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56 Mercury Engine Swap Info

7K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  cliff tate 
#1 ·
I'm considering building a 56 Mercury that currently has a 312 followed by an automatic and I would like to know if there is a big block Ford that would bolt up to the Tranny. Perhaps the 312 with some goodies in it would make a decent street machine and Suday driver, turbo charger perhaps or?? The octane rating of the pump gas limits the amount of go that my knowledge would allow me to install into a 312 and my experience with a 272 was that the rockers would not oil after some wear on the engine. Any advise will be appreciated. I looked through the knowledge base and couldn'f find any thing helpfull.
 
#2 ·
big block tranny

The days of engine tranny swaps are long gone. My experience with the old design trans was that they were weak. I would go with a big block and the matching C 6 . If I remember right the stock motor mounts could be used, just swapped left to right to bolt in a Fe 390 engine but they would tend to come apart, later desigh have an interlock tab. A good 460 would be a good swap.
 
#3 · (Edited)
A 312 with a set of dual quads(Carter WCFB's or AFB's - NOT the towering inferno OEM carbs) or tri power along with a set of the T-bird valve covers is hard to beat in the looks department. There are a couple of design flaws with this engine. The top end oiling problem can be reasonably easily cured. The other - very weak main bearing webs. Ford took the tried and true 272/292 block, then increased the crank mains diameter without beefing the block which lead to cracks. Also, I have heard of cranks and some version of heads cracking, but never in one of my engines - just blocks :pain:

The cure - a good qulity rebuild along with a very good balance job then keep the RPM ~5000 or less with a nice lumpy idle camshaft.

Now - if you can find a '57 police or McCulloch blower engine..... :sweat: :D :D

Tranny's - that Ford-O-Matic - it has to go!!! Use something like a C4 or AOD with an adapter: http://www.transmissionadapters.com/ford_y_block.htm or here http://www.wilcap.com/webdoc8.html

Of course, a standard would be even better :drool:

Dave W
 
#4 ·
Old FORD 312 and 272s stopped up rocker shafts

I remember those 272s and 312 engines as all engines back then after a few miles would have a problem with stopping up the oilers as well as the oil returns it was not the engine it was the old wax base oil used in those days after heating up a few times the oils began to produce a wax film and would build up dirt and any other crap you could think of even more when one sit a few months
I remember helping my father install over head oilers and cleaning rocker shafts and oil pans it was nasty you will be OK with a rebuild and good oil as it is today.
Jlelandthomas :thumbup: :pain: :D
 
#5 · (Edited)
Crites Restoration offers parts and pieces to upgrade these older Fords and Mercurys....shoehorn an FE or Lima motor into it....
1955 - 56 FORD
FE motor conversion mounts - $49
FE C6 crossmember w insulator - $125
460 motor conversion mount kit w c6 crossmember/insulator - $245
Aluminum Radiator FE or 460 (must use separate trans cooler) - $260
Radiator mount kit - $45
Radiator fan shroud (our alum rad w 19” fan) - $59
FE or 460 trans C6 crossmember w insulator - $125
FE or 460 Headers 2” tubes 3 1/2 collectors (must use our motor mnt kit) - $329
http://www.critesrestoration.com/galaxie.htm

Here's a torque monster street motor.....
Rescue a 390/C6 from a '67 to '70 Ford truck. Blocks produced after that were taller in the deck and less desireable unless you plan to cut the deck anyway, then a later 390 could be used.
Stock crank, stock rods with ARP bolts
Bore +0.030", deck block for 0.007" block deck height with these pistons...squish is 0.045" when using E-brock head gasket shown below...static compression ratio is 9.8:1....
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TRW-L2291F30/
Edelbrock 60069 heads, 72cc chambers, advertised flow factored by 0.95 for use in my DynoSim....
http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/misc/company/10pdf/134-135.pdf
Edelbrock head gaskets for use with Edelbrock aluminum heads.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/EDL-7337/
Large tube equal-length, long-tube headers with X or H pipe right after the collectors.
Crane hydraulic roller cam, roller lifters, retrofit....
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CRN-349521/
Weiand Stealth intake manifold, 750 vacuum secondaries carb.

RPM HP TQ
1500 115 403
2000 168 442
2500 312 447
3000 270 472
3500 330 496
4000 381 500
4500 419 489
5000 450 464
5500 427 403
Peak volumetric efficiency 92.5 @4500
Peak BMEP 190.7 @4000
Peak DCR 8.656:1 on KB's calculator
Not real heavy on HP, but has axle-snappin' torque right off idle. Should be great with a 2500 stall converter and some 3.60-3.90 gears... :thumbup:
 
#6 ·
The Ford0matic is not going to fit anything other then a Y-Block, and I guess some old 6 clys.

The 312 weighs more then most small cars i think, LOL and is rather bulky.
I have heard of 390 and 351 replacing with minor changes and you have a lot of room to do that.

I used the Bernstein's kit to put an AOD in my 57 bird and changed the rear from 3:10 to a 3:56, gas mileage went from 10-12 - 19-22 on 93 with a 650 holley and stock intake.

Best thing you can do for the valve train is they make a (semi) roller set up, it seems to me it was about $550. (mushroom solids, so limited)

I borded my block that had never been rebuild to 80 thou over, some of these with proper checking can go as much as 120 over but need to be checked first as some can handle it and some cant.

I used a stump puller type cam in mine and love the low end torque, perfect shift point for me is about 5400 rpm.
 
#7 ·
56merc

i say use the 312,they wer good a engine,rocker lub is easly corrected make sure to use a cam with grooved rocker feed and not the 1 with holes ,grooved supply constant flow to rockers,also polish the aria in heads wher oil makes a turn.use 57 heads and rockers.then be sure to use 57 or latter distributor as they have cent. as well as vacuum advance.My lititure shows the y blocks lighter than fes. the advise to use a c4 is spot on.do not bore more than .040. clean up ports and combustion chambers.gas is no problem with 57 or latter dist and matching carb(holley) thes changes will give you a well performing verry drivable engine. good luck cliff
 
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