The 256 was also used in some F100s in 1955 depending on the production plant location and was also installed in law enforcement sedans. The 256 in³ version of the Mercury Y-block was only available in 1954 models and was replaced by the 292 in³ in 1955. The engine breathed through a Holley model 2140 (4V) carburetor. The compression ratio was 7.5:1, and the rated power was 161 hp (120 kW) at 4,400 rpm. Advertised as the 'V-161' engine, it ran a bore and stroke of 3.625 x 3.1 in. The original Mercury Y-block, introduced for the 1954 model year, displaced 256 in³ (4,194 cc). The 1955 EBV 239 engine exchanges many parts with later model Y-blocks such as the 272 and 292, while the 1954 EBU engine has many parts that do not exchange with the 1955 EBV 239 and later Y-blocks. The 239 in³ version was available in 1954 models (EBU casting numbers), and in late 19 (EBV casting numbers), while also in 1955 the bigger 272 in³ and 292 in³ siblings were introduced. The Y-block was considered a major advancement over the flathead. Torque was also up compared to the Flathead, with 214 lb It produced 130 bhp (97 kW) at 4,200 rpm as opposed to the flathead's final 110 bhp (82 kW) at 3,800 rpm, an increase of 18%. The Y-block was the same displacement as the old Ford Flathead V8 that it replaced but with a bigger bore and a shorter stroke (3.5 x 3.1 in). The first Y-block on Ford automobiles and F100 trucks was the 239 in³ (3,910 cc) version as released in 1954 with EBU casting numbers. The distributor is located at the back of the engine and off to one side and the valve covers are held on with two bolts through the top. Although their flow can indeed be inferior, they are nonetheless able to rev to 7,000+ rpm. Because of the configuration of the intake ports, vertically in pairs instead of horizontally side by side, and the way in which they make sharp turns around the head bolts, they have been called “bad breathers”. Ĭylinder heads on the Y-Block have always been a point for discussion. Ford came up with a stop gap measure for this problem by feeding oil via an external tube directly to the rocker shafts from the main oil gallery. Because of the low detergents in oils of that era these passages would often become clogged giving the Y-Block a reputation for bad oiling to the top end. This being Ford’s first OHV engine, they had to feed oil to the rocker arm shafts through a passage from the center cam bearing. The drawback to this is it also makes for a heavy cylinder block. One of the design qualities of the Y-Block V8 is its deep skirting which makes for a very rigid block for added strength in the bottom end. Lincoln introduced their engine in 1952, but it was a different design from the Ford Y-Block, and was used on large cars and Ford heavy-duty trucks. The original Lincoln V8 was also known as a Y-Block. The Mercury Y-Block was 256 in³ (4,194 cc) and produced 161 bhp, again a similar displacement to the 255 in³ Mercury Flathead V8 it replaced, but with 29% more power than the older engine's 125 bhp. It produced 130 bhp as opposed to the Flathead's final 110 bhp, an increase of 18%. In 1954 the Y-block displaced 239 in³ (3,910 cc), the same as the old Ford Flathead V8 but with a bigger bore and a shorter stroke. The company had designed the Y-block for a 1953 introduction, but a shortage of nickel due to the Korean War's needs prevented the company from manufacturing the engine in sufficient quantities, delaying it until 1954. By 1952 Ford had new OHV 6-cylinder engine (215 in³ I-6) and Lincoln had a 317 in³ OHV V8. Management at Ford instructed its engineers to develop a new engine for the future. Ford was the most conservative of the major automakers, holding onto older designs longer than GM or Chrysler, but market forces pushed Ford to develop new designs in the 1950s. It was introduced in 1954 as a more modern replacement for the outdated side-valved Ford Flathead V8 and was used in a variety of Ford vehicles through 1964.īy 1948, the famous Ford Flathead V8 had been developed about as far as it could go, and it was antiquated by the early 1950s. The engine is well known and named for its deep skirting, which causes the engine block to resemble a Y. The Y-block engine is a family of overhead valve V8 automobile engines produced by Ford Motor Company.

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