56 Ford Fairlane hardtop.

[MercuryMac]

I was on a bit of a rant back there, but I really don't like putting a SBC in anything but a Chev. In a classic Ford, though, --- double my grumpiness.

Anyhow, I've got all of the rods out of that second 312. When all eight of the pistons are seized in an old block, it becomes the job from heck, to save the crank and rods. [pic below]
The first picture is some of the wrenches I made and used to get all of the rod nuts out of there.

 

[Old Iron]

I have felt your pain for the last month. I ended up buying three SBC engines before getting one that I could build and install in a "37 Chevy pickup I'm putting together for a customer.

 

[MercuryMac]

You will understand, then, OI, that we didn't start out aiming for a humungous tale of woe, we lived it one step at a time, until it grew into a monster all by itself.
Anyhow, it's a learning experience. I learned that flaming optimism only gets you so far.

 

[MercuryMac]

Today, in the heat of the day, [-44*C -48*F last night, up to -35*C today], I took the fifth Y-block into the machinists place. That's now Plan 'E'. He was reluctantly going to sleeve the bus 292, [Plan 'D'], but there was grumbling. I took the block out of my old Pink '56 Meteor high school car to him and he liked it a lot. If this works out I will have a 1956 crank, cam, rods, block, and heads to go in a '56 car. This is pretty darn OK.
Are we having fun yet.

 

[Flipper_1938]

Good luck!

 

[lowbudget50]

Damn, what a fiasco!! You will get it sorted and it will be worth it in the end!!

Damn at least it's above zero here!!

 

[Burgerman]

Pretty darn OK indeed Mac. Like it that you're staying the course. Not easy, but terrific

 

[dutch]

Damn, what a fiasco!! You will get it sorted and it will be worth it in the end!!

Damn at least it's above zero here!!

what he says!

 

[MercuryMac]

Thank you Guys, for your concern. I have had a fairly charmed life, so I should expect a few little blips now and then. Life will really go downhill when I run out of Y-blocks.
The exciting thing for me is this motor that seems to be passing the tests, is my old one and has been mine for 56 years. It's out of a '56 and going into a '56.

 

[Old Iron]

The exciting thing for me is this motor that seems to be passing the tests, is my old one and has been mine for 56 years. It's out of a '56 and going into a '56.

[cl
[P

 

[soltz]

Sounds promising [cl

 

[MercuryMac]

More news; neither positive nor negative. The machinist opened up his shop again after the holidays, so I took another ECZ head in to him. The ECZ ones are for the Mercury or Thunderbird 292's or the 312's, [smaller compression chamber]. He has four of the high compression heads in there now to choose from. I had a flash scare yesterday when I remembered that some motors that had an automatic transmission behind them, don't have a recess in the back of the flywheel to mount a pilot bearing, so I checked the 312 cranks in his shop and they are good to go. Also to help clean out his shop, I brought home my pick-up box full of old Y-block parts that he won't need.

 

[Old Iron]

[cl[cl
[P[P

 

[zzrodder]

Don't you hate second guessing yourself? At least you came home with usable parts.
Bit of a deviation on Y bock theme, have you ever seen the Y Block heads made in Argentina? They were still using them in the 70's. Small block style port arrangement but still retaining the 2 bolt valve cover. They did change the firing order tho, taking away the distinctive Y Block exhaust sound

 

[earthman]

Really enjoy following your posts MM. I have a similar passion for the y-block Fords due to a much admired brother-in-law having a '54 hardtop.

 

[MercuryMac]

Thank you Guys.
ZZ, I wonder why Ford went away from the intake and exhaust port placement, in Argentina. I have heard that the stacked intake runners were restrictive.
E-man, I have always liked the Y-blocks too.

 

[lowbudget50]

I have never done anything with the y blocks. But I know who to ask if I ever do!!!

 

[MercuryMac]

I might have an obsession with Y-blocks, ---- fully justified, though.
Today I cleaned up, painted and took a few more things in to the machinist that he will need when he puts the motor together. Hopefully, this will keep the momentum going.

 

[bob w]

I remember in 1957 there were some fast Fords at the drag strip. Always likes the sound of a Y block.

 

[MercuryMac]

The motor that was in the '56 when I bought it is a cobbled up 272 but it is freshly rebuilt, so I don't want to rob much of the accessories. It will still make a decent motor, with some balancing, I think. So, I've been cleaning up, straightening, and painting my old accessories to go on my old high school motor. I had been a little too rough taking the water pump pulley off one old motor so now I'm straightening it so it'll run true again.