292 Y-Block Value

I have a disassembled 1959 292 Y-block sitting in my shop right now. The owner has decided to replace it with a 351W since the Y-Block lost oil pressure and ate a few bearings as well as scuffed the cylinders pretty well. I don't want to throw this engine away as it is quite rebuildable (standard bore, good heads, .010 under crank). I am thinking of re-building it completely and selling it as a turn-key complete carb-to-pan motor. Does the HAMB community think I would be able to sell it fully rebuilt? The problem is I would need to get about $3500 to pay for the parts, labor, and machining. Is this a reasonable price for this motor?

292 Y-Block
Blue Thunder Intake and Holley 600 CFM carb
0.030 Overbore.
Complete valve job with hardened seats

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

 

As much as I love the sound of a Ford Y-Block I can't see spending $3,500 for one.I think the owner went the right direction, you can do a Windsor SBF for a lot less.The cost of Y-block parts are insane these days when you think of the shear number of them that were produced in cars and trucks.I remember rebuilding one in 1979 and the crank kit was $79 and rings were $19.95.There is a 5.0 and AOD under my hood.

 

Besides the Blue Thunder intake, I see nothing trick about that motor. 292's are as common as dirt. I love Y-Blocks like a mechanical sibling but I see 3500$ as waaay to high.

 

You guys are confirming what I thought would be the terrible truth. With the cost of rebuild parts and competent machine work I didn't think there was any way to get my money back out it. I still hate to confine this one to the scrap bin of history, but that may be its ultimate fate.

 

Sell it "As is" for a builder,it might go for around $800.

 

$800 would be awfully nice, but I just picked up another running 351W and C6 for a 1/4 of that and a non running MEL for even less. So I really don't see getting much over scrap price for it. I may just sell off the good parts and scrap the rest.

Thanks

 

I think someone would look for a 312 before they would pay that much for a 292. I think you would be better off selling it as a core than tying up the money and having to find someone interested in the rebuilt engine.

Charlie Stephens

 

I paid $100 for a complete 1960 292. Haven't got the chance to see if it's a runner, but it turns easy.

I know that's cheap but I wouldn't have paid over $300 for a similar 292.

 

I paid just slightly more than that for my Y Block built by Tim McMaster.

I have a 312 I'm using as my mockup engine, but the engine I got from Tim started with a 292 block (stronger than the 312 and less prone to main bearing web cracking)

Tim then fitted it with a 312 crank and truck connecting rods and balanced the whole works with a health cam for a total of 309 cubic inches.

It's going to be a stout engine in my 26 RPU.

 

I've scrapped so much stuff over the years that I wish i'd kept. Never again will I scrap any vintage pieces that might one day be useful to somebody. If you've got any place to keep it,somebody will need it one day. Y-blocks may be common and cheap now,but one day they won't.

At least that's my explanation for dragging home 6 of them in the last 2 years.

 

I've got 2 Flatheads under my bench that one has new rings, bearings, oil pump & adj.
lifters & the other one is a complete rebuild .040 over. Can't get $800 & $1500 for either one of those complete pan to carb motors. And thats what I have in them.

 

Just came back from LARS. Everything is sbc. Keeps the value of cool Ford engines low. Not a debate, just the way it is.
Back to your original question, store it if you've got the room. It will make someone happy someday. Even if you sell it to a guy at scrap value (say 90 bucks), the block lives on.

 

I swapped a '63 401 Nailhead, air cleaner to pan, water pump to flywheel for a rebuildable core 292. the back story was I got the 401 for helping a friend and didnt need/want it. The other guy, a HAMBer here called in/owes a favor.
3500 sounds high.

 

$800 for a clapped out y block that needs rebuilt is pretty damned optimistic! I just bought a completely rebuilt 272 for $800 last year...

 

That is not $800 for just a block,the fresh heads and the Blue Thunder Intake and Holley would be part of the deal,I know a member that had to cough up $175 to Desert Valley for a passenger front sump pan and pickup only.

 

Just give it to me ill hord it

 

If you can sit it out and wait for the right buyer $3500 is very reasonable. (with a new carb and a Blue Thunder) I do a few extra tricks to mine, balance and port work for around $4000.

The Blue thunders are getting hard to find and when you do they will run almost $500. If you do the build right 300hp is an easy # with a 292 and for all the guys that think a 312 is the way to go, it's only a number. 292 blocks are a whole lot better than the 312, they don't crack as much and you can run a neoprene seal so the don't leak as much.

I sometimes feel as if I'm on a one man crusade to prop up the Y-Block's reputation but they speak for themselves if you're willing to listen. Great motor with a whole lot more personality than any sbc or sbf. (I'm not a hater of the others, just a lover of the Y)

 

I almost forgot the porting Thanks Tim.

Larry.

 

I Think Tim is sayingit best here. if you wanna build it and wait it out its well worth the denero. I built one for a friend last year for fun and he walked out having 2k in parts in the motor, but its a screamer.

if you just wanna build it to build it do it . I love these damn motors maybe its in the name.

dont scrap it , someone would want it , or maybe not

 

If the motor was fairly fresh, and lost oil pressure long enough to damage bearings, chances are the top end was not damaged. These are one of the toughest engines ever built. The heads should be undamaged. Inspect the cam and lifters, dont throw away Y bvlock lifters, they can be refaced. For a Y block to loose OP, someone screwed up. Please save it.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I think I will just box it up and tuck it away for now. Money is a little tight (wife is going back to grad school) and I can't tie up that kind of cash right now. I was hoping I could turn it fairly quickly, but it might be better to wait until I know someone who is looking for a turn-key Y.

Now, to figure out how to lift the block up into the attic.....