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Ford C-code specs: 292 ci (4.8L) 8-cylinder, 3.75 x 3.30 in (95.3 x 83.8 mm) bore and stroke, 8.8:1 compression. Built 1959. Used in the Ford Ranchero. OHV.
The Ford C-code is oversquare — the 3.75" bore exceeds the 3.3" stroke by 13.6% — a layout that favors airflow and RPM over leverage at the crank. The 3.3" stroke does not reach 4,000 ft/min of mean piston speed until about 7,250 RPM, so piston speed is not what limits this engine's revs — valvetrain and breathing are. Each of the 8 cylinders displaces 36.5 ci (598 cc).
8.8:1 is low by modern standards and generally happy on regular pump fuel.
It is one of 10 engines in the Ford 292ci family, all of them 292 ci — the differences between them are in compression, heads and rating, not displacement.
| Displacement | 292 ci / 4.8 L |
|---|---|
| Bore | 3.75" |
| Stroke | 3.3" |
| Cylinders | 8 |
| Configuration | V8 |
| Compression ratio | 8.8:1 |
| Bore/stroke ratio | 1.136 |
| Block material | cast iron |
|---|---|
| Valvetrain | OHV |
| Fuel type | gas |
| Years | 1959 |
| Bore/stroke character | 1.136 — oversquare — bore exceeds stroke, which favours higher RPM and larger valves |
|---|---|
| Mean piston speed at 6,000 RPM | 3,300 ft/min — conservative for a street engine |
| Displacement per cylinder | 36.5 ci |
| Static compression | 8.8:1 — low by modern standards, generally happy on regular pump fuel |
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1 factory vehicle, 1959. Each year opens that model's engine table.