What kit has a good Ford Y-Block?

[Terry Sumner]

Title says it all... Looking for a kit that has a good Y-Block engine. Any suggestions?

[Joe Handley]

I'd probably use the AMT '57 Ford kit, IIRC it's got a nice 312 with the Paxton blower in it

[george 53]

The AMT 57 T-Bird kit has a nice 312 in it. But it IS all chromed. NICE motor,regardless! Doesn't the Revell 56 Ford Pickup come with a 312 also??? Hope this helps! :o

[Joe Handley]

I thought the AMT one was mostly in bare plastic?

[Greg Pugh]

Also-AMT's '56 Ford should have one too. I don't know how good/bad it is though.

[Jim Gibbons]

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the Monogram '58 T-Bird is an F series (was on the 1:1.) If I recall, and what I can see from the Drastic Plastic's instruction sheet, the distributor is at the front of the engine, a sure F series sign. Myself, I kind of liked the '56 Fairlane engine a bit better than the '57. I think that the fact it didn't have all the chromed parts that the early '57 Fairlane releases had, had a lot to do with it. Monogram also had their 1/24 '56 T-Bird which came from the diecast metal bodied models from the '70s, but I built it so long ago for someone, that I can't remember some of the engine details. Depends whether or not you want stock Ford valve covers, or chromed T-Bird versions, and in what scale.

[diymirage]

if im not mistaking the 56 ford victoria has some sort of Y block in it AND i have one in my partsbox that ill gladly trade off if you need it

[Junkman]

What's that ruddy thing in the 58 Edsel?

[RyanSilva]

What's that ruddy thing in the 58 Edsel?

That would be a "MEL" series engine (mercury edsel lincoln)

[Greg Pugh]

I thought the Y-block was dropped after '57......am I wrong?

[my66s55]

According to my source, the 292 was carried through 1962 in full size Fords and Mercurys carried the 312 through 1960 and the 292 in 1961 & 62. The FE was also available starting 1958 through 1976.

[Joe Handley]

Is that the exhaust cross over pipe running between the engine and radiator?

[Greg Pugh]

Maybe I should've been more clear. I thought they dropped the Y-block after '57 in passenger cars. I know they kept it around in the pickups...

[bigphoto]

AMT 56 has about the best one out there and add the paxton from 57 makes a nice variant. just my .02 pennies!!

[Chuck Most]

BEST one (IMHO)... AMT's '56 Vicky Y-Block. Good detail if a bit simplified, and a pretty good selection of period speed parts, to boot.

[Ramcharger]

Maybe I should've been more clear. I thought they dropped the Y-block after '57 in passenger cars. I know they kept it around in the pickups...

I own a 1:1 '59 Ford car, the Y block was an option, though not a very good one. I believe the 292 flavor was all, because the "new" 352 Interceptor was the hot motor that year. Another cool optional motor was the Mileage Maker Six tractor motor, 145 slightly anemic horses wheezing their way to the boneyard!

[Harold]

The AMT '56 and '57 Fords both have great Y- blocks. The one in the evergreen '57 Thunderbird is all chrome, but is only so- so. The one in AMT's '56 Thunderbird is a tad too short, but it has the Fordomatic transmission ('56 or '57 block with this trans would be an interesting combo that's rarely seen in models- a V8 with an automatic).

[Terry Sumner]

Thanks for the replies guys...I just happen to have a 56 Vicky kit which will be donating it's engine to the 1960 Ford mooneyes pickup project!

[tim boyd]

That would be a "MEL" series engine (mercury edsel lincoln)

If we're talking '58 Edsel kits, I don't believe the original AMT '58 Esdel had an engine. The newly tooled '58 Edsel from AMT-Ertl in the late 1990's had an FE if my memory is correct.

The only '58 Edsels that had the MEL, I believe, were the big-bodied (shared with the '58 Mercury) top two series (the lower two series were shared with Ford). And as far as I know, both the models were based on the series that shared their bodies with Ford.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong....it's always dangerous for me to trust my memory alone! TIM

[tim boyd]

BEST one (IMHO)... AMT's '56 Vicky Y-Block. Good detail if a bit simplified, and a pretty good selection of period speed parts, to boot.

My favorite is a combination of the Revell '56 Ford pickup block, with the hot rod parts from the AMT '56 Vicky, and the valve covers from the AMT '57 T-Bird.....TIM

[mrknowetall]

This might be a stupid question. Are the oil pans able to be reversed front to back? I've noticed that AMT's (ancient) '57 T-Bird kit uses the oil pan with the flatter portion of the pan to the front of the engine, while passenger car '56 and '57 kits use the taller portion of the sump in the front. Crossmember clearance?

I'm not any kind of Ford engine expert, obviously. Nor am I a mechanic.

[DrKerry]

I'm not to sure on the Y-Blocks but it all depends on a real car where the oil pick up/pump is inside the engine. Look up photos on Google of real engines to see if they flop or not. Might be an idea...

[Ace-Garageguy]

You're right...the different deep-parts of the sumps are for crossmember clearance in different vehicles, but the deep part of most oil pans is USUALLY directly UNDER the oil pump. Y-block pans, and most others, can NOT just be reversed, but different bodies will use different factory oil pans and pickups.

It's common, and relatively easy, to relocate the deep-part of an oil pan to accommodate installing an engine in a vehicle it's not designed for...engine "swapping"...by cutting and fabricating as necessary. Of course, the oil pickup has to be relocated too, and this is simple on some engines and difficult on others.

The Y-block can be set up with the deep part either in front or in back, as you've already noticed.

Where modifying oil pans and pickups just isn't feasible, the crossmember will have to be notched or otherwise modified for clearance.

[62rebel]

t-birds had different pans than the regular cars. their front suspension and crossmember and steering is unique to the two seater 'bird and requires a rear sump pan.

[Force]

On almost every engine the oil pumps are mounted in a straight line directly under the distributor as it's driven from the camshaft via the distributor through a shaft.

The Ford Y-block engine has the oil pump on the outside of the engine at the bottom rear on the drivers side, and the oil pickup inside the sump is connected with an outside tube from the sump to the oil pump, so if you change the oil pickup tube to a shorter one you can use a rear sump instead of front wich is the case on early Thunderbird's and Pickups.

On most other engines the oil pump are mounted inside the oil pan and it needs space, so on Ford engines with the distributor in front that are mounted in cars that requires rear sump for cross member clearance it is also a smaller depression in front of the oil pan for the oil pump, but most Ford engines has the sump in front.

Most Chevy engines has a rear sump as the oil pump (and distributor) are located at the rear of the engine, except for early Nova wich needs a front sump due to clearance for crossmembers and steering, so they have a special oil pan.

The Mopar B/RB (383-440) engines also has the oil pump on the outside of the engine as the Y-block, it's located on the lower drivers side in front right behind the oil filter, on stock engines all oil plumbing to the pump are internal in the block but on racing engines they often route them on the outside through hoses, these Mopar engines has a center sump to fit inside the K-member and torsion bars.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Force