Hello Guys,

This is my first post, but a long time follower.  I just picked up a 1956 F-600 Dump Truck.  This past weekend I began tearing out the engine and found more rust than expected in the cylinders and heads.  I finally got the engine out and found the Y-Block casting number to be B5AE.  According to the information from my books and websites this is a 272 replacement block.  Can anyone shed some light on what this may be and how it came about? Also one of the heads has a big casted "R" on the deck.  I am guessing that this engine was cobbled together to work on a farm.  Is this a block I should consider keeping or sending it off to the scrap yard??  Any comments are greatly appreciated..

Thanks for keeping the Y-Block Alive and Well...

Welcome to the site.

 

Checking the bore size will help to clarify which block you have.  Anything shy of 3.750” will point you to a 272 block.  3.750" or larger could be an overbored 272 but odds are good that it will be a 292.  Sonic testing would help to clarify if it's been heavily overbored.  If the block is salvageable for a rebuild down the road, then it’s worth hanging on to.  It can always be scrapped at a later date.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

The B5AE block I have is a 292 & a marine engine . As good as I can read the casting # it was cast in 1959 it is  replacement for something. It also has the deeper drilled main bolts.    Harry

It is assumed that the B5AE block are replacements because the "E" was not added until 1959 and Ford last used 272's in general production in 1957. However, I have never been able to check the date code on one of these blocks to see when it was actually cast. I have heard form numerous people that had B5AE blocks in small school buses and boats that were built after 1957 so either Ford offered 272's to Interceptor Marine and fleet users or there was an over stock of these blocks that took years to use up.

http://ford-y-block.com 

20 miles east of San Diego, 20 miles north of Mexico

The convention of using four characers, starting with a letter, followed by a numeral, followed by two letters, began in the late 50's, perhaps 1959. That's ironic, of course, because a casting number of B5AE means 1955.



It is my recollection that this was a factory replacement block for the 272. Might be a pretty good design if it truly is cast in 1958 or later.

Best regards,



Paul Menten

Meridian, Idaho

Thank for the info..  I checked the bore and it is 3.625 making it a 272.  I think I am going to keep it have machine 0.060 over.  That will be a winter project..

Thanks again..

-Mike

Mike:

Locate the pistons before you start to bore.  272 pistons are not very common anymore.  You may want to bore .125 and use standard 292 pistons.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

I have just had my original 272 in my '55 bored as it had sat for many years and water had got in two bores and severely rusted them. I didn't like the idea of sleeving it here in Oz. I figured that the block was all but u/s so had the machine shop bore it .060" over the standard 292. Worked out as a .185" overbore. The blokes in the shop couldn't believe that you could bore an engine so heavily. They were very surprised that it didn't go through into the water jacket. It certainly stands as testament to the durability engineered into these engines.

As John says, bore it out to 292, not only are the pistons easier to find but you will probably find they are also significantly cheaper.

Regards

Rick - West Australia
Do Y Blocks Downunder run upside down? Gravity Sucks!!