What's your opinion...'52 Ford motor options

I've been getting pretty motivated on getting back to work on my '52 Customline.

I'd like to get some opinions from you guys about what you'd do for a powerplant.

The car came with a motor mount kit for a 302/351w. It's not installed, just have it sitting in the trunk. This was going to be my plan from the beginning but have had some change of heart over the years.

Next option would be a flathead. I got a set of free 8BA heads that are just sitting around. I'd still need the rest of the motor obviously.

Third would be a Y-block that I was thinking about picking up for a good price. I've heard good and bad about these motors, but I wouldn't know what it would take to transplant one into a '52. So far this motor is my favorite choice but I tend to change my mind quite often. LOL

So what do you guys think?

TIA,
--pyro

 

It all depends on your budget. Anything fits with enough time, work and money.

My first choice would be the SBF. Cheap, powerful, reliable...you name it. Plus the front sump oil pan will fit in that chassis with little to no modification. MUCH less work. I personally think the SBF looks like ass, which would be the reason I shied away from it when I did my own swap, but if you keep the hood shut, nobody knows.

Y blocks are cool, but it's a lot of money to spend for a little return. I've worked on a bunch, and personally they just seem to be designed with no common sense. The starters are the screwiest things you've ever seen. They're pretty strong, make adequate power, and are pretty reliable too.

Flathead? Why spend that much for so little power when nobody is going to see it? It would be a totally different story if you were building a rod with no hood. Flatties are the prettiest engines maybe ever.

My choice? I'd go SBF. My $.02

 

hemi....

 

Be different, go Y-block.

 

All the above choices are feasible but for the long haul and minim hassle I would go with the 351w. There capable of lots of HP and torque at low price and plentiful. Parts are never a problem any where in the good old USA. The 302 is also a good engine but it will cost the same as the 351 to build so why not opt for the more cuin and HP for the same bucks? A good built 351W with a C-6 is close to indestructible and the ultimate in reliability.

 

I would go with the SBF. It's a no hassel swap, theirs lots of after market stuff for it, you can make as much HP as you can afford, and it's Relilable..

 

No doubt, SBF. If you look you can find a Lincoln T/C, Marquis, or a Crown Vic with a good usable 302 roller cam motor cheap. I was around in the 60's and remember many great running Y blocks. I saw the non-oiling to the top end with the outside oil lines and the broken cast cranks too.
Good Luck.

Lucky667

 

A rebuilt (clean, i.e. hot tanked) Y-block with the correct cam bearings will oil just fine. With modern low-ash oils it'll stay that way, too. My Y-block gets great oil to the rockers, and good pressure to boot---without a high-volume pump or anything. Daily driven, 15W40 in the winter, 30W in the summer.

 

If the key issue is the fashion statement, the flatty or Y-block would be excellent choices. Another, not mentioned, is the FE. It is just a little bigger than the Y-block, with substantially more potential.

If the key issues are propulsion, maintainability, and cost, go with the SBF. I've run both 302s and a 351W in my cars; you are unlikely to do better.

 

Ouch! I didn't mean to knock the Y so bad, sorry, that's what I remember. I have two good running 302 roller motors still in the cars, complete that individually are worth less that the machine work to rebuild ANYTHING. I have some old Chrysler 354's & 331's, the rings, bearings, & gasgets for them cost more than a 'ok' 302 roller motor sells for complete & running.
Good Luck.

Lucky667

 

Well I was looking at picking up a pretty complete 272 Y block for next to nothing. Not sure what a rebuild would cost but I'd think it wouldn't be much more than a 302/351 rebuild. I haven't seen any good deals locally on a SBF lately.

Flathead would be strictly for a cool factor. Y-block too, but seems it'd be more road friendly than the flatty. SBF was my original plan, even had a 351W for it, but it's been lost over the years.

Problem for me would be if I got a 302/351 I'd end up spending too much money to try and make it go fast and I don't need to do that LOL

 

Straight six w/split exhaust.

 

You might want to change your location on your signature to your real location then if someone local has a good deal they will contact you.

 

I'll give another vote for the Y-Block, of course, they have a very distinked sound when fired.

Give a listen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwyTHxB25o8&feature=channel_page

 

The 289 in my 52 Vicky required a rear sump pan. I got one out of a mid-70s-early 80's van with the dipstick in the pan. Make sure to get the pickup tube and special main cap bolt that holds it. I also had to fab a trans mount (easy), despite the Fatman kit claiming it wasn't required. There were at least two different passenger car chassis in 52. I used a 60's mustang radiator. The only mod to make the radiator fit was a simple flat steel bracket to extend the built on brackets about an inch per side.

Warning...if you are not swapping the rear end. The spring pads on the factory rear on my 52 were spotwelded to the case presumably from the factory (little dinky spot welds like you'd expect on sheetmetal). I found this out the hard way when they let go which allowed the rear to rotate in the ubolts. It snapped my custom driveshaft, snapped the rear brake hose and split the gas tank spilling gasoline on the ground. As I had swapped a dual res master cylinder I was able to stop. Somehow, the gods were smiling and a spark didn't ignite all the gasoline I just dumped on the roadway. This happened as I was pulling away from a stoplight (normally, not stomping the gas). It took awhile to find a replacement tank, but could have been far more tragic.

Also...just as an FYI...the gas pedal assembly from a mid-70's datsun truck was a direct bolt-in to the stock flathead bracket and looked factory.

 

My 53 2 dr. victoria had the original flathead V8 & 2 speed automatic. In original condition it was a slow car. After rebuilding it with all the 50's speed goodies, 3/4 cam, dual strombergs and lots of $ it was a slightly less slow car.

 

Well a small block chevy of course! most people on here just love 'em

 

At this point in time, I'm really leaning towards a y-block.

Who knows what it would take to swap a Y-block into a '52?

For the SBF...what would the difference be in rebuilding a Y-block VS a SBF price-wise? Assuming no new parts beside gaskets, bearings, etc.

I've just been checking out pics on here of Y-blocks and they can look killer and definately old school style.

 

Do it once, do it right, Cadillac.

 

WE used to build Fordillacsand Mercillacs back in the day but they were rather quickly replaced with 352's and 390's... they were the hot set-up in the mid to late 60's for our high school cars...

 

I say Y Block, you spend a lot of money on a flat head for wow factor and as has already been stated its hidden, its under the hood, You could spend the same on a Y block and it il go like it should, A 54 had a Yblock factory I believe the chassis was different for 1954 to accommodate the Y block. But you are going to have to mod it regardless unless you stay flathead.

I like the Y and a good oil with plenty of ZDDP for flat tappets and plenty of regular interval changes gets rid of the reputation of bad top end oiling and most other cam related issues they were tarnished with.

They can make good power and look great, and are something different to sbc, they also have a front or rear sump option which can help. F100 and T bird have rear sumps some passenger cars front sumps.

Cheers

 

I have a 59 edsel with a 292, it is bad ass. I have had 15 or so old cars and this and my 55 ford with a 272 both running dual pipes with short smithy glass packs are the best sounding exhaust bar none. Go y block, your car is suited better for it for the era. From what I have seen to have one "built" it is not cost effetctive though. So I just cruise mine with the 3 on the tree and give it all she'll take. Joe

 

If you are looking for opinions, I will throw in my 2 cents as well. I went with what was cheapest at the time, and if money is issue, I'd do it again. It was about 1995 and I had run my 6 banger into the ground. In those days, everybody and their brother was throwing away Y-blocks. I ended up with about 5 of them. I picked the best one, freshened it up (i.e. cam, cam bearings, oil pump and valve job), put it in my 53 and never looked back. Here we are in 2009, and the motor is getting tired. It has served me well for 13 years, and I will probably put another one back in it. There are a ton of things that can be done to make them oil better. Like another guy said, oiling has never been an issue for me. Everytime I pull the valve covers to adjust the valves, which is ALOT, there is oil everywhere. I can even shoot you pictures of the install in my car if you want...

 

Nothing sounds better than a Y-block with glasspacks.

 

I have a 390 in my 53. The only snag is that you have to build a box in the front crossmember for the pan to sit in, Front sump. Using stock exhausts they go right past the steering box like they should. Using a C6 tranny all I had to do was drill an extra hole in the rear crossmember because the stock 53 tranys holes were staggered. Used the stock 53 radiator and just capped off one inlet and one outlet. Used 2-3 gear shifter attached to C6.
A real sleeper
Fuzzy

 

You can trip and fall on a car with a good 302/351W in it, and you have the mount kit already...seems to be a no-brainer to me...good gas mileage also...

The SBF has the others beat with over the counter parts replacement also, although Y-Blocks are surprisingly easy, too.

My vote, if you are asking, is a 302. Find a donor car like others have said from a late-80's Town Car/Crown Vic and you'll get a roller motor and an AOD...

 

That's what I wuz gonna say too.

Really I'd go with one of the Windsors just because it'd be easy and cheaper, power, light wt, All positive stuff. Paint it gold or copper for that retro look or the Cobra dress up stuff.

 

I used on of those 302/C4 setups in my 49. It drops-in like it was born there. Uses the stock tranny cross member,a shorter oil filter, and mustang tube exhaust. This is a good time to pull the steering box and freshen it up before the install too. Ford in a Ford...A better Idea

 

GOD on earth WHY????


Your goals aren't clear. Figure out what you want and what your budget is and add 5% and go from there. Eliminate what doesn't fit.I say be different, the Y block sounds cool if it's in your budget and time frame with parts availability.

My $.02 - DON'T put a chevy in it. Small block Chevy's have been put in everything under the sun. Be different, RUN from the belly button crowd like your life depended on it....

BTW - I'm a chevy/gm guy.....

 

My 2 Cents: Do something interesting, don't go for easy (windsor) or cheesy (sbc). I am putting a 49 Olds Rocket 88 in my 53 Merc. It looks pretty easy just eyeballing it and it will move the big merc along pretty nice. Please don't do a sbc, good lord how much boring can a person stand, stop the insanity.