Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

don't know where all these y Block are coming from now.

have another in the shop which has extreme bore taper. Block is rock solid and good except bores are more shaped like a funnel then a barrel.

Problem is that 60 over pistons still do not clear taper out, I would need a min. 70 over and preferably 80 over. Everyone I found on the net I called and asked and apparently nobody makes them larger then 60 over. Did sonic checks of cylinder wall thickness and that little block got a ton of iron left in it.

I was also looking to use a different piston and some from Renault or Citröen would have right bore and compression height although they are Diesel pistons and would give a way to high CR. Wristpin diameter ist much larger too.

does anybody know some pistons or who make some custom pistons for that block?

this is a 100hp 7:1 CR engine, nothing HiPo, just restauration.

Try Ross Pistons, they might be able to help you out.

try John Mummert at fordyblocks.com

If Mummert can't help you try Egge Machine they have about anything you want in obsolete pistons. If you can't find .080 pistons you might be more cost effective to bore it to 3.625 and use std bore 272 piston

3.3 stroke cranks are cheap and and plentiful you end up with a 272 but it might be cheaper and easier than custom pistons.

This info might help you:


Y-Block Dimensions and weights ford-y-block.com

Bore & Stroke rod length pin diam comp. ht.

239 cu.in. 3.50X 3.10" EBU 6.324" .9122" 1.858"

256 cu.in 3.62X 3.10" EBU 6.324" .912 1.858"

272 cu.in. 3.62X 3.30" EBU 6.324" .912 1.768"

292 cu.in 3.75X 3.30" EBU 6.324" .9122" 1.768"

292 cu.in. 3.75X 3.30" C2AE 6.324" .9122" 1.768"

292 HD trk 3.75X 3.30" C1TE 6.252" .9122" 1.830"

312 cu.in 3.80X 3.44" ECZ 6.252" .9122" 1.768"

Try finding a silvolite # 3186 for a 256 mecury It should fit no problem

A piston from a Ford 223 6 will work also silvloite #1079

brechlrl wrote:This info might help you:


Y-Block Dimensions and weights ford-y-block.com

Bore & Stroke rod length pin diam comp. ht.

239 cu.in. 3.50X 3.10" EBU 6.324" .9122" 1.858"

256 cu.in 3.62X 3.10" EBU 6.324" .912 1.858"

thanks for that info!

I am not sure if the 239 can be safely bored over that much to accomodate a 3.62" piston but I just spoke with Egge and they can custom machine me 80 over which is the largest they would recommend.

I just realized that overhaul kit I got from Kanter Automotive came with Egge pistons anyway.

again, the best forum on the plant as usual

Unless the guy is adamant about getting his block back, find a 272" and use that. They are still the most common, least-expensive Y-block and have the best parts availability. AFAIK, it will dress up just like the lil guy.

thnx, jack vines

X2! Or use the larger bore 292 block. Paint the long block yellow like the '54 and few will be the wiser.

FWIW, I built up a '54 Ford with the 239 OHV engine back in the mid '60s when I was a teenager.

The '54 block cracked one winter, so we picked up a '56 292 bare block and swapped the short stroke 239 crank into it along with 312 rods and a set of Jahns pistons. They were standard bore size for a 312 (3.80") and had a compression height to suit the 239 crank (3.10" stroke) and shorter 312 rods. It was a 0.050" overbore for the 292 block and it worked out to 281 cu. inches displacement. Used a Holley carb off a '58 Lincoln and '57 312 distributor, 4bbl heads, intake and dual exhaust manifolds and an Isky E-4 cam. Ran pretty good in the '54, which was a couple hundred pounds lighter than the '55 - '56 Fords. We also redrilled and tapped the flywheel to carry a '57 taxi / cop car 11" heavy duty clutch. Ran straights (no mufflers) and '56 duals.

Happy Motoring,

Harry

hey, you guys do realize that I am on the wrong side of the ocean to "just" get a Y- block from somwhere. Very rare here and worth their weight in gold - so people tend to stay onto them......


getting one from the US isn't really cost efficient as shipping that chunk of iron either takes forever via seafreight or is expensive by airfreight.


BTW, 54 239's have to be oxblood red with silver argent valve covers. Just 54'S are like that.

Aha! I remember your priour post now, coolchevy. You have a '54 truck engine. '54 Ford 239 passenger car engines were painted yellow.

My apologies...... Sorry I didn't key into your location and all put that together. 56 year old Ford Y-blocks being extremely rare in Austria now of days, I would suggest having the bores thoroughly sonic tested before overboring 0.080" or thereabouts for cleanup. If too thin, you may be able to sleeve the block.

The larger bore '54 256 Mercury passenger car and 256 Ford truck engines used the short stroke 239 crank and same length connecting rods as your 239 along with a 272 standard bore size. But standard bore 256 pistons (if you could find them) would mean an overbore of 0.120".

So you are better off going with something closer to an 0.080" or 0.090" oversize piston having 1.858" compression height if you can find an appropriate ring package for that size. Considering availability of piston rings, here is one option......

Chrysler here in the US sourced a 3.0 litre V - 6 engine from Mitsubishi (from late 1987 through 1992 or so, I believe). Really good engines...... My Mother-in-law has one in a small van she bought new and it still runs like new. Standard bore size for the 3.0 litre Mitsubishi V - 6 is 3.59" and replacement piston rings are readily available. If your block sonic tests OK for a 0.090" overbore, you could have pistons made with the Misubishi 3.59" diameter and metric ring land size, along with the 239 - 256 Ford compression height of 1.858". Just an idea......

Best regards,

Harry

harry,

one question though, I did realize that both the 239 and 356 Block are coded EBU.

are there really any differences between them if they carry the same block coding?

actually the first post was for a second 54 block, this is a different animal as the first is already done and installed.

I am not sure, coolchevy. It could be that both the 239 and 256 blocks were machined from the same casting, which would mean the 239 would have very thick cylinder walls (a plus). But to be sure, I would strongly recommend having the cylinders thoroughly sonic tested around their circumference from top to bottom to verify wall thickness and to detect any core shift in the casting before overboring in excess of 0.060" just to be safe.

Best regards,

Harry

In all the Y-block excitement, hope it hasn't been overlooked, 239 has stand alone cam size. Phord changed the journal size in 55 and up ya know.