Re: 1954-Orphan Ford OHV V8 (Y Block)
Actually, the first OHV V8 engine that Fomoco marketed was the 1952 Lincoln 317 with 4bbl intake. It turned out to be a highly celebrated development and won famous racing events during the era.
Ford developed their first OHV 6-cyl engine (the 215 I-block) and marketed it in 1953.
Compared to later Y-blocks, the early '54 239 OHV V8 had a smaller intake and the heads had ports closer together to mate with the small intake. The distributor had different shaft and gear, camshaft and timing chain was different and had a smaller timing cover. Later in the year, Ford began manufacturing a new version of the 239 which basically had a 272 block casting, but was only used in trucks.
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