need help with a 1954 Ford 239 Y-block

[coolchevy]

regarding color scheme I learned that Ford was not so straight forward. If a bin got empty, they took parts from another one or car parts ended up at a truck and vice versa and so colors on blocks and intakes got often mixed up.

I found that from a 54' Ford truck researcher which reveals new colors

Here's your color schemes

1954 f100 239 = red block with aregent siver valve covers with black air cleaner, (but take note!) The 54 fords in 1954 if they used the lincoln special order 317 used a yellow block with aregenys silver valve covers and so would the f600 on up truck for that year.

1955 Yblock used a red block and black valve covers

1956 Y block used a red block with black valve covers

1957 Y block used a red block with black covers

1958 used a yellow block on the 223 6 cylinder (but take note), on the 1958 Yblock, they used a red block with black valve covers
1959 was same as 1958
1960 to 1963 used a red block and a red valve covers with the valve covers using the punch press FORD on them

1964 y block used a black block and red valve covers.

[340king]

I did the dual exhaust a different way. I took a passenger car manifold and had the outlet cut and re-welded at a different angle. It worked great. This was with a Mercury 312 grafted into a '59 F100 pickup. The steering column was the only thing in the way on that truck as it had the hydraulic clutch that year, so that might have made it doable.

I ran the '57 T-bird 4bbl intake which I was told at the time was the best. I topped it off with a 465 cfm Holley 4 bbl carb. The thing ran fantastic. Got decent mileage running 3,000 rpm down the highway with 4.11 gears.

From what I remember, the oiling to the rocker shafts was somewhat suspect and they tended to wear more than desired. That was back in the early '80's when I owned the truck, so it is getting pretty far away memory wise.

[boxhead]

Y-blocks were common in Ford trucks back when I was growing up. I rebuilt one in High School. The distributor, I think, had a slot at it's base. This limited the ability to rotate it, so you had to stab it "just right", and as mentioned the timing chain marks were wierd, too. Like 340 says, they all have top-end oiling issues. I don't remember exactly how they were fed, but it was marginal at best. The usual "cure", at least on a running motor, was to run external oil lines up to the rocker shafts. Kits were available just for this, and were common. If it were me, and I had the motor apart, I'd look for a way to improve this internally. Otherwise, they were a decent motor and held up pretty well.

[enigma57]

regarding color scheme I learned that Ford was not so straight forward. If a bin got empty, they took parts from another one or car parts ended up at a truck and vice versa and so colors on blocks and intakes got often mixed up.

I found that from a 54' Ford truck researcher which reveals new colors

Here's your color schemes

1954 f100 239 = red block with aregent siver valve covers with black air cleaner, (but take note!) The 54 fords in 1954 if they used the lincoln special order 317 used a yellow block with aregenys silver valve covers and so would the f600 on up truck for that year.

1955 Yblock used a red block and black valve covers

1956 Y block used a red block with black valve covers

1957 Y block used a red block with black covers

1958 used a yellow block on the 223 6 cylinder (but take note), on the 1958 Yblock, they used a red block with black valve covers
1959 was same as 1958
1960 to 1963 used a red block and a red valve covers with the valve covers using the punch press FORD on them

1964 y block used a black block and red valve covers.

Great info, coolchevy! I found a website for you with some info that should prove useful in your Y-block engine rebuilding......

http://www.ford-y-block.com/techincal.htm

Best regards,

Harry

[enigma57]

Here is some info that you may find useful......

http://books.google.com/books?id=QWYOHQ ... ck&f=false

The info in that link is very misleading.

The 239 and the 256 are the same engine family, the FORD Y-block, introduced in '54.

The 279 and 317 are the same engine family, the LINCOLN Y-block, introduced in '52.

The two engine families are NOT the same. Bore center distance for the Lincoln Y is larger than for a Ford Y, and the Lincoln Y does not have the unique "stacked" intake ports of the Ford Y.

The Ford Y was built as late as '74 or '75 in Brazil.

http://reviews.ebay.com/Ford-V-8-Engine ... 0004021551

You are quite correct, Schurkey. As coolchevy is located half a world away in Austria, I should have made a point of mentioning that the Lincoln engine family of 1952 through 1957 was different dimensionally and had little parts interchangeability with the Ford and Mercury Y-block engine family of 1954 through the early 1960s here Stateside save for carburettors and generators and such......

The '54 trucks came with the 239 as the base engine and there were also the 256 'Power King' engine (sourced from Mercury cars) which was a blue colour similar to mid '60s Pontiac blue......



...... The 317 cu. in. 'Cargo King' engine (sourced from Lincoln cars) and the 223 cu. in. inline 6......

I was very interested to learn of the Brazilian Y-block manufacture extending through the mid '70s as well. I wasn't aware of that.

Many thanks,

Harry

[coupe]

The venerable Y-block... quite the leap from the flathead.

Here is another great resource...

http://www.y-blocksforever.com/

Edit: And the truck I have wrenched on some (although his name is Patridge, not padgette):

http://www.y-blocksforever.com/Profile_ ... te-al.html

[blusalomon]

I am looking for the carburetor linkage for a 1954 f100 with a y block 239. Do you have one ? The picture shows what looks like a fabricated part, if that is something you have or have instructions/photos of, I would be very interested in that. Right now I am stuck.

Thanks!

[pdq67]

Please make sure the cam bearings are located correctly IF they are like the 272/292/312 engines because if the holes aren't lined up right, the rocker shafts won't oil. Also make sure the little-bitty oil passages are CLEAN too!

The 292 in Mom's '56 had an aftermarket oil tube kit on it because the shafts didn't oil right..

pdq67

[wyrmrider]

recall that Y blocks tended to sludge up more than most
use a top quality oil and appropriate thermostat
running cold will sludge up rocker arms and oil passages and result in failure
pdq's mom had another good solution- thanks mom
some people say Y block- I say Y not.

[user-23911]

I've still got the book lying around somewhere. I had a 272 for quite a few years.
The ones we got here were sourced from Canada as they used to drive on the left side of the road too.
The exhaust manifolds were reversed from the USA models due to the steering box.
I seem to remember it had a fully counterbalanced crank which is quite unusual for a V8.


I think the sludge might be due to lack of PCV, they had a "draught tube".

[JCR]

I think the sludge might be due to lack of PCV, they had a "draught tube".

That is correct

[wyrmrider]

I've hooked up the drought tube like a pan vacuum and still got sludge
Les Ritchie got sludge in his 312 Blown car. That's the one where we ran 2 x 4bbls with the blower for a long time before they figured out there was no such combination stock
what fun

[pdq67]

I've still got the book lying around somewhere. I had a 272 for quite a few years.
The ones we got here were sourced from Canada as they used to drive on the left side of the road too.
The exhaust manifolds were reversed from the USA models due to the steering box.
I seem to remember it had a fully counterbalanced crank which is quite unusual for a V8.


I think the sludge might be due to lack of PCV, they had a "draught tube".

"Draft-tube". Just keep the "oil filler/breather" cap clean and also the draft tube and the engine should purge the blow-by while driving down the road fine. But right, use a good oil and filter and change it per the manual..

One other point worth knowing about to me is that some 312" truck engines had forged cranks in them...

pdq67

[wyrmrider]

I might encourage my customer to find a 272 core parts are much more available

[pdq67]

""Draft-tube"..

If not mistaken, EPA mandated cars to have PCV systems from '64 on. That's when draft tubes started to go away. 1st in Cali if not mistaken...

I know my old '63 Merc. Meteor had a draft tube on it. I forget if my '64 Ford Fairlane S/W had one or not? It's been too many years. I remember the one on my Merc. because it was crudded almost solid and I had to "ream" it out to get the old engine to breathe...

EPA found out that about 34 to 35 percent of car smog emissions produced came from the draft tube with the rest coming from the tailpipe and the carb. and gas tank filler cap.

pdq67