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By Florida_Phil - 8 Years Ago
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I have lots of options, just sorting them out for now. My 55 Bird is bone stock with teapot, 6 volt and bad distributor. I just got bought this car and don't know it's history. It looks like it had an older restoration some time in it's life. The 292 engine runs fine with no issues or smoke. It has a three speed manual tranny. The performance is OK, but not what I want.
I have just bought a complete 1957 Ford 272 with 40,000 miles on it. It's been sitting in the back of a barn for years. My plan is as follows:
1. Change the Bird over to 12 volts
2. Install a single wire alternator
3. Have the 57 Heads reconditioned and swap them onto my 55 292 along with the 1957 rockers and 57 exhaust manifolds
4. Buy a 57 ford or Blue Thunder manifold and 600 Holley and install it on 292.
5. Rebuild the 57 Distributor with a Pertronix unit and install it. I know about the tach drive drive issue.
I think this should help the performance and get the car where I want it. My question is. Should I go to the trouble of changing the cam? I have a new 1957 312 cam, but I think I will need to pull the engine to change the lifters as they come out the bottom. Can I run the new cam with the old lifters. I would also change the timing chin while I'm in there. I would like to avoid pulling the engine if possible. Thanks for your replies!
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By charliemccraney - 8 Years Ago
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Try everything else first. If that still isn't what you want, then swap the cam.
You can use the old lifters but the best decision is to use new ones with a new cam.
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By Florida_Phil - 8 Years Ago
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I assume the new lifters could be installed from the bottom by removing the old cam and the oil pan? Has anyone done this?
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By LordMrFord - 8 Years Ago
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Florida_Phil (7/23/2017)
I assume the new lifters could be installed from the bottom by removing the old cam and the oil pan? Has anyone done this?
That needs a long magnet to put lifters in place and 16 more magnets what hold them up.
Hard. I wouldnt try.
I just installed one set engine upside down and crank still in place and that sucked enough.
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By Vic Correnti - 8 Years Ago
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I replaced them in a 55 Bird years ago but wouldn't recommend it. I have pulled the engine leaving the transmission in place as well as the hood and radiator, using a cherry picker on the side. Makes changing everything a whole lot easier.
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By Florida_Phil - 8 Years Ago
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I have removed a lot of engines, but never from an early TBird. I have a cherry picker and a lift. I was hoping not to have to do that. The transmission (OD) looks a little tight and I didn't want a big struggle. I have a feeling I'm going to pull the engine anyway. Getting to those goofy YBlock lifters without turning the engine over is a problem. Thanks for the info.
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By miker - 8 Years Ago
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I'd check the casting numbers first, as you never know what's original and what's changed. Start with the heads, and watch the cc of the chambers.
http://www.ford-y-block.com/cylinderheadchart.htm
I've done a 1 wire conversions on my 55, and I found the voltage at the battery was 1.5 volts below the voltage at the charging terminal. I don't do anything but 3 wire now, problem solved.
A 3 3/8" tach with the bezel removed and the outer lip of the case ground off will fit in the 55 bezel. At least a SW did in my 55. It'll probably be more than 5000 rpm, depends on what you can find.
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By Florida_Phil - 8 Years Ago
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Thanks for the great head chart. The heads off my 1957 272 have the casting numbers ECZ-G cast into them. From your chart I see they are the same as the 312 heads. If I bolt them onto my stock 1955 292, will I have 8.5 compression ratio? Should I mill the heads to raise the CR? If I do will I need to mill the intake? I won't know what the engine in my TBird actually is until I take it apart. It looks original, but it's too clean to be untouched after all these years.
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By miker - 8 Years Ago
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Well, those are good questions. It's unlikely your 292 is still the stock bore after all these years, but not impossible. So, you've got the actual swept area, the cc's of the heads, and the volume of the gaskets. Could also be the block's been decked. The 57 heads might also have been surfaced, IIRC, the pad on the end is 1.00" on a stock head. If my memory is failing (I know it's failing) someone will correct me. The long and short is until you take things apart and dig out the micrometers you're not going to know.
Those heads will work on that block, and probably be an improvement in terms of air flow. You're going to need to look at the intake and exhaust to see that increase however. The intake's pretty straight forward, but I think the 'bird exhaust manifold is different on the drivers side. The flat top 57 versions aren't cheap for the bird. The right side could be the same on the 57 motor, I don't know.
The cam is another item item, and plays into the effective compression ratio as opposed to static. I wouldn't attempt to change the lifters in the car, and wouldn't ever try to run used lifters on a new cam. Pulling the engine isn't that hard if you decide to do a cam change.
I had a kind of tired 292 in my bird, and bolted a supercharger on it anyway. Worked out ok till I built a new motor. So sometimes it's easier to just do it, and see how it works out, like Charlie said.
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By slumlord444 - 8 Years Ago
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I ran a simiar 292 in my '58 Ford Custom back in the early '60's. It was a very strong runner for what it was. The weak link as I see it is the transmission. Take it easy and you will be fine. A hard first to second shift will take out second and the cluster gear. My fix was an all syncro 3 speed out of a '63 and up Galaxie. Prety much bullet proof and you can use the stock shifter with slight modification. Will also need the appropriate clutch disk
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By Florida_Phil - 8 Years Ago
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I am very familiar with the weak transmission issue. Back in the day I used to buy 3 speeds from a junk yard for $20. We blew up dozens of them. Always got home some how. We always wanted a T85 but could afford it. I'm not racing these days, just driving to car shows.
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By Ted - 8 Years Ago
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Florida_Phil (7/23/2017)
Thanks for the great head chart. The heads off my 1957 272 have the casting numbers ECZ-G cast into them. From your chart I see they are the same as the 312 heads. If I bolt them onto my stock 1955 292, will I have 8.5 compression ratio? Should I mill the heads to raise the CR? If I do will I need to mill the intake? I won't know what the engine in my TBird actually is until I take it apart. It looks original, but it's too clean to be untouched after all these years.
Assuming the 292 short block is dead stock (no boring, no milling, steel shim head gaskets, etc), then 8.5:1 is attainable assuming the ECZ-G heads are indeed 69 cc’s. If using composition head gaskets, then the static compression ratio is going to drop some. Here are a couple of quick work ups showing the differences in the static compression ratio when changing the head gaskets.
You will need to check your ‘G’ heads to see if they are posted or unposted. The Ford shop manual recommends only milling unposted heads a maximum of 0.010” but general consensus is that you can get away with as much as 0.025” of mill assuming you’re not going to be running pop up pistons somewhere down the road. Posted heads can be milled much more heavily without experiencing the same problems with head gasket seal.
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By NoShortcuts - 8 Years Ago
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Florida Phil. GooD information from all.
IF you are unclear as to what posted and un-post ECZ-G heads are, it has to do with when the heads were cast. Ford made a design change on the internal structure of the castings in April (?) of the '57 model year. Heads used in late '57 production year y-block Fords and Mercs and on '58 model year 312 Mercs should have posted heads. Ted has previously posted the information for telling posted and un-posted G heads apart, but I'm having trouble locating it in the Forum Archive today.
Tim McMaster has the info on his web site using pictures from Ted. Click the link below to view Tim's web site information on posted and un-posted heads
http://yblockguy.com/techtips/postedheads.html
Hope this helps! 
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By PF Arcand - 8 Years Ago
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Phil: If your bird's engine is in really good condition, it may be more trouble than it's worth to change the cam & lifters.. (consenses is that using old lifters is risky) Also, are you sure that the new cam is actually a 1957 EDB code cam? Standard replacement Ford cams after that date are not that spec, they are C4TZ or CAB-X, a truck cam. (info from a John Mummert cam chart). The only grinder that I'm aware of currently, that has the 1957 profile is Oregon Cams in Wash. (near Oregon's border) Ph# 360-256-7985 or 1-800 539-9165 (ask for Ken) if you wanted to check..
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