Is There A Difference Ford 289 To 302.

I am a GM chevy small block guy,, 18436572, anyways i bought a 38 ford rat rod pick up and it has either a 289 or a 302? someone said you need to take off the rocker cover to tell? i guess i could run the block #, just wondering if there was another way of telling the difference? also i am thinking about changing the intake manifold and carb set up to a multi carb set up any ideas? do they have manifolds that have three or more carbs? and where do i get them?(used cheap) thanks this website is awesome

 

I would pull the rocker cover. It will say 289 if it is a 289. It will also tell you the year. 66 for a 1966 model, etc. Not sure if 302 heads will be marked with 302 as I am more familar with the 289.

 

The casting number is on the block right above the starter. 302's should start with C8 - 289's with C4 - C5 - C6. There is also a stamped number on a pad on the upper right side of the front of the engine. That will tell you the date of manufacture. In addition, the block will have a 289 or 302 cast into the middle of the lifter area under the intake manifold.
Dual carb intakes are not too hard to find used but you seldom see 3 or 4 carb intakes used. Whatever you find it will be more than a SBC intake. You can get new 2x4 intakes from Summit. Good luck. Tom - restorit

 

when you said

i always thought sbc stood for small block chevy. or what did you mean by that sentence

 

.....without puttin words in his mouth, hea means that which ever motor it is 289 or 302, a multicarb setup will cost you more that what you could be used too being a chevy motor man.

 

You could buy 3 sbc tripower intakes for the price of 1 sbf tripower.

there is someone doing an adapter plate for an EFI manifold. Try doing a search.

We have one in development as well. My Dad's 3 window will be the test platform.

 

The 289 is a better engine in my opinion, A real screamer

 

Guess I could have been more clear but Voh is correct. The Ford intake will cost more than a comparable Small Block Chevy Setup. Most of the tri-power intakes I have seen are orginals from the 60's and they are pretty expensive.
Either engine - 289/302 are good engines. TC

 

Just pulling the valve cover will only show you the heads. While they do have the cid cast beteen the rockers, the heads could've been swapped. The best way to tell is the casting above the motor mount on the side of the block, or if you're pullin tghe intake anyway the cid is cast in the valley.

From the outside, the water pump can help as well. 289's and early 302's dumped on the pass side, while the later 302's (72? and up) dumped on the driver. Maybe post a pic of the motor.

 

But waterpumps can & do get changed...

Casting numbers on block is one way, but you could have a 289 with a 302 crank...

These engines are now old enough that nothing is guaranteed...

 

The changeover year (1968) saw some crossbreeding, that's when both engines were available.

My 68 Cougar with the original 289 had "302" cast in the lifter valley of the block, but had the short stroke 289 crank.


cheers
Ed N.

 

True enough, I'm the perfect example. I have a late style driver side dump water pump on my 67 289 woth the factory timing cover. I guess I should've thrown a disclaimer in there.

 

I know - I've got a late-model, reverse-rotation pump on my '69 351W stroker in my O/T car!

 

In 1970 the 302 got a different dampner that had 4 bolts to hold the the pulley on.

 

Good info here, wasn't there a 5 bolt bellhousing (trans) on earlier 289's and 302's? What was the cutoff there and would that be an indicator?

 

The 5 bolt block was 260 and early 289's not the 302. The 6 bolt became the standard pattern and was even used on the later straight 6 to use the same transmission.

 

Yeah, I have one of those in my girlfriends 63 Falcon.
The 5 bolt bell 289 was only sold for a couple of months in '64.
Got mine out of a Galaxie, it has latemodel 5.0 heads on it now 4BBL, cam, etc...

Before that it had a Factory Rebuilt 260 that had one 260 head, and a 289 head... ( 260's had the same 5 bolt bell)
That must have ran like shit.
I put 260 heads on it, and it did fine for a couple of years untill it broke a piston.

 

You can get new 2x4, 2x3 and 4x2 intakes. I have never seen the 2x3 or 4x2 intakes cheap.

 

Its about $1200 for a Tri-power setup for a ford small block. All new parts.

 

Damn I guess I'm staying with a single carb set -up.

 

The 5 bolt 289 carried over in some real early 65's. My grandparents bought a new 65 Fairlane when the new models came out in Sept of 64. It had a 5 bolt block in it. My Cousin has it now and sent it in for trans work and the place had to rebuild in stead of exchange cause they didn't have any 5 bolt C4's. The car is still all orginal today, although it's a bit weathered. He's not much of a car guy. Oh well.

 

The 5 bolt bell was 62-65 with 65 being the changeover year. That will definitely tell 289 from 302, but not 289 from 260 from 221, a hole new can of worms!

 

With a bit of work any 302 can be made to secream, I put about US 2,000 into one and was running loo in the 500hp range. Spent the same on a 351 Clevo an ran 590hp at thr rear wheels. Smat gets you places, fast. Not trad motors but fun bang for the buck, but then there is the Aussy head and intake VS US to consider, I was a mile ahead in having all the Aussy stuff as a base line to work from.
Dang, another thaught this was quite a few years ago so the $$ may be a tad more these days...............

Shit, just ignore this post.

 

So the only way to tell what size his motor is would be to measure the bore and stroke. What I was told; to make a 302 out of a 289 you just swap the crank and rods, 302 rods are shorter, which kinda sucks, seen lots of 302's with broken pistons, too much side loading for cast pistons in a performance application.

 

How do you tell if you got a 260?

 

5-bolt bell, timing cover oil fill, casting numbers. The first two will put it pre '65, narrowing your scope. Then the casting numbers, or casting in the valley will determine it.

 

All 302s I have seen have a flat area on the block behind the inlet
manifold whereas 289s are dished if that helps.
Martyn.

 

which companies make the 3 2bbl intakes for the 302 fords?

 

EXACTLY! I have 289 Heads on my 302. You get higher compression with the smaller heads.

 

Better is the Aussie making a top for EFI truck intakes. Search the HAMB