Advice on Y-block

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ThinLizzy13
Posts: 763
Joined: October 5, 2012, 5:29 am
Location: Catskills NY
United States of America

Advice on Y-block

Post by ThinLizzy13 »

I'm toying with the idea of putting a y-block in my slick at some point down the road. I found one nearby but I know pretty much nil about them other than they have an odd firing order and an odd exhaust setup.

I found one nearby that's disassembled and has everything aside from the cam, rods, pistons, and carb.
Casting number is C2AE-60150. The owner says that it is in "good" shape.

I'd like to check it out and stash it for the future. Anything in particular I should look for? Trouble spots? He's asking $200. No idea what y's go for either, but 200 seems reasonable?
'63 F100 223 3OT
‘20 F150 XL
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charliemccraney
Posts: 1743
Joined: July 9, 2008, 10:02 pm
Location: Lawrenceville, GA

Re: Advice on Y-block

Post by charliemccraney »

There aren't many trouble areas with 292 and smaller Y Blocks.

C2 blocks cannot typically be bored as much as earlier blocks but they can usually go to about .060" safely, possibly more but it is wise to sonic check the walls first. They have more material in the mains, making them the best blocks for heavy duty use, or blower / turbo use. Depending on where the block came from, it could also have the forged 292 crank. Don't get hung up on the crank. The cast ones have survived just fine on 400-500hp Ys. The forged crank is also about 5 lbs heavier, so everything else equal, a forged crank engine will produce less power.

Take a caliper with you to get an accurate enough measurement of the bore and rod / main journals. That will be accurate enough to get an idea of where it currently is. Aside from that, look over all of the wear surfaces for obvious signs of abnormal wear.

$200 is a great price, even if it is incomplete and since it is apart, you can see what you get and don't have to battle with seized pistons - that is well worth the money. The cam, pistons, and carb are things that are usually replaced, anyway, so those missing should be no big deal. Rods are pretty easy to find.

If you come across a 312, you want to check the mains of the block. Many are cracked due to an incorrect torque spec in early shop manuals. They also tend to have cam tunnel alignment issues which can require significant expense to correct.

I personally don't ascribe higher value to 312s because of those reasons and in addition to the fact that bearings are more expensive. They also have reduced performance potential vs a 292 block because of the larger mains - more friction.
Lawrenceville, Ga
1961 F100 Unibody
318 Y-block (292 +.070 bore, +.170 stroke), FMS T5-Z w/Mustang 10.5" diaphragm clutch.
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ThinLizzy13
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Joined: October 5, 2012, 5:29 am
Location: Catskills NY
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Re: Advice on Y-block

Post by ThinLizzy13 »

Thanks a bunch Charlie! Great info and I'll be sure to follow your advice! The guy says that the hone marks can still be seen in the cylinders (for whatever that is worth).

The heads are ECG-A (from y-block guy -1955 272ci 4barrel 8.5 compression. Not sure how that would pan out with a 2 barrel).

I feel pretty comfortable getting into it for a few hundred. As for high HP durability 400-500 hp would be plenty enough for me. I probably wouldn't veer much from a stock setup aside from maybe electronic ignition, motorcraft 2150, and dual exhaust....
Thanks again :cheers:
'63 F100 223 3OT
‘20 F150 XL
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charliemccraney
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Joined: July 9, 2008, 10:02 pm
Location: Lawrenceville, GA

Re: Advice on Y-block

Post by charliemccraney »

The carburetor does not matter in regards to the heads. You do want a '57 or newer head. G or 113 would be ideal but for what you want, anything other than the big chamber 471 should work and gets bigger ports, like the C2 block would have come with.

If you built the engine to the '57 292 specs, with better than factory attention to detail, that should get you a 220-230hp engine, which really is plenty of power, and totally streetable. Up to about 300hp can be had without fancy work or parts. Stock to about 300hp should have reasonable cost as far as Ys go, being moderately more expensive at the upper end of that range. Beyond 300hp is where the price starts to increase significantly since better intake, heads or porting, and other things are needed. For a below 300hp build, plan to spend $2500-$3000. Maybe a little more, maybe a little less but somewhere around there.
Lawrenceville, Ga
1961 F100 Unibody
318 Y-block (292 +.070 bore, +.170 stroke), FMS T5-Z w/Mustang 10.5" diaphragm clutch.
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ThinLizzy13
Posts: 763
Joined: October 5, 2012, 5:29 am
Location: Catskills NY
United States of America

Re: Advice on Y-block

Post by ThinLizzy13 »

Thanks again, I'm gunna pull the trigger on it and start doing some research. 220-230 would be plenty enough for me!
'63 F100 223 3OT
‘20 F150 XL
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