Hot Rods replacement for 292 in 59 galaxie?

Im looking for an engine for my 59 galaxie. It had a 292 in it and I was wondering what else would fit in it with little to no modificatio.

 

332, 353, 390, 406, 410, 427, 428

 

FE, what else?

 

312.

 

An FE is the only choice as far as I'm concerned . They were offered in that car, so no major modifications will be needed. Other than that, just build the 292. My engine builder insists the 292 is a better engine than a 312...not sure why, I think it's because of the higher nickel content in the block, and of course the fact that 292 truck engines(like mine) have forged cranks.

 

Yeah, a FE would be a bolt in, but you could consider a 429-460 without much tweeking.

 

Helped a buddy put a 390 "crate motor" in his 57 Ford tudor in the 60's that was as far as I remember a bolt in deal. The car came with a six and it was pretty well unbolt the old stuff and bolt in the new stuff. I think your 58 would be pretty much the same and you most likely can do the swap with factory parts.
Fords usually aren't as easy as GM as far as swapping engines that didn't come in that series but you might be able to stick in a later Windsor or Cleavland too by using the right mounts.

 

Bingo, an FE is the obvious upgrade. You can buy all the parts needed to do the swap off the shelf.

The 312 and 292 were machined from the same base casting, so there is no difference in nickle content, and this is also why you have to look at the casting number on the main caps, and not on the block to tell the difference between the two. The 292 is considered a stronger block because not as much material was machined from the main bearings. The 312 needed the extra material removed to clear the bigger main bearings. This caused the bearing pockets to get awfully close to the cap bolt holes, especially if things were running to one side of the position tolerance. It is not uncommon to find a 312 with a cracked web because of this. The 312 also had thinner cylinder walls due to the larger bore (max overbore of about 0.060"). Some argue that the deck and cylinder walls aren't as stable on the 312's because of the thin cylinder walls at a time when core shift was a significant concern. Thin wall casting wasn't really perfected until the late 60's, even though the FE motors took advantage of the technique (and often had core shift issues).

 

FE's can be expensive and can be hard to come by depending on where you live.

Jegs is selling a reman'd 5.0 High Output motor right now for $1800 and change. 225 horse stock and a warranty. Plenty of people have swapped in SBF's with little trouble.

 

You can install pretty much any Ford motor in a 57 with ease. I'm a big FE fan but it's not the only good motor in the family. 289 through 351 sits in with a simple mount adapter. Here are some photos. This mount is in my 57 Convert with a 351 W and an A.O.D. The trans mount bolted right on the stock mount pad. The rest is just nuts and bolts.

 

Any Ford v-8- family(that we care about) 289-351 Windsor, 351 Cleveland, 351-400 M, Fe series, 429- 460, Y block. All can be a simple bolt in, needing only driveshaft, exhaust, motor mount, and other typical swap modifications. 90's Truck mounts seem to work for most applications, although I've only done a Y block, Windsor, and Cleveland swap myself, and helped do a 460 swap. I have a 289 in my 59 Ranchero, out of a 65 Mustang. engine mount is a 1/4 inch flat steel plate, drilled to move the stock mount out I inch. took about an hour to cut and drill 2. Exhaust manifold covers it.

 

317, 332 341, or 368 Lincoln Y block should be a bolt in literally.

MEL 383/430 the other FE would also be a good choice I have had 2-430s both in Mercs and they are a can't be beat mill.

 

Yep, that's pretty much the same mount I built when I dropped a 351W/FMX into a '56 Ford I had. The 351 has a lot more torque compared to a 302 and isn't that much larger. I used a '71 Galaxie for a donor, other than having to swap the cable throttle linkage in it was pretty much a bolt-in. The stock lower radiator hose fit, as did the dual-diaphragm Y-block fuel pump for the vacuum wipers. Used the Galaxie exhaust manifolds, had new head pipes built.

 

I'd go with a 430" or 462" MEL just for the cool factor. We're building a 430" for a customer now doing a similar swap and have one 462" core waiting for a visionary who wants to go big.

jack vines

 

The FE series is easier to find than the Yblock. Parts are plentiful and easier to find. You will get more power and about the same gas mileage. I don't think they are very expensive to build. I think the Yblock would cost more to rebuild. And its a bolt in. 390 is what your car wants..its a natural. You could probably find a running one for a few hundred bucks. Trucks used them up into the 70s.

 

FE motors aren't so common anymore; the last year of production was '76 for any version. And they've never been cheap to build, although probably about the same as a Y-block these days. If budget is a consideration, a 302/351W will probably be the cheapest option.

 

By far the least trouble would be an FE. They are still available in this area. Back in the early 80's I put a low dollar 390 exchange motor in an off topic 3/4 ton 4x4 pickup I had that came with a 360, really made a surprising difference in how that big truck moved out. Years later I took it apart and found that it was bored to 0.80, which with a 390 crank works out to I "believe" 406. Sparked quite a debate on the Ford Muscle forum when I posted about it. Ford guys there felt it was only possible to go 0.80 on a very early production block. Never overheated either.

B

 

302-351 dirt cheap and parts are everywhere.

 

Actually you can buy the mounts right over the counter to drop in a 289-302/5.0 or 351W or 351C check out pictures and part numbers: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/media/albums/289-302-351w-swap-mounts.41498/ This applies to 1954-59 Fords and Mercs.You will need to run a front sump oil pan like early Mustang,HEDMAN 88400 headers will fit with zero mods needed on the 289-302 & 351W. Join up here for tons more info this has been done by a bunch of our members over the years.http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/social-forums/1952-59-ford-social-group.282/

 

JeffB2; I followed your link to see what mount you were talking about. Can't say I'd do that myself being you have to cut up the mount pad on the frame. Kind of a personal thing to me is not cut if at all possible. Yes your right, it's a very simple swap and personally believe a 302 or 351W is the best bang for the buck if you just want a nice driver.
The Wizzard

 

Oldmics,
That's hot rodding.

The MEL engines are going to be pricey to rev build, but since being on the HAMB I have found several the farthest away from me being Indy (a weekend bat trip) all sound running engines and not a single one for more then a grand (actually 900 on the most expensive one). I don't recall ever checking the mileage on the two that I owned previously but it was not a major concern to me it is what it cost me to get to and from.

If you look at a later FE from a pickup truck anything from about '70 on is going to be a 360. Low compression and the crappiest fuel mileage of any FE. if you got 12 out of one you were lucky and most got in the 8-10 MPG range.

 

You didn't say what trans you have the y block has a different bellhousing pattern than the other Ford V8s if a standard the FE a early bell will work with your trans.

 

Ive got a Mel that has the same bellhousing pattern as the FE. Its a 2 BBl engine. Not sure of the displacement. Was running good thirty years ago. Been pickled since that time. $250. The 360 was a 390 block pistons &rods. With a 352 crank. The pistons where way down in the bore. You can install a 390 crank in a 360 and use the 360 pistons &rods. raises the compression.

 

Old wolf
In my experience the most common MEL was the 383 that does not mean that yours is and I don't remember how to tell by looking at the block. The two mercs that I had with them were turnpike cruisers, both said 430 on the air cleaner so I asked my father in law and he helped me decipher it because air cleaners are easy to change.

the 383 is a good mill, they will shit n git even in 2 bbl form.

There are lots of different combos that can be done with the FE. You can take a 427 block ( good luck finding one of those these days) and shove a 352 crank in it and it works out to 396" of screaming monster. I knew a guy from Roam Georgia that worked for the ford dealership in the '60s who did that. They had a 427 with a bad crank (I have no idea what was bad about it) and he got it cheap along with a worn slap out '59 2 door sedan off the back lot with a 352. He used the crank from the 352 in the 427 and put it all back in the sedan. Fastest '59 I ever rode in.

 

Ford offered the 390 with a four barrel in the trucks at least through '75, although they weren't common. Anything with a two barrel will be a 360 unless you run into the rare '70 390 2V. And yeah, fuel economy wasn't their strong point, but that was generally true of most of the FEs. The main hassle these days with swapping a FE into the early cars is exhaust manifolds. The early manifolds are getting pretty rare, and not all the late ones will fit. There are headers available, but not cheaply....

 

LOL I never even think about headers any more. If I don't have manifolds that work I normally have a few u bends and can come up with flanges somewhere.

I never cared for the 360, I have always considered it a waste of pig iron. That said it would be fun to get one and build it right just to see what it would do. I have never done that.

 

Actually, the best FE I ever owned was a 360. I was looking for a good used 1/2T truck during the second 'gas crisis' and while gas-guzzling 3/4T were a glut on the market, 1/2T were nowhere to be found. I finally found a 1/2T '68 Ford with a 360 2V/three-on-tree that ran well and wasn't beat. The owner was claiming 20+ mpg, I had to restrain myself not to call him a liar. But it was the best running one I found, so I bought it...
Imagine my surprise when it knocked down 22 mpg on the highway and 15-16 in town. The 2.75 rear axle and lack of any power accessories were no doubt contributing factors. It went 250K before all the nylon teeth on the timing gear fell off....

 

LYB and MEL are two different critters that are often confused
But then lets stay on topic and get this Ford runnin !
Oldmics