312 y block to 302

[Phncray]

I need some help in finding information on a swap. I have a 35 ford roadster with a 312y block and I want to change it to a 302 stroker. My question is will the motor mounts match up or do I need to move them to a different location. Can't find to much information on y blocks so that is why I'm asking. Thanks for any help you can provide.

[Charlie Stephens]

Most of the posts are about wanting to put a Y block into an older car for nostalgia reasons. I think you have it backwards. If yours is well installed I would leave it.

Charlie Stephens

[Phncray]

Charlie, I know what your saying and there is nothing wrong with the engine, but I have a fear if I take the car on a long ride and something goes wrong I would not be able to go to a local auto part store and get a part. Thanks for you thought.

[franksford]

If that y-block was sput together right and maintained well you can drive it any place. cross country trips take a water and fuel pump, just common sence

[Charlie Stephens]

You should also post your question on HAMB http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/. I went with a friend on a rod run in the seventies. Everyone else in the club had high tech with latest engine. My friend had a tired Y block in a 40 convertible. The old Y block never missed a beat but I can't say that about the others. In my back log of future projects is a '57 T-Bird that will have a Y block. I put 75 K miles on a T-Bird in the seventies without any problems and have no concern about reliability.

Charlie Stephens

[paul2748]

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It depends on what you have for mounts. If you have the stock motor side mounts, you can use 289/302 mounts as they fit into the Y mounting holes.

If you have the front mount that is located at the extreme front, then you will have to make mounts. Check with Chassis Engineering in Iowa as they can supply mounts for just about anything.

I know the replies above were written in good faith, but they should stick to the question. I run Y's and a 302 in different cars, so I have no agenda for either one.

Originally Posted by Phncray

I need some help in finding information on a swap. I have a 35 ford roadster with a 312y block and I want to change it to a 302 stroker. My question is will the motor mounts match up or do I need to move them to a different location. Can't find to much information on y blocks so that is why I'm asking. Thanks for any help you can provide.

[Phncray]

Paul thank you for your reply. It uses the mount side mount holes, the next question is will it bolt to the trans using the same spacing as the y block or do I need to move the trans forward or back?

[Retro Jim]

The Y block engine mounts are totally different from the SBF engine mounts ! The best ones to use are the ones for a Lincoln Mark VIII . I think 1984 . Those are the ones I am using for installing a 302 in my 55 Ford that had a Y block . They are Anchor brand . I got mine from Rock Auto on line . Were around $60 for the pair of mounts .

Jim

[JeffB2]

Originally Posted by Phncray

Paul thank you for your reply. It uses the mount side mount holes, the next question is will it bolt to the trans using the same spacing as the y block or do I need to move the trans forward or back?

You did not specify what transmission you were going to use,since your car is not a '54 or later I can tell you this, if you put a 302 & AOD or C4 combo in a '54-56 that had a Y-Block it will sit on the stock crossmember just fine using a later trans mount which means the Y-block and it's transmission are almost the same length but the SBF 302 & 5.0 are a little longer if you use the 70' and later long water pump and pulleys,if you convert to the early 289 short pump '66-'68 it will shorten the length about 2"-3" about.The other consideration is the oil pan, Y-block passenger cars had front sump pans,early Mustangs also used a front sump pan which is used with most Y-block swaps.The later 302 & 5.0's used a dual sump pan which may or may not work for you.

[Phncray]

Jeff, Yes I have a C4 and I planned on using a shorty pump. As for the sump pan I will go with the rear sump, that is where all my room is where nothing is in the way. Thank you all for the help with my questions, you made me feel more comfortable doing this with out alot of extra work.

[Charlie Stephens]

Originally Posted by paul2748

...I know the replies above were written in good faith, but they should stick to the question. I run Y's and a 302 in different cars, so I have no agenda for either one.

Paul,

I realize that this is not sticking to the question but I wanted my response to be attached to your comment. If I ask a question I sincerely appreciate a good answer (and your answer to the original post was very good) but I find it equally valuable that a person would challenge what I am proposing to do. I like to be told that what I am doing may not be a good idea so I can reconsider it before spending a lot of money and ending up with something that is less than I wanted. Knowing how to do something that isn’t a good idea in the first place is not what I want. Note that this is a response to a generic question and is not to imply replacing a Y block with a 302 is not a good idea I just wanted to be sure that the person had thought it out.

Charlie Stephens

[Ford blue blood]

Originally Posted by Phncray

Charlie, I know what your saying and there is nothing wrong with the engine, but I have a fear if I take the car on a long ride and something goes wrong I would not be able to go to a local auto part store and get a part. Thanks for you thought.

Just a little more food for thought...I purchased a 61 Unibody with a 292/3 speed/3:73 from a fellow in Pomona, CA, had it moved to my kids place in Rosamond, CA, flew out, fixed all the stuff that needed fixing (brakes, tires, gas tank, carb, shift linkage, valve lash, etc.) and drove that bad boy back from CA to Birmingham. That ol 292 never missed a beat and I averaged 15 MPG running 55 - 60 all the way.

[paul2748]

Originally Posted by Phncray

Paul thank you for your reply. It uses the mount side mount holes, the next question is will it bolt to the trans using the same spacing as the y block or do I need to move the trans forward or back?

These mounts supposedly fit a 302 when putting it in a 54-62 sedan (from various threads on different sites)
84 Lincoln Mark V11 (Anchor #'s 2725 and 2726)
76 F150 (302)
64-65 Ford Galaxy (289)
The first is supposed to be 1 inch taller than the other two. I am sure there are other applicatons that will fit as Ford used the 289/302 for a lot of different applications.

Since the current engine is in a 35 and not in a 54-62 car, the question of the rear mount is not easily answered because I don't know what you have now.

Your just going to have to set the engine in place, with the trans attached and see where the rear mount falls.

I put a C-4 behind a Y block (56 TBIRD) and using the stock C-4 mount it bolted right up to the TBird frame crossmember (Fordomatic). I put a toploader behind a Y Block in my 54 sedan, and the mount was just a little off (maybe 1/2 inch if I remember correctly which was easy to make an adapter plate.

[paul2748]

Charley - I know your response was in good faith, but when some one asks a particular question I try to focus on the question asked and respond to it. If a person is trying to do something that will not work than I would raise a question or challenge it. This questioner has a specific plan in mind, it is doable but just asked for some guidance.

As stated, I like both the Ford smallblocks and Y's. I drove my stock 312 56 Bird from NJ to Oregon and the Y never missed a beat. My 54 Ford also has a Y (312) so I do like these engines.

I also have a 48 Ford with a 302 and like that as well as the Y's. The 48 has also traveled extensively and like the Y, it runs great.

Originally Posted by Charlie Stephens

Paul,

I realize that this is not sticking to the question but I wanted my response to be attached to your comment. If I ask a question I sincerely appreciate a good answer (and your answer to the original post was very good) but I find it equally valuable that a person would challenge what I am proposing to do. I like to be told that what I am doing may not be a good idea so I can reconsider it before spending a lot of money and ending up with something that is less than I wanted. Knowing how to do something that isn’t a good idea in the first place is not what I want. Note that this is a response to a generic question and is not to imply replacing a Y block with a 302 is not a good idea I just wanted to be sure that the person had thought it out.

Charlie Stephens

[Ray With]

Originally Posted by franksford

If that y-block was sput together right and maintained well you can drive it any place. cross country trips take a water and fuel pump, just common sence

I agree with Franks here. A fresh Y block or fresh 302 have about the same durability so it's almost a bolt in if you decide to do it. Ther is more than enough room to do the swap and if you haven't swaped the generator for an alternator this is another change I would do . Either way its doable and it's your choice.

[Retro Jim]

The biggest problem is if and when you do break down . You can't get parts for a Yblock at every parts store BUT you can get 302 / 5.0 parts anyplace at anytime of the day or night ! You can also get a lot more HP and torque from the 302/5.0 than a Y block for the same money ! That is why I pulled my Y block out of my 55 and replacing with a 302 & C4 . The Y block I have ran good and was a strong pulling engine but I wanted most HP & Torque .
Still either engine is a good choice !

Jim

[Charlie Stephens]

Originally Posted by Ray With

I agree with Franks here. A fresh Y block or fresh 302 have about the same durability so it's almost a bolt in if you decide to do it. Ther is more than enough room to do the swap and if you haven't swaped the generator for an alternator this is another change I would do . Either way its doable and it's your choice.

I must be stuck in a time warp. Not only would I keep the Y Block but I would keep the generator. If it ain't broke don't fix it? Generators usually get a bad rap because so many rebuilders just fix the immediate problem and send it down the road to fail again soon. Have someone that knows what they are doing go through the generator and replace everything that is needed and you will have a reliable unit.

Charlie Stephens

[46yblock]

I cant argue with RetroJim on the HP vs. $s. But then if money was the total issue, last week I saw an SBC aluminum intake with spreadbore that went for $75.

For those of us who caught the Y bug relatively recently (within the last 20 years), roadside breakdowns and repairs probably were of concern early on. After a while less so. The only breakdown I have had at the roadside 150 miles from home was a Pertronix that went bad. Luckily the local NAPA was only 3 blocks away. They actually delivered the ignition parts to get things going.

[Ford blue blood]

What are the break downs going to be to keep you from motoring on? If a hard mechanical part breaks you are down no matter what kind of engine, the ignition, fuel pump, carb parts are all readily available in most any parts house for the Y.

[46yblock]

I was waiting for someone to make that point. Fuel pump: Y or FE. Ignition Y or SBF to 74. Starter, could be a problem but should have been a prior suspect if bad. Water pump same as starter. Just about anything else is going to require a shop anyway, and Carquest or Napa have one day deliveries. Break a rocker or throw a pushrod, should have been attended to beforehand.