While flipping through a very musty Motor magazine from June 1965, I had to flip back to this advertisement for “Ford Authorized Reconditioned” engines. Ford is well-known for its somewhat scattershot approach to internal combustion, especially during the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s; it’s almost a Curbside pastime to identify and discuss the Blue Oval’s myriad engine families. Without letting too much on, I thought it would be a fun exercise to play a little trivia today.
In the comments, identify the engine family displayed in the posted advertisement and explain how you came to your conclusion. As the answer becomes apparent, let’s shed a little light on the nuances of this specific engine and discuss our personal experiences with it, if applicable. Have fun!
Y-block, but it is a bit of a guess based on the way the valve covers attach and the odd timing cover.
Didn’t Ford’s Y-Block have “stacked” intake ports?
In staying with the author’s request to start soft and slow, I’ll say that the pictured engine’s displacement could be 302 ci. Same as one I’ve saved for decades, hoping it’d find a soul mate, of sorts, and live again.
Lincoln Y Block. Ford’s first ohv V8. Used in Lincolns and Mercs from 1952 through 1957. The MEL replaced it in cars in 1958. But it was used in trucks until…? 1963, 1964?
What’s odd is that it doesn’t have the weird and contorted intake ports the Ford V Block had which came later in 1954. I suspect the Lincoln Y block breathed better as a consequence. Lincoln was very successful in the Pan-American races with this engine. It was the different ports from which I identified it, as the Y block ports are so distinctive.
Yep, it’s the Lincoln. I was wondering why it showed up in a 1965 ad for Ford Remanufactured Engines, but it was used in bigger trucks all the way up to ’63 in some strange cubic inch displacements.
The Lincoln Y block was used in the heaviest truck applications until replaced by the Super Duty V8. And then used as a mid-duty engine in trucks until ’64, replaced by the FE.
From what I’ve heard and read, it’s a tough bear of a motor.
A “Y” block, but since it doesn’t have the over/under intake ports of the Ford version, I’ll go with the Lincoln/Mercury version.
I don’t know much about Ford engines, but I’d like to own that 3-foot micrometer!
Well without any plinking that target was blown to smithereens quickly. LoL
I’ll add that the pictured “Lincoln Y-Block” rebuild was for a heavy truck application, rather than passenger car.
Ha ha…It’s not too tough; I figured we’d have it nailed down in minutes. My hope is that we find some people with experience with these engines.
My only experience is finding a really rough ’54 F600 (or thereabouts) parked near a lightly traveled street in my town about 10 or 15 years ago. I came home and did a little research on it, and discovered it probably had one of these Lincoln Y-Blocks, which I thought was really cool.
I drove ’em, owned ’em, worked on ’em. Just a good old engine. They didn’t have a particular weakness. Power band was mostly flat, they didn’t seem to “come on” at a certain range the way some engines did.
They were often confused with common Y-Blocks and in the end “302” caused some to assume a Fairlane heritage, or “332” an FE base.
Of course, these could look really cool. This is a ’57 Mercury with the M335 option.
Have a buddy who speaks positively about these. He’s in his late 80’s and rebuilt many. Told me he would search junk yards for Lincoln passenger car versions and drill and tap castings as needed to fit clutch applications on trucks. Saved his customers a bundle.
Wonder why the Ford Y-block went with the weird stacked intake port arrangement? Somebody must have figured out it was not a good idea as it was only used on the Ford Y-block, not seen before and never seen since at FoMoCo.
The decade of the 1950s was sure a time of engine experimentation at FoMoCo, wasn’t it? 🙂