Help me identify these (3) 292 Y block holes in block

[bullrunmotor]

I'm cleaning up a known running 292 motor for a project. Putting on new gaskets-chasing out threads, painting and noticed 3 holes on the passenger side above the oil pan. the center one appears to be full of some kind of sealer. The left and right ones are clearly 3/8 course thread and just plugged up with grease/dirt. There were no bolts/plugs in them nor were they used in the prior application. Can anyone tell me what they are for and should they be closed off with perhaps an allen screw etc. ? First experience with Y Blocks. I've enclosed photos. Sorry photos won't post-will try again latter. Thanks in advance

[dmsfrr]

Does this help?
Two of the holes in your description may be the ones approx four inches either side of the alternate oil dipstick hole. I don't know what purpose they served but they should not need to be plugged.
The alt dipstick hole was used for some trucks and all '55/'57 T-Birds with a rear sump oilpan. It should be filled with a tap-in soft metal Welsh (spelling?) plug unless that's what the engine is going into.
.

[bullrunmotor]

Those are the holes I'm referring to. The one in the center is the largest. the dip stick location makes sense. I'll just plug them with a 3/8 allen head screw. they were obviously uncovered for years and full of gunk. I hope my motor comes out looking half as nice as yours after cleaning it up. Thanks

[dmsfrr]

Originally Posted by bullrunmotor

... I hope my motor comes out looking half as nice as yours after cleaning it up.

Thank you, it took long enough
If the engine is being torn down it's a good idea to dig out any rust buildup in the water jacket.
(I 'borrowed' these photos just for their shock value)

[Hot Rod Reverend]

On the remaining two bolt holes, if you check a shop manual and the clip art or line art photos that show the block being mounted on an engine stand, you will see that those two threaded holes were used to bolt the block to the stand in a "side mount" configuration. My belief as to why would be so that both front and rear access (to put bearings, seals, the flywheel, the dampener, etc) could be had if you mounted the block on the side to a stand. If I had my manual here at the office I would snap a photo...sorry.

[Daves55Sedan]

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The two threaded holes just above the oil pan were originally used to bolt a bracket to carry the two coolant lines (one for supply and one for return) from the '57 and later Ford-O-Matic water cooled transmission to the cooling coil inside the bottom radiator tank. So you had two brackets with dual tubing clamps to make up a nice little conduit rack there. If the car had a standard transmission, the threaded holes were not used.
I don't think the '55/56 272's had those two holes, but then those all had air-cooled Ford-O-Matics (unless the car had a standard transmission).
The 1955/56 trucks with Ford-O-Matic and auxillary transmission cooler mounted behind bellhousing may have had a different arrangement for carrying the coolant tubing. My guess is they may have hung brackets off two of the oil pan bolts.

[Daves55Sedan]

That larger hole in the middle is for the location of the T-Bird dipstick. If the engine was to be mounted in a full-size car, that hole was plugged, but all 292's had that hole whether it was used or not.
All the 292's I have seen have also had the two threaded holes for the cooling line brackets, but I have only seen 292 truck engines up close enough to gain that amount of detail.