1956 272 flywheel

JSRTUDOR

JSRTUDOR

Senior Member
Can anyone tell me if a 272 Y block flywheel is shared with any other engine, and where can I get one? Thanks
 
Aren't the flywheels drilled for mounting different size pressure plates, and their matching clutch discs?
 
Yes, the flywheels are drilled and TAPPED for the clutch housing which were available in 9-1/2" and 10" clutch sizes for the Y-block engines.
Yes, the flywheels from all the Y-blocks were interchangeable (239, 256, 272, 292, 312).
I do NOT believe the flywheels and bellhousings for the 215/223 6-cyl engines are interchangeable with the Y-blocks. If worse comes to worse, I have a 6-cyl flywheel out in the garage that I could measure the O.D. if someone else had a V8 flywheel laying around that they could measure.
 
Thanks, so I can use any Y block flywheel and it will fit in the 272 bellhousing. Is there a way I can easily identify a Y block flywheel at a swap meet?
 
if your planning on using your clutch you will need one drilled for a 10 inch clutch.i dont know any way to tell just by looking
 
I think if you measure from tooth edge to center of bolt hole if some one has a 10" for sure.
 
Daves55Sedan said:
. . . I could measure the O.D. if someone else had a V8 flywheel laying around that they could measure.
Click to expand...
I went out to the garage to measure the OD of the flywheel I've got for a '57 312 but forgot it's still on the engine... at the machine shop.
If it helps, I did measure the diameter of the clutch disc, 11 inches.
Photo, pressure plate bolt spacing. 12 inches
 

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Flywheels also came in a 11 inch version - used in Tbirds. As far as I know, all YBlock flywheels are inter-changable but as noted, have different size clutches
 
I would hope that if you saw some flywheels at a swap meet, that the proprietor of the booth would have it marked with chalk or something as to what it came off of, or be able to tell you in person.
 
JSRTUDOR said:
Thanks, so I can use any Y block flywheel and it will fit in the 272 bellhousing. Is there a way I can easily identify a Y block flywheel at a swap meet?
Click to expand...


The flywheel has a dual purpose. The thickness and weight of the metal smooths out the rotation of the crankshaft when the cylinders are firing AND the ring gear around the flywheel engages with the starter drive so that you can use it to start the engine.
The big deal in this case is that your flywheel must be at the perfect diameter to permit the starter drive to engage with the ring-gear. Secondarily, you will NEED to get a bellhousing to fit around that flywheel that also bolts to any Y-block engine.
The good news is....all Y-block flywheels and bellhousings 1954-1964 are interchangeable.
THEN....you must match the clutch housing size to the flywheel. Your original 6-cyl clutch may be a 9 or 9-1/2". Its a good bet that you wind up with a flywheel for a 10" clutch. I personally would not want a smaller clutch for a Y-block, bigger if anything. The largest clutch size offered in 1956 was the 10".
 
Here's a picture of the wheel that came off my 55 bird, T-86 o/d. I have no way of knowing if it was original, but I ran it for years till I went to an aluminum wheel. IIRC, it was an 11" clutch.
 

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The flywheels from the 215/223/262 Ford sixes will interchange with the 239/256/272/292/312 Ford Y engines. The bell-housings are different though. As previously brought up, the pressure plate bolt patterns can vary depending upon the clutch disk diameter. I've been known to simply re-drill a flywheel with the needed pattern when the pattern is not readily available. Ted Eaton.
 
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