The Mercury Y-Block was 256 in³ (4,194 cc) and produced 161 bhp, again a similar displacement to the 255 in³ Mercury Flathead V8 it replaced, but with 29% more power than the older engine's 125 bhp. It produced 130 bhp as opposed to the Flathead's final 110 bhp, an increase of 18%.

In 1954 the Y-block displaced 239 in³ (3,910 cc), the same as the old Ford Flathead V8 but with a bigger bore and a shorter stroke. The company had designed the Y-block for a 1953 introduction, but a shortage of nickel due to the Korean War's needs prevented the company from manufacturing the engine in sufficient quantities, delaying it until 1954. By 1952 Ford had new OHV 6-cylinder engine (215 in³ I-6) and Lincoln had a 317 in³ OHV V8. Management at Ford instructed its engineers to develop a new engine for the future. Ford was the most conservative of the major automakers, holding onto older designs longer than GM or Chrysler, but market forces pushed Ford to develop new designs in the 1950s. It was introduced in 1954 as a more modern replacement for the outdated side-valved Ford Flathead V8 and was used in a variety of Ford vehicles through 1964.īy 1948, the famous Ford Flathead V8 had been developed about as far as it could go, and it was antiquated by the early 1950s.

The engine is well known and named for its deep skirting, which causes the engine block to resemble a Y. The Y-block engine is a family of overhead valve V8 automobile engines produced by Ford Motor Company.

Reciprocating internal combustion engine Ford Y-block V8

1962 ford thunderbird sound