original paint y blocks

56yblock

56yblock

Senior Member
it's just a question, my 272 was painted in red but before it was green,i want to know if original built and what's year
 

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I have to find the file I've been compiling on engine colors, but if memory serves me correctly the green/turquoise/aqua color may have been used on '55 and maybe '56 Merc engines (I don't remember what CID), and there's a good chance that green color can be traced back to Merc flatheads from '52-'53, but again I need to find my research for a more-definitive answer. The same - or a similar - aqua/green color was also used on industrial engines and on '58 Ford 332s. The "red" you're looking for is more-correctly known as "Vermillion" and IIRC goes back to the early 1950s for usage.

The Y-block.com chart leaves a lot to be desired since it doesn't list Ford's M-numbers for colors to track what specific ones were used. In fact, it doesn't acknowledge the fact that from '59 through '65 Ford's gas engine long blocks for cars were painted semi-gloss black, with exception of some long blocks being painted aluminum for sale in Canada from '63-'65 as part of a tariff ID program. ID of the engines was done by the color of the air cleaner and valve covers during this period. Ford Corporate Blue was used company-wide for the entire engine assembly starting in Model Year 1966.
 
KULTULZ said:
And then again, maybe not ...
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darrell said:
they were all green i seen and that was a lot but who knows.
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I think MERC started the DARK GREEN in 1957. The 56 MERC was GOLD.

The CANADIAN FORD BROCHURE I showed might have shown a USA ILL.

And then again, what engine is actually in it?


402695
 

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This is the Yblock I got, from a '55 Mercury, 292 cid. Block & heads are more gold-ish than yellow/green, valve covers cream/ivory with red letters. Supposedly had 17K miles, stored for years when I got it. Not sure if it was original paint but there was no indication of it having been repainted post-production. But lots can happen in 50+ years.

55Merc292Apr082.jpg
 
the 272s were green just looked at one the other day.in the last couple of years i had a 57 292 and 312 both green.
 
Well ...

There is a member at the OTHER FORUM (oldcarmark) that has a 56 CANADIAN FORD.

For whatever reason, I cannot make a new post there or I would ask as he should know.
 
scicala said:
I wouldn't trust that Canadian brochure, especially since it shows a 1955 Engine. Sal
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Sal that engine above has the carb & intake you got from me a few years ago, not sure if the manifold was painted too. I got the block near Akron Ohio but don't know its origin.
 
raceron1120 said:
Sal that engine above has the carb & intake you got from me a few years ago, not sure if the manifold was painted too. I got the block near Akron Ohio but don't know its origin.
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Ron,


I still have the intake. I either sold the carb, or used it for parts. Don't remember. By the way, The picture you posted in the above post is 100% original in color and all parts I can see for a '55 Mercury. If it came from a Montclair, it's the 198 HP T-Bird 292 with 8.5:1 compression ratio. You can tell from the casting number on the heads if it's the standard 188 HP 292 in all '55 Mercury's (Except Montclair), or the 198 HP version from the Montclair.
And yes, the manifold was the same color as your pictured engine. My first car was a '55 Montclair original and untouched when I got it, with the same color engine.


Sal
 
scicala said:
Ron,... You can tell from the casting number on the heads if it's the standard 188 HP 292 in all '55 Mercury's (Except Montclair), or the 198 HP version from the Montclair. And yes, the manifold was the same color as your pictured engine. My first car was a '55 Montclair original and untouched when I got it, with the same color engine. Sal
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I still have the heads that came off the engine, ECZ's were used on the rebuild. I'll have to look at those old ones & see what the #s are on them.
 
Ron, '55 Mercury's with the standard 188 HP 292 engine should have come with ECK-A or ECL-A heads originally. The 198 HP Montclair 292 should have come with ECK-C, ECL-C or ECL-B heads originally.
The ECZ-? heads started in '56.


Sal
 
The heads are ECK-B, according to the yblock tech page they are 55 TBird 292 cid. The heads used on the rebuild are ECZ-B or -C.
I have a room with a bunch of Yblock stuff including 2 or 3 assemblies. One complete motor is a 272, dark red almost burgundy/maroon color. Another is red, I think it's a 292 but didn't dig down to find the casting #s on it. 3rd one is a boat-anchor
'54 239, also red. Unknown if they are unmolested originals, or rebuilt/replacements.
 
I guess they must have mixed it up in '55 with 292's. Or the info online isn't 100% accurate. Also possible the heads were swapped at one point, but with 17,000 original miles that's kind of unlikely.
Also, the ECZ - C heads were the best available in '56. Highest compression ratio.
'57 was another story.


Sal
 
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