Engine Question

[Guest]

I recently got a 1958 squarebird and the engine in it is painted a orange-red color, Vlave covers and intake, I cant really tell what color the block is, The valve covers have FORD stamped on them and it looks to be a FE engine, Has the crankcase breather in the back of the intake going down to the bottom of the engine near the exhaust. The orange-red color throws me,..????

[jopizz]

The block and intake should be painted blue with black valve covers and white air cleaner. Sounds like somebody had some Chevy paint laying around.

John

[Astrowing]

The orange/red may be Ford red. My '61 Ford F100 has that color for the 223 valve cover and the block and everything else is black. I believe the 292 for that year is painted the same. However, I don't believe the Ford red was ever used in cars.

[jopizz]

Ford red was used in many cars that had sixes and the 292/312 engines up until about 1962. When someone says orange I just automatically think Chevy.

John

[simplyconnected]

John is right, my Y-block engines are both very red.

Technically, FE engines ARE Y-blocks. The "Y" denotes the block's extended skirt of cast iron below the crank to give rigidity. Small block engines don't have a skirt and therefore they flex which loses HP. Consequently, SB's cannot be considered for serious output torque. - Dave

[Guest]

Chevy is what I thought too but the valve covers have FORD stamed in them. I cant find any numbers on it yet but I havent looked under the engine to see if any are there. It looks like a 352 but with a 2 barrel carb?

[jopizz]

Now it makes more sense. It was a common practice to change the four barrel intake for a two barrel to improve fuel economy. While someone was doing it they just painted the intake and valve covers to make it look better. Since most mechanics had a can of Chevy orange laying around that's probably what they used. The "Ford" stamped valve covers were used on many different engines including the 58 Thunderbird so they may be the original ones.

John

[KULTULZ]

Ford red was used in many cars that had sixes and the 292/312 engines up until about 1962.

John

Hope it is not a 292 Y.

[yellow98cobra]

Chevy is what I thought too but the valve covers have FORD stamed in them. I cant find any numbers on it yet but I havent looked under the engine to see if any are there. It looks like a 352 but with a 2 barrel carb?

if it is a FE block there is the number 352 stamped on the front of block under the valve cover (driver side)

[simplyconnected]

... and if it's a Y-block, each valve cover will have two holes on top for studs and nuts. There will be no perimeter screws like these:

[Guest]

It definately is an FE and I think it may be a 332.

[jopizz]

A 332 has solid lifters so it's pretty easy to tell.

John

[frank58]

A 332 has solid lifters so it's pretty easy to tell.

John

so do early 352's

[Astrowing]

i would guess you have a 352 with hydraulic lifters that simply was painted with the available paint.

[Guest]

Ok so I got some numbers off the intake- 5751086, 94x??