What if any is the difference between a 279 for a truck and the 279 Lincoln put in their cars?  Also is there a difference between the 279 used for heavy duty trucks and a regular Y-Block?  What can be used?

1959 Edsel Ranger, 1916 Ford "speedster"
"I may not be a rich man, but I can give you a million dollars' worth of bad publicity."

While I suspect that the bottom ends are similar, the main differences will be in the cylinder heads.  Sodium filled exhaust valves in the HD engines which would need to go simply due to age.  Compression ratio may be lower on the truck engines but that’s just speculation at this point on my end without pulling out some of the older parts manuals.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

This was in an early 50s Ford brush breaker firetruck.  There are no markings on the heads but the engine does look a bit different in places from my car Y-Block.  My friend wants to rebuild it and stick it in his 40 Ford pick-up but we are not sure what parts we can use in this engine.

1959 Edsel Ranger, 1916 Ford "speedster"
"I may not be a rich man, but I can give you a million dollars' worth of bad publicity."

This is a Lincoln heavy duty truck engine . Made only for 3 years.. It has a 3.5 inch stroke crank but a tiny bore.3.56  .Like Ted says  , It probably has big sodium filled exhaust valves and very low compression  about 7.0 to 1.. Finding pistons will be an expensive challenge.. ..  As a 279 you are talking flathead like performance... This falls into the category of what was Ford thinking.. This block is tall and heavy.for such a tiny displacement, but then again the Lincoln is a very robust engine, and a 279 can not make enough power to hurt itself and so longevity will be outstanding. There are running 317s around for the taking which would be a much better option... The 279 would only be appropriate if it is extremely low mileage and needs no repair  or it is for a restoration of a truck from that period

The 279 was a FORD HT engine whereas the 317 was both a LINC engine and used for HT. Both are members of the LINC Y-Block Family.

Does the truck have a FORD PATENT PLATE?

____________________________

The truck it's going in had a flathead in it originally.  This EAL came out of a fire truck that was sent to the scrap yard

1959 Edsel Ranger, 1916 Ford "speedster"
"I may not be a rich man, but I can give you a million dollars' worth of bad publicity."

This is whats covered in the 54 - 55 truck shop manual. I thought the Lincoln Y-block for HD truck app. were geared cams. Maybe that wad a later mod? Anyways, thought I'd add this to the thread. This will be an interesting build and hope you can gather enough parts/information to complete this Lincoln Y-block...........JEFF


64F100 57FAIRLANE500

I thought the Lincoln Y-block for HD truck app. were geared cams

That would be the 1956-1963 302 and 332 HT engines.

____________________________

Ok, Now I think I get it.  So the 279 is a Lincoln engine that Ford stuck in Heavy Duty trucks.  Not Ford engines they stuck in Lincoln cars.  So since Ford Y-Block parts like pistons won't work.  Is there a source for them?  How much "work" can be done to a 279.  Any thing is better than the Flathead in it now.

1959 Edsel Ranger, 1916 Ford "speedster"
"I may not be a rich man, but I can give you a million dollars' worth of bad publicity."

The LYB (1952) was FOMOCO's first overhead valve engine. The FYB followed in 1954.

GOOGLE ' LINCOLN Y-BLOCK ' and you should get about all the info you are seeking. Service parts are available new and NOS.

The car version had the highest performance rating in THE '56/57 LINC and 57 MERC.

____________________________