

 

How about this one?

 

Its got the desirable Ford embossed valve covers. yup it would make a good forklift engine. Its heavy enuf ya don't need as muck added counterweight.

 

Good eye, OldWolf, I never noticed that! May have to change them before I sell it!







Bones

 

Only way I’d keep the 283 is if I found a 4-71 cheap enough to throw on it I’d do that

 

Mail me all that stuff wolf, I'll appreciate it like a newborn baby.

 

Some where in my hoard I have a Mallory dual point dist for a Y block.

 

Any idea what the length from the trans case to front of the engine is(including trans adaptors to front drive)? I can try some rough measurements and see if theirs room, it’d be nice if it fits the current layout.

 

Kind of funny you mention a FE as a friend made me aware of a someone local selling a 69 GT 390FE "320HP" are they worth a hoot and what would you recommend as far as building an FE? Someone else has a top loader ready to go as well.

 

400hp, and an S10 T5 will likely not agree well, of for long.

Now, if you can overcome the electronic speedometer issue (paging @Kato Kings), a end-of-line S10 T5 is World Class, and has the FORD pattern (yes, even in a GM application).

The ratios are a little low, but, since it is WC, you can rectify that, if you are not satisfied.

 

I would not focus my thoughts on a horsepower number.

Get a decent manifold and carb, or carbs, a modern-style (aka: not Load-O-Matic) distributor, and un-cork the exhaust. Ram's horns are fine. Put a little better than stock cam in it, and then go out and enjoy it.

Cubic dollars do not always have a positive outcome in terms of cubic fun.

With a Y-Block, you can have off-beat cool, and fun.

 

The main think that hurts a FE's performance is the restrictive stock exhaust manifolds. Hedders will help a lot. and the cast intake is very heavy. a aluminum intake saves about 40 pounds.

 

Thanks, is the 69GT motor decent or is there an FE to look for?

 

Yes the GT is a good engine. the rare 428 and 427 are very high dollar. One big advantage with a FE is you can use a 65 and newer flywheel and not need the long shaft reverse bendix starter.

 

I believe this is a WC S10 T5 but the pattern looks to be chevy

 

As far as I know, there was never such an animal, unless it is a hand-build.

See if it has a tag under a tail-housing bolt, or a top-sticker. Either will say 13-52-XXX (like: 13-52-145), with the XXX being the build designation. The XXX number will tell the tale.

 

Don’t pay extra for the “GT” 390. It really doesn't have any special speed parts over a regular 390, other than slightly hotter cam. It will have heads that have an odd bolt pattern for the exhaust. The stock “GT” exhaust manifolds are actually worst that the stock log manifolds in terms of flow. Like Old Wolf said, aluminum intake , four barrel , headers and a decent cam, recurve the disturber, you will have a rather powerful engine. Put a strocker kit in it and get 445 cubic inch for assume horsepower!




Bones

 

I think there are a few reasons the FE wasn't as popular as it might have been back in the late 1950 and early 1960 era. They mostly came with a 352 two bbl in heavy cars with automatic trans and 300 rear gears. and the larger cube 390 did not appear until 62. The 389 and 421 Pontiacs and Chrysler 413 and Hemi engines where simply faster. Back in the mid sixties a stick bellhousing and flywheel was hard to find for a FE. And the green drive crusomatic wasn't any performance trans. The FE wouldn't bolt in to a falcon , comet Mustang ect. Certianly there where Fairlane Thunderbolts. However it took extra money & work to run a FE and make it competitive. Of course Tiny Lund won the 63 Daytona 500 in a FE galaxie. He won by getting better fuel milage and making one less pit stop than everyone else. Having stated all this a stock 4 bbl 390 FE will run circles around a souped up Y block at a much lower price.

 

Two years later Fred Lorenzen won the Daytona 500 with a 427 powered 1965 Galaxie!

Depending on gearing, carbs, cams, cubes, etc, the FE could be a dog or the fastest car on the planet ......at that time.





Bones

 

1967 would bring a FE to the winners circle again......

 

It is testing my memory, but back in the 60s, I did a 292 into an 53 F100, and a 312 into a 53 Merc pickup. Both engines replaced flatheads, and were easy swaps into the truck. The only thing I had to find in both cases, was a rear sump pan and oil pump pickup, which I found at the auto wrecker on the truck Y blocks.
I don't know enough about the Merc car front suspension to know if oil pan clearance is a problem or not, but it you should be aware of the possibility.
Even back then, speed parts for the Y blocks was frightfully expensive. I took the cheap road to horsepower by replacing the 312 with an Olds 394.
The 394 into the truck was also a no brainer swap, and the performance was spectacular.
Bob

 

I like the Y-blocks too. I put a 292 in my ‘32 Ford along with a T-5. It was pretty straightforward and I didn’t buy one adapter

 

The FE's are excellent engines and have plenty of potential. I am running a 335 hp 390 in a one year ot Caliente, and I love it.
Bob

 

The truck oil pan isn't exactly rear sump . Its more of a bathtub design. it does have the oil pickup at the rear. However you can use a pass car oil pan in a truck. Its the timing cover that must be changed to use the truck front mount.

 

That's correct, I do remember now that I did use the front mount, so I must have changed the timing cover. What made the swap easier, is that I had access to a couple of later model parts trucks in the auto wrecker where I bought the motor.
I sure wish that I would have taken pictures back then.
Bob