Hey guys I have 54 mercury it has a 256 in it.It runs very good but if it tornup$$$$$ I have a chevy 350 -350 trans just wondering are there anyone on here done this swap and how hard is it to do? Thank you
Come on you guys surely someone at one time or the other has done this I'd like to know is it a lot of trouble?
A 54 is set up for a front sump oil pan. SBC has a rear sump oil pan. This is a problem because there is a crossmember right in the way of the Chevy pan. waspmaj, aka Tom
I have never done this swap, but certainly would do it long before a small block Ford! As far as the sump issues go, using an aftermarket pan and pickup for an early Chevy II aplication would put the sump where it needs to be. Milodon is the one still making that deal. Other than that, swing it in and start making mounts and stuff.
352, 390, any of the FE series Ford big blocks are a bolt-in. 302-351 Windsor types also have front sumps, can be bolted in with stock engine and tranny mounts, using the C4 automatic. The 350/350 SBC could be traded for one of these. '54 Mercs are rare, and retaining Ford power assures intrinsic and aesthetic value. If reliability is your first interest, pursue the 302 Ford package.
^^ I'm a "Chevy guy" for the most part (mainly because that's what I know best), but I have to agree, put a Ford in it.
I know...put a hemi in it, that would be awesome.......oh wait you didn't ask what you should, would or could put in it, you asked about putting a sbc you already have in it. like it's been said you'll need to change to a front sump, make or buy motor mounts and trans mount, change the driveshaft, shifter linkage, add a trans cooler possibly, nothing too complicated depending on your level of skill and tools.... course your asking how hard is it to do one of the easiest swaps there is, a sbc into an area that already has a v8 motor
1965 I had a 360 horse 327 in a 56 ford. had a 1 inch notch in the front of the pan to clear the steering. a dropped tie rod would do the same thing. I've put any engine I had in what ever car I've owed. to me thats traditional hot rodding. as far as I know that is what the HAMB is all about. so ignore all the purist restoration freaks that sneak in with their ford in a ford B.S. go for it.
Im a chevy guy aswell, but own a ford to. I would put a late model 302 with a carb on it, there cheap, fast and you can get parts anywhere for them. kinda like a 350 chevy. I have to agree ford in a ford. MrC.
I have a '53 Merc with a really healthy Flathead, and a C-4 trans. But lately I have to admit I have been thinking HARD about putting a smallblock and a 700-R in it and driving the daylights out of it. I love flatheads, but a '53 Merc is too much car for one in my opinion. I say go for it!
never worked on a ford engine in an old ford ..pretty rare low cost performance no modern ford engine could match
You need to join the "52-'56 Ford sub-group and ask those questions. There are a number of guys who have put chevys in "54 Fords, they may have all your answers.
OK, Maybe the Chev engine doesn't fit that great, but I have sold hundreds of installation kits for these into the '54 thru '56 RFords and Mercs. And have definately seen them done at the shows. Of course, the SB Ford 289/302/351W does fit these cars much better and is a BOLT-IN deal. And, as one of you stated, these engines are cheap, easy to find, and can be pretty fast too!!!! So, I say go for it, either way you choose, that's what HotRodding and Custom Cars is all about. Do YOUR thing.... But Please..... Never just install that 455 Olds "Just because I already have it" , do it to make your ride a better and more enjoyable machine!! Thanks, Butch from Dayton Ohio
Don't give the car a lobotomy, it's a Ford, stick with a Ford engine. Plus, doing the swap RIGHT will probably cost as much as fixing what's broke. That being said, I have seen PLENTY of good strong used Y-Block 272s and 292s on the classifieds here for under a grand; often well under.
If your Merc Y-Block is a sweetheart why not leave it? I've put thousands of miles on Y-Blocks from 1961 until about 3 years ago (I'd buy another today if I could). I'd trade you my '71 Lincoln Mark III for your Merc in a heart beat!!!!
Not sure about the merc frame, but I have put a sbc in a 53 ford. At first we ran into steering an k member issues like some stated, i notched the pan problem solved. or so I thought, after the suspension settled a bit it hit the pan a little. started over, rotated the center link back slightly with some holes that were already in the frame and viola problem solved. Or so I thought again....while both methods probably could have stayed in place they didnt seem right to us, the car steered ok even with rotating the link and slightly bending the pitman too I forgot about that part. my buddy didnt like how low the motor sat and how far back it was. He ended up taking it back out and cutting the tranny tunnel out and building taller mounts on the frame and he likes it better where it sits now. We also ended up using a radiator from a 54 chevy too, I cant remember why though. We had to space it out a little in front of the core support wich I myself hate the way it looks I would have left it with the tilted steering myself,with the motor closer too the firewall. Its doable for sure and wether you go ford or chevy you will no doubt have to build the mounts to suit your taste.
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