Thread: 1956 Continental MKII

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Originally Posted by Oldf100fordman

Actually, 46Yblock, the 368 isn't a Y block. It's in the MEL (Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln) family. If you measure the valve covers, you'll find they are longer than even an FE. Just thought I'd mention it. They are a beautiful car and getting rarer by the year. ( and actually it was just Lincoln at that time. Mercury didn't get that block design until 1957 and Edsel didn't come out until 1958)

I have always thought the MEL family of Ford motors referred to the 383, 410, 430, and whatever came after 430? MEL, acronym for Mercury Edsel Ford. They had a very different type of combustion chamber, which was incorporated into the block, with the head being virtually flat. Compression ratios were way up there like 10.5:1.

The 368 was the top displacement in the 279, 302, 317 and 368 heavy Y, or Lincoln Y-block, debuted in 1952, dont know when ended, and found in heavy trucks and early Lincolns and Continentals. Combustion chamber was in the head as with most motors. The compression in the Continental above, according to some old Sun tuneup charts I have was 9:1.

If I'm wrong let me know .