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Extremely unlikely, but amazingly durable, ancient, HIGH powered Ford Y-block truck!

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This video randomly made it into my youtube feed, about a guy who decided to build a cool old 1962 Ford 4×4 pickup, using Ford's 1st-ever overhead valve V-8, called the "Y-block", due to its deep bottom end skirting that provided extra rigidity and strength to the crankshaft and main bearing area. This engine was fairly small and wasn't particularly known as a high performance engine. But ^this one is is making ridiculous power, without blowing up! Compare it with a common Chevy 4 bolt main 350(5.7L): The 350 is said to be durable enough to handle 600-700hp. But this smaller, older 292(4.7L) Ford engine is "handling" that much, plus another 300-400hp on top, and they actually use it to haul trailers!

These guys built their little 292 cubic inch(4.7L) Y-block to produce approx 1,000 street-legal horsepower, and over 1,050ft/lbs of torque, with twin turbos, modern electronic fuel injection, but while still using it's stock steel crank and it's original cast iron cylinder heads(ported)! They regularly drive this truck, pulling either a trailer or their chassis dyno to various car shows, and according to their comments, it was still running great 2+ years after this video was produced, without blowing up!

Here they chassis dyno test it to 721hp and nearly 800ft/lbs torque at the rear wheels! The trans and differential absorb at least 20% of the power, so it's over 1,000 of both at the crank!

End info: The Y-block was replaced by the FE engine family in 1964, after just 10 years, because it was limited in size, and Ford needed a big block V-8 that could efficiently be produced in displacement size up to 428cu/in(7.1L). The FE engine was that replacement. Unknown to many, the FE is ALSO a Y-block design....

 
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This video randomly made it into my youtube feed, about a guy who decided to build a cool old 1962 Ford 4×4 pickup, using Ford's 1st-ever overhead valve V-8, called the "Y-block", due to its deep bottom end skirting that provided extra rigidity and strength to the crankshaft and main bearing area. This engine was fairly small and wasn't particularly known as a high performance engine. But ^this one is is making ridiculous power, without blowing up! Compare it with a common Chevy 4 bolt main 350(5.7L): The 350 is said to be durable enough to handle 600-700hp. But this smaller, older 292(4.7L) Ford engine is "handling" that much, plus another 300-400hp on top, and they actually use it to haul trailers!

These guys built their little 292 cubic inch(4.7L) Y-block to produce approx 1,000 street-legal horsepower, and over 1,050ft/lbs of torque, with twin turbos, modern electronic fuel injection, but while still using it's stock steel crank and it's original cast iron cylinder heads(ported)! They regularly drive this truck, pulling either a trailer or their chassis dyno to various car shows, and according to their comments, it was still running great 2+ years after this video was produced, without blowing up!

Here they chassis dyno test it to 721hp and nearly 800ft/lbs torque at the rear wheels! The trans and differential absorb at least 20% of the power, so it's over 1,000 of both at the crank!

End info: The Y-block was replaced by the FE engine family in 1964, after just 10 years, because it was limited in size, and Ford needed a big block V-8 that could efficiently be produced in displacement size up to 428cu/in(7.1L). The FE engine was that replacement. Unknown to many, the FE is ALSO a Y-block design....


At work I have had to deal with more than a few 272 y block engines and the transmissions behind them(usually cast iron single or dual range cruise-o-matics) as well as one with a 312 y block in a 57 tbird who has owned it since the 1970's.

When the points and timing are set right, they are extremely durable. Also the gm 350 was actually one of the most expensive to make power out of, a chrysler or ford smal or big block could reach 1k hp much cheaper than a gm small block could specifically talking about the 350, the 350 was chosen widely not because of power, but because by the late 70's they were so plentiful you could buy a complete engine that was rebuildable for a 6 pack of beer, while ford and chrysler engines went for a premium.

The two engines who held the title of cheap power were neither chevy nor ford though, it was chrysler and cadillac, a chrysler 440 or even 400 could easily reach 1k hp with low costs, the cadillac 472 could also reach 1k hp very cheaply, sometimes less than 1k in cost. The difference is both engines in the last few decades demand a premium, while the comparible chevy engines were dirt cheap.

What this usually meant was that the 350 was not cheaper to build power but cheaper to aquire, and it was common for hotrodders to spend today 20-80k to build a hotrod but skimp on the engine often putting in a gutless 350 crate motor and a th350 junkyard transmission. I really wish any comparison would bring up general motors better engines like the 472 caddy or the 427 or the 327 or the short lived 302 and 307(not the same as the ford engine)
 
At work I have had to deal with more than a few 272 y block engines and the transmissions behind them(usually cast iron single or dual range cruise-o-matics) as well as one with a 312 y block in a 57 tbird who has owned it since the 1970's.

When the points and timing are set right, they are extremely durable. Also the gm 350 was actually one of the most expensive to make power out of, a chrysler or ford smal or big block could reach 1k hp much cheaper than a gm small block could specifically talking about the 350, the 350 was chosen widely not because of power, but because by the late 70's they were so plentiful you could buy a complete engine that was rebuildable for a 6 pack of beer, while ford and chrysler engines went for a premium.

The two engines who held the title of cheap power were neither chevy nor ford though, it was chrysler and cadillac, a chrysler 440 or even 400 could easily reach 1k hp with low costs, the cadillac 472 could also reach 1k hp very cheaply, sometimes less than 1k in cost. The difference is both engines in the last few decades demand a premium, while the comparible chevy engines were dirt cheap.

What this usually meant was that the 350 was not cheaper to build power but cheaper to aquire, and it was common for hotrodders to spend today 20-80k to build a hotrod but skimp on the engine often putting in a gutless 350 crate motor and a th350 junkyard transmission. I really wish any comparison would bring up general motors better engines like the 472 caddy or the 427 or the 327 or the short lived 302 and 307(not the same as the ford engine)

I used the 350 as a basis for comparison because it was(maybe still is) by far the most common engine chosen for high performance builds by the "average Joe", due to the reasons you specified. But more importantly, it's one of the few engines(aside from the Ford 302 & 460, and Chevy 454) that I have a good idea how much power it can handle without generally blowing up.

I have always frowned on the cop-out practice of building a non-GM classic or antique car, spending quite a bit of money in the process, then suddenly skimping on the cost of the drivetrain, by choosing a Chevy 350(whether bored and/or stroked or not), and a TH350/400. I don't mind so much when a Chevy Powerglide trans is chosen, because they are very commonly used behind EVERY engine make, especially in drag racing. As a result, I don't really perceive Powerglides as being brand-specific, so they aren't really a betrayal in my book.

The modern day cop-out equivalent for dropping a Chevy 350 into a 1960s Ford, is choosing an LS or LT for a non-GM car!
 
This video randomly made it into my youtube feed, about a guy who decided to build a cool old 1962 Ford 4×4 pickup, using Ford's 1st-ever overhead valve V-8, called the "Y-block", due to its deep bottom end skirting that provided extra rigidity and strength to the crankshaft and main bearing area. This engine was fairly small and wasn't particularly known as a high performance engine. But ^this one is is making ridiculous power, without blowing up! Compare it with a common Chevy 4 bolt main 350(5.7L): The 350 is said to be durable enough to handle 600-700hp. But this smaller, older 292(4.7L) Ford engine is "handling" that much, plus another 300-400hp on top, and they actually use it to haul trailers!

These guys built their little 292 cubic inch(4.7L) Y-block to produce approx 1,000 street-legal horsepower, and over 1,050ft/lbs of torque, with twin turbos, modern electronic fuel injection, but while still using it's stock steel crank and it's original cast iron cylinder heads(ported)! They regularly drive this truck, pulling either a trailer or their chassis dyno to various car shows, and according to their comments, it was still running great 2+ years after this video was produced, without blowing up!

Here they chassis dyno test it to 721hp and nearly 800ft/lbs torque at the rear wheels! The trans and differential absorb at least 20% of the power, so it's over 1,000 of both at the crank!

End info: The Y-block was replaced by the FE engine family in 1964, after just 10 years, because it was limited in size, and Ford needed a big block V-8 that could efficiently be produced in displacement size up to 428cu/in(7.1L). The FE engine was that replacement. Unknown to many, the FE is ALSO a Y-block design....



I always used to hear that the old "Vicky Motors" could handle way more than they were putting out stock.
I think I can still recognize the sound of a 292 startup because there was something unique about the sound of a 292 Y-block.
 
At work I have had to deal with more than a few 272 y block engines and the transmissions behind them(usually cast iron single or dual range cruise-o-matics) as well as one with a 312 y block in a 57 tbird who has owned it since the 1970's.

When the points and timing are set right, they are extremely durable. Also the gm 350 was actually one of the most expensive to make power out of, a chrysler or ford smal or big block could reach 1k hp much cheaper than a gm small block could specifically talking about the 350, the 350 was chosen widely not because of power, but because by the late 70's they were so plentiful you could buy a complete engine that was rebuildable for a 6 pack of beer, while ford and chrysler engines went for a premium.

The two engines who held the title of cheap power were neither chevy nor ford though, it was chrysler and cadillac, a chrysler 440 or even 400 could easily reach 1k hp with low costs, the cadillac 472 could also reach 1k hp very cheaply, sometimes less than 1k in cost. The difference is both engines in the last few decades demand a premium, while the comparible chevy engines were dirt cheap.

What this usually meant was that the 350 was not cheaper to build power but cheaper to aquire, and it was common for hotrodders to spend today 20-80k to build a hotrod but skimp on the engine often putting in a gutless 350 crate motor and a th350 junkyard transmission. I really wish any comparison would bring up general motors better engines like the 472 caddy or the 427 or the 327 or the short lived 302 and 307(not the same as the ford engine)

The thing I always used to hear about the 312 was that it loved high RPM's.
If I remember correctly the old Ford Galaxy cop cars used the 312 in the early 60's, yes?
 
The thing I always used to hear about the 312 was that it loved high RPM's.
If I remember correctly the old Ford Galaxy cop cars used the 312 in the early 60's, yes?
Have not dealt with the 60's cop cars, but have had old fords from the 60's and 50's, and the y blocks were no slouch powerwise. I think the fords that trip me out the most were the old flathead v8, massive size looking like they would be 600 cubes by looking at it, but a really small displacement, all mean no displacement, they are sill loved by hotrodders today just for their unique sound and raw low end torque even though pushing 400 hp is their max even with todays tech.
 
I used the 350 as a basis for comparison because it was(maybe still is) by far the most common engine chosen for high performance builds by the "average Joe", due to the reasons you specified. But more importantly, it's one of the few engines(aside from the Ford 302 & 460, and Chevy 454) that I have a good idea how much power it can handle without generally blowing up.

I have always frowned on the cop-out practice of building a non-GM classic or antique car, spending quite a bit of money in the process, then suddenly skimping on the cost of the drivetrain, by choosing a Chevy 350(whether bored and/or stroked or not), and a TH350/400. I don't mind so much when a Chevy Powerglide trans is chosen, because they are very commonly used behind EVERY engine make, especially in drag racing. As a result, I don't really perceive Powerglides as being brand-specific, so they aren't really a betrayal in my book.

The modern day cop-out equivalent for dropping a Chevy 350 into a 1960s Ford, is choosing an LS or LT for a non-GM car!
Plenty of people still do it, I know the ls motor is the modern day 350. I had a curstomer with a stock 57 chevy with the 283 and 2 speed cast iron powerglide, near mint shape. He threw it into park when his brakes failed thinking it would stop it but it only broke the park gear. When we told him cast iron powerglides were expensive to fix he left saying he was going to grab a 350 engine and a th350 transmission from the junkyard and put it in because 2500 bucks was too much for a car truck he probably could have gotten 50k for at auction because well in 1991 he only paid 300 bucks for a transmission rebuild and anymore than that he was going to butcher that truck by throwing non matching junkyard parts in it.

A truck worth around 50k becuse it was stock mostly original with very few major replacements since 1957, and the guy decided he would drop the value from 50k to 5k just to avoid spending more than 300 bucks to keep it on the road.
 
Plenty of people still do it, I know the ls motor is the modern day 350. I had a curstomer with a stock 57 chevy with the 283 and 2 speed cast iron powerglide, near mint shape. He threw it into park when his brakes failed thinking it would stop it but it only broke the park gear. When we told him cast iron powerglides were expensive to fix he left saying he was going to grab a 350 engine and a th350 transmission from the junkyard and put it in because 2500 bucks was too much for a car truck he probably could have gotten 50k for at auction because well in 1991 he only paid 300 bucks for a transmission rebuild and anymore than that he was going to butcher that truck by throwing non matching junkyard parts in it.

A truck worth around 50k becuse it was stock mostly original with very few major replacements since 1957, and the guy decided he would drop the value from 50k to 5k just to avoid spending more than 300 bucks to keep it on the road.

In 1995, I bought a 1966 Chevy C10 short bed, step side pickup from a guy my mother was dating. It had been parked in the woods behind his house for a few years, not started for a year or 2 either. I paid $600. It had its original 250 straight 6cyl and Powerglide, 4 wheel unpowered drum brakes, manual steering, etc. We started it with a battery he had lying around, and it was smoking like crazy at first! I drove it down to a DIY car wash, and washed it. It completely stopped smoking within maybe 5 miles of driving. It had 140,000 original miles and 29 years on its drivetrain, without ever being rebuilt.

I had a new muffler and exhaust pipes installed, new shocks, and I replaced it's water pump and brake shoes. From there, I drove it daily as a work truck starting my 1st business. It ran great for over 2 years, and 30,000+ miles, but then one day in late summer 1997, it's perpetual lifter tap suddenly became the least of it's problems, as it swallowed a valve on I95 on my way home. I managed to drive it 5 miles, smoking like crazy back home, then sold it back to my mother's now ex-boyfriend for $400 the next day, as agreed when I'd bought it over 2 years earlier!

I wish I'd held onto it, but I wasn't equipped or prepared to pull its engine, install a new one, etc. Nor did I have a place to perform that type of operation at that time. Im a Ford guy, but I loved that truck!

CCF10202005_00000.jpg
 
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The Ford truck would look better with vintage/stock wheels.

The headers look well-done. Too bad they couldn't stay bare metal.

I like that it's running on E85.
 
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In 1995, I bought a 1966 Chevy C10 short bed, step side pickup from a guy my mother was dating. It had been parked in the woods behind his house for a few years, not started for a year or 2 either. I paid $600. It had its original 250 straight 6cyl and Powerglide, 4 wheel unpowered drum brakes, manual steering, etc. We started it with a battery he had lying around, and it was smoking like crazy at first! I drove it down to a DIY car wash, and washed it. It completely stopped smoking within maybe 5 miles of driving. It had 140,000 original miles and 29 years on its drivetrain, without ever being rebuilt.

I had a new muffler and exhaust pipes installed, new shocks, and I replaced it's water pump and brake shoes. From there, I drove it daily as a work truck starting my 1st business. It ran great for over 2 years, and 30,000+ miles, but then one day in late summer 1997, it's perpetual lifter tap suddenly became the least of it's problems, as it swallowed a valve on I95 on my way home. I managed to drive it 5 miles, smoking like crazy back home, then sold it back to my mother's now ex-boyfriend for $400 the next day, as agreed when I'd bought it over 2 years earlier!

I wish I'd held onto it, but I wasn't equipped or prepared to pull its engine, install a new one, etc. Nor did I have a place to perform that type of operation at that time. Im a Ford guy, but I loved that truck!

View attachment 67307314

I had the same truck except a 1967, and it had the three on the column, which I replaced with a Muncie M21 4-speed the day the column linkage just. fell. apart. - - - two months after I purchased it.
And like you, I too was in no position to do ANYTHING for it the day the 250 I-6 folded....190 thousand something by my estimate (odo rollover after 99,999) so like you, I got rid of it and have been mourning that day ever since.
 
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