Acquired a 312 ECZ C block and crank this past weekend from a new Forum member (thanks gambo)

While I was picking thru the stuff it became apparent that this was a 56 block (casting date of 65) with "C" heads and the 56 camshaft arrangement.

It appeared to be all original with this being the first time being taken apart.

It had truck mounting timing case cover,front mount,bell housing,truck tranny and was painted gold/yellow as a Mercury would have been in 1956.

Do you guys think that Mercury"s 1957 pickup being sold in Canada used the 312 engine.Or perhaps this may have been a 56 Mercury pickup truck.This also looks to me to be one of the earliest casting date code of a  "C" configuration block that I have encountered.

It sure puzzles me.

Whadu guys think ????

Misinformation about 312's being installed in Canadian pickups originate from the 312's being installed in the Meteor and Canadian Ford Rancheros.

Rancheros are registered as trucks in Canada instead of registered as a car so by registration 312's were installed in the Canadian "trucks".



The 1956 Canadian 312 blocks had letters CECK cast by the distributor the same as the Canadian 292 block. On the front of the 312 block's, drivers side below the head parting line would have a stamping of TV#### with a serial number following.

The 57 312 blocks would have the letters of VV#### in same location. The 57 Canadian 312 blocks in the Mercurys I have seen have the heavier main bearing webs with the main bearing bolt holes drilled deeper like the B9AE and C2AE blocks.

marv

Marv

Can you tell me what sort of engine color scheme would have been used in the Canadian vehicles such as the Metero and Ranchero?

Would it have been that yellow that I encountered?

The block went right to the machine shop so I will have to look for those casting and serial number information that you speak of.

The rest of the trimmins were truck pieces-bell housing,timing case cover,front mount.So I"m pretty sure it came out of a truck.

The knowledge on this site is fantastic.

Oldmics

John:



The 56 & 57 Meteors and 57 Canadian Rancheros engines were painted green. Same color as the Detroit Diesels.

The 55's were an off color white or cream.



I don't know what engine yellow would have been used on. I have only seen that color on truck engines.



Could that engine come out of a forklift, which would explain the truck bell housing. Onan used the yblock in some of their lighting plants painted greenish color.



I have never seen an ECZ letters cast on Canadian engine. Maybe look to see if it has DIF cast as a Dearborn engine or an engine from the Cleveland #1 or # 2 foundry.

all of the 55 and 6  292 and 312 i have seen were as you say CECK.all the 57 were ECZ both 292 and 312 that i saw which makes me wonder if any y blocks were built in canada after 56.

The Yellow engine blocks are 292s that showed up in 1955 Canadian Monarchs and Canadian produced Mercurys. I've found many Canadian Meteors from 1957 have come factory equipped with 312s CECK blocks. The Meteor Ranchero in '57 was sold by Mercury dealers, so the 312 very well could have been an option, but I haven't found one that wasn't transplanted. The Canadian cars did not have the engine code as part of the serial number and to verify it requires original paperwork. The blocks themselves are marked under the drivers side cylinder head VT is 1956 312 production VV is 1957 312 production. I have a Fabulous 50's Ford club member with a 1956 Mercury M100 Custom Cab pick up that has a 312 VT block, Merc-O-Matic & factory power steering. Again, no paperwork but it could have been ordered that way. In the '50s and '60s Canadian dealers bent over backwards to make a sale. If you wanted something and were willing to pay for it, you generally got it.

Larry D

Winnipeg, MB Canada Eh!


'57 Fairlane 500 Club Victoria

'58 Custom 300 Tudor

'56 Crown Victoria

'61 Starliner Z Code

'51 Ford Victoria