Many years ago I had a repair to a cast iron head which had cracked. Mini coopers were common for this between cylinders.The means of repairing this was by an Arc weld, I was told they used a specific rod to meld the cast material.

That’s where furnace brazing comes into play. Unfortunately that’s not available in my area. I did try soldering both ends of the sleeve from the water jacket sides and putting a layer of resin at both the upper and lower portions of the bores within the water jackets but that also failed. For what I'm doing, a 375 incher is as big as it gets and still be a reliable combination.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Thanks John & Glenn, I will get my block tested. John, this may result in a minor adjustment to my current order.
RodL
Be in touch by PM or phone soon.

I have bored a number of 272 blocks to std 292 and a few to 292 +.020" and 2 to 292 +.060". I have only seen 1 that had a problem at 292 +.020". In looking at it closer we found that the water jackets were serious corroded from running tap water. We recently bored a 256 block to 292 +.020". Sonic testing showed that was a safe bore.While sonic testing 272 blocks I found cylinders as thick as .395" and never found anything under .200".
The old Dearborn blocks were very thick, in fact a 272 DIF block weighs more than a 292 Cleveland block and I'm guessing that much of the weight is in the cylinders.
Having said that, I would sonic test any 272 I was boring past std 292.

http://ford-y-block.com 

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

292 +60 = 312 +10 or 3.810, I would not do it without sonic checking the block as has been stated before. You may get lucky and have a block that will go that big, but the only safe way is to have it checked.

Glen Henderson



Freedom is not Free

Letohatchee, AL

Hi all, I've just come across this thread. I was given an unused of Silvolite pistons 292 +60 to put in my 272. Am I going to get into trouble with this combination? RodL

As regards the 292 crank in the Windsor. This was pretty common when the 260/289's first came out, in drag racing circles. There were no aftermarket cranks available for the SBF's let alone Steel cranks. When you wanted to run a Ford in an Altered, Gasser or Rail and needed more displacement to race 327 Scrubs it was a useful trick. Problem was the early 289 heads didn't flow enough for a good 289. Really didn't work on a 330 or 40 incher.

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

I have been told that Fords Indy engines of the early 60's used a crank that was based on the 292 steel crank. If I remember right rules limited the engines to 255 ci. I have no idea how much machine work went into the block or crank to make this combo work, but I will assure you that it was not plug and play.

Glen Henderson



Freedom is not Free

Letohatchee, AL

Of course no one would want to work away from the Y block anyway, that would be ridiculous.

And I did mention with the opening sentence "Ok, so this is a bit out there and may be a bit costly"

Words are only words to the wise.

My brother mentioned a while back that he recalled reading in a car mag many years ago the mod to install a Y crank in a Windsor when I mentioned about bore spacing being the same.