I am toying with 2 solutions:

1# Keep the 272 in the truck and add G-heads with high ratio rockers, Sanderson headers, Mummert intake with 4 barrel, stock steel shim head gasket (deck was not shaved, now has a thicker composite gasket).  Approximate cost 1500.00

#2. Abandon the 272, rebuild 292, G-heads, sanderson headers, Mummert intake, 4 barrel.  Cost around $3000.

Question:  Would it be worth the $1500 to upgrade the 272 or just forget it and rebuild the 292?  I have spent $2500 so far on the 272 and don't know if it is worth another $1500 for the returns I will get.  Appreciate your help.

If the 272 is fresh I personally would go that route.All of those parts can be used again if you decide to move up to the 292.

I also suggest that you rid yourself of that vaccum only distributor and get the 57 centrifical advance unit.

That alone would wake the engine up.

Oldmics

PS- I don't think anyone on the site will think going to the original steel head gasket is a good idea.

When the 272 was finished 2 years ago, all of the things you all mentioned were checked, vacumn, rebuilt autolite manual choke carb, checked advance, spark, timing, dwell.....  I know the mechanic checked the compression but I don't remember what it was. I am going to check it before I tear the heads off.  I also think the compression height of the replacement pistons were shorter but don't know how much.  I have resigned to the fact that I put on the wrong heads for this engine.  These are good points you all mentioned and I might recheck them before I take the heads off.

Question: Why put on dual exhaust system and not use aftermarket headers?  I had thought maybe putting on the Sanderson truck headers or for a stock look the Ram horns. Wouldn't the headers flow better than stock exhaust decreasing resistance?

Headers are for high RPM high performance RACE engines not for 3/4 4X4 trucks that will tow a small trailer. You will have to be more realistic as to what you are trying to do here. A Ford 272 will never set any land speed records or win any drag strip races. IT WILL produce GOOD low and medium RPM torque which is what YOU NEED. Forget G heads, high lift rockers, race cams, Sanderson headers, ETC they will cost a lot and will do nothing that you want to do. Raise your engine compression ( try to find ECZ A, or B or C heads with SMALL VALVES) and DUAL EXHAUST. You NEED low RPM TORQUE not screaming RPM HP.

As I said, you need to get real. A good running 272 will be an OK motor but will NEVER set the world on fire.

 And if you are not able to do the work yourself then consider a rebuilt or used 292 as a more cost effective way to go.

Its gonna be hard to overcome the altitude factor without increasing the displacement.

I think your original path is the best way to persue.

Oldmics

Do you have anything else dragging to slow you down, a dragging brake, bad bearing somewhere, its little items like this that will rob your power most when going up hill but you may never feel them on level ground.

You also say you advanced the timing as far as you can, too much advance will show up mostly on hills and a loss of power will result.

Not saying you need an electric pump, just that fuel can also cause the loss of power feeling. I've even seen rubber fuel lines with a tear in them that acted like a flapper valve when demand increased. It would pull shut and block the fuel flow.

Try putting a temporary fuel pressure gauge on and run it where you can see if from the cab. That should tell you if the pressure is dropping. It is not recommended to run a fuel pressure gauge in the cab unless you use an Isolator. This keeps actual gas from flowing in the vehicle.

Anyway, I think fuel is worth looking at. Chuck in NH

Running a cranking compression check on all the cylinders and insuring that they are all within 10% of each other from the lowest reading to the highest would be at the top of the list.  This insures that the engine is mechanically in good condition while also giving a rough idea what the dynamic compression ratio is.  155-160 lbs of cranking compression would be considered a good number for a good running 272.

From the descriptions you give on the performance of the engine, I suspect you do have cranking compression readings that will be on the low side which would simply indicate a compression ratio that’s also on the low side.  This would explain the lack of power going up those hills.  Even if you’re going forward with a head and/or head gasket swap, I’d still recommend that a compression check be performed prior to pulling the heads so that those values can be compared to the numbers obtained after boosting the compression ratio.

Thats what I was thinking of doing prior to taking the heads.  Thanks for the values.  To run a compression test I know I would take out the plugs, disconnect the coil wire, anything else?