Ford coupe
Senior Member
Is there a way other than numbers to identify a 55 272 from a 292 and a 56 292 from a 312...Thanks
Identify 272 versus 293
- Thread starter Ford coupe
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Daves55Sedan
Well-known member
If you are looking at two assembled engines; a 272 and a 292, the fastest way to tell them apart is by looking at the heads. The 272 head casting has clean rounded corners without any protrusions at the bottom front of the head, while the 292 heads have course casting mould breaks at the front and small protrusions at the bottom front closer to the exhaust side.
The exhaust manifolds on the 292 are larger than the 292 manifolds.
While the carburators appear to be the same, they are actually very different with a closer look. The '56 292 carb is higher CFM and has a larger throat than the little '55, 272 carb. In fact, the air cleaner off a 56, 292 wont fit properly on a '55, 272 and vice versa. Also the linkage is all different.
All the 56 292 engines had automatic choke, so there was a boss cast into the intake manifold for the heat riser tube. The '55, 272 intake does not have that. They were all manual choke.
If you were looking at a '55, 272 engine and a '57 or later 292 or 312, theres a lot more easily identifiable differences at just a glance to tell them apart, particularly the intake manifold. The old "bugsprayer" style carburator was discontinued after '56. A lower, wider carburator design debuted in '57 and remained practically unchanged thru the late 1970's. Along with it, a newer distributor design with mechanical advance counterweights replaced the old pre-57 Load-O-Matic distributor. The appear a lot different as the newer design has a much deeper distributor body than the Load-O-Matic.
The exhaust manifolds on the 292 are larger than the 292 manifolds.
While the carburators appear to be the same, they are actually very different with a closer look. The '56 292 carb is higher CFM and has a larger throat than the little '55, 272 carb. In fact, the air cleaner off a 56, 292 wont fit properly on a '55, 272 and vice versa. Also the linkage is all different.
All the 56 292 engines had automatic choke, so there was a boss cast into the intake manifold for the heat riser tube. The '55, 272 intake does not have that. They were all manual choke.
If you were looking at a '55, 272 engine and a '57 or later 292 or 312, theres a lot more easily identifiable differences at just a glance to tell them apart, particularly the intake manifold. The old "bugsprayer" style carburator was discontinued after '56. A lower, wider carburator design debuted in '57 and remained practically unchanged thru the late 1970's. Along with it, a newer distributor design with mechanical advance counterweights replaced the old pre-57 Load-O-Matic distributor. The appear a lot different as the newer design has a much deeper distributor body than the Load-O-Matic.
Ford coupe
Senior Member
Now if my 56 has a 292 doi have a t bird engine as it was called in 55 i beleive
Ford coupe
Senior Member
There was a 292 in 55 called the t bird also right??
rick55
Senior Member
It is impossible to tell the difference between a 272 and a 292 by looking at it externally. A 272 has a 3 5/8" bore and the 292 has 3 3/4". A 312 can be identified by a dot on the crankshaft flange. The 312 has a 3.800 bore and a crank with much bigger main journals than 272/292.
Ford called the 292 the Thunderbird engine in 56 as that is what it was in 55.
The standard v8 for 55 in sedans was a 272 with the 292 reserved for Thunderbirds. Some 292 's probably found their way into 55s off the showroom floor, Police Specials etc.
Check out John Mummerts YBlock site for all the good info and goodies. His alloy heads are a highly desirable addition.
Ford called the 292 the Thunderbird engine in 56 as that is what it was in 55.
The standard v8 for 55 in sedans was a 272 with the 292 reserved for Thunderbirds. Some 292 's probably found their way into 55s off the showroom floor, Police Specials etc.
Check out John Mummerts YBlock site for all the good info and goodies. His alloy heads are a highly desirable addition.
rick55
Senior Member
As Darrell says,"if you are in Canada it's easy so long as the engine hasn't been tampered with." I dont know much about colour schemes of rocker covers, but if its true, I bet it's got blue rocker covers cause every engine that is for sale these days is a "312". There are a lot of poor performing 312s out there.
Seriously though this shows how hard it is to identify an engine without having the heads, at least, off it.
Blue Futura
Member
On John Mummert's web site , www.ford-y-block.com .
Lot's of information there right or wrong I don't know , but it is the best i have found.
He has listed / 55 T-bird , 193 H.P. ,with , ECK-B heads on the 292 and not listed for any other engines.
Also.
56 ECZ-C
312 C- in
1.78" C.R.
225 H.P.
4BBL Carb.
Ford / T-Bird / merc
56 ECZ-C
292 C- in
1.78" C.R.
202 H.P
4BBL Carb.
Ford & T-bird
That head is not listed for any others on his site.
So you can't use just the head # as proof of the size of the engine.
.
My 56 fairlane with the original factory installed 292 engine has the ECB-C heads . I know it's the 292 because i had it rebuilt about 25 years ago.
.
I just thought this information might be helpful so that's my $.02 worth. __JIM
.
Lot's of information there right or wrong I don't know , but it is the best i have found.
He has listed / 55 T-bird , 193 H.P. ,with , ECK-B heads on the 292 and not listed for any other engines.
Also.
56 ECZ-C
312 C- in
1.78" C.R.
225 H.P.
4BBL Carb.
Ford / T-Bird / merc
56 ECZ-C
292 C- in
1.78" C.R.
202 H.P
4BBL Carb.
Ford & T-bird
That head is not listed for any others on his site.
So you can't use just the head # as proof of the size of the engine.
.
My 56 fairlane with the original factory installed 292 engine has the ECB-C heads . I know it's the 292 because i had it rebuilt about 25 years ago.
.
I just thought this information might be helpful so that's my $.02 worth. __JIM
.