Jeff I still have a 59 Edsel 292 engine with 113 heads,needs rebuilt though. Carl

Since I will be using kind of tall gears I will stick with a car motor.

Butchering up everything I can get my hands on in Dayton Ohio

The HD truck steel cranks are heavier weight wise than the run of the mill cast cranks and considered overkill for most streetable Y engines.  But from a strength perspective, the steel cranks are definitely more robust and very suitable in those truck applications where the engines are being lugged heavily.  Another visible difference between the steel and cast iron cranks is in the counterweighting in that the steel cranks have six counterweights and the cast cranks have eight counterweights.  Regardless of the number of counterweights, the cast cranks were still lighter.  The cast cranks are considered to be fully counterweighted and as such, are more desirable from the standpoint that they exhibit less internal stress in high rpm operation.  And depending upon which crank manufacturer you talk to, you’ll find varying opinions on the counterweighting subject.

 

I did have a customer that had inadvertently supplied a steel crank as part of his 292 rotating assembly for balancing for his ’55 Crown.  Upon asking him about it, he wasn’t aware of the difference in cranks until I pointed it out but because he had already turned the crank and was ready to get his ride together, would go ahead and use it.  His comments after running the car for awhile was that the engine didn’t seem as aggressive during acceleration as the other engines he had with cast cranks but once at speed, the car was a rock steady high speed cruiser.  This simply reaffirmed that the heavier cranks will tend to keep an engine from accelerating as quickly simply due to the mass involved with everything else being equal.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

I will probably end up using a later car or p/u block and try to find a set of 57 heads,I have a 57 4 bbl intake but the new aluminum ones look good but I will be trying to keep costs as down as much as I can and using junkyard or swapmeet parts.  Now if I could only get a south american Y block or at least the heads and intake as they have windsor style passages in them and might rum a bunch better then with the heads we have here.

Butchering up everything I can get my hands on in Dayton Ohio

For your 55, I think finding an engine with better heads would be better than the later HD truck motors. A 57 or 58 car or pickup engine should have the best big valve heads available. A 57 should have ECZ-G heads (the best) and a 58 could have 113 heads (second best). The cast crank and EBU rods are plenty stout for street use, but if you want stronger rods, the C2AE's are not too hard to find. That being said many think that the later blocks are better because of more "meat" in the main bearing web. It has alot too do with what you have, what you can find, and what you can afford. Look over Mummerts site and you should find all the info that you need as for as part numbers and possible combinations.

Glen Henderson



Freedom is not Free

Letohatchee, AL

The steel forged crank was used in larger trucks from about 61 to 65. A F600 of this vintage would be likely to have a forged steel crank. The quick way I use to identify them is by removing the flywheel and looking at the end of the crank. Various cranks have crescents or notches on the flywheel flange. The steel crank has no notches. I 60 model or earlier would not have a steel crank. However trucks of that size were often repowered by salvage yard engines and fitment was the only concern.

Kenneth

Fredricksburg, Texas

I keep hearing the big truck (F600?) have a steel crank and heavier rods and if they do will all big truck 292s have those parts and how can one tell without tearing the motor apart,I am wanting to put a Y block back in my 55 sunliner and if I can find one I want to start with the best but since I am building a cruiser it might be over kill for what I am needing.

Butchering up everything I can get my hands on in Dayton Ohio