For cost I might buy this 289 off this customer of mine for the g***er. I would need to add solid cam, gear drive and tunnel ram. He said the heads are stock, but "have had work done" Anyone recommened any particular Iron heads for small block ford? What kind of power without spinning serious RPM's(6500+) can I expect to get out of this 289, or should I just go long ball and build the 383 Chevy?
I'm a Ford guy....so my vote is to keep the 289 & build it. Those small blocks can be real screamers!
Performer rpm's work nicely, I used 'em on my 351 W... If you don't want Aluminium, I think World products makes a nice, affordable, set of cast iron ones...there are a lot of options right now, for these motors...my 289 made approx. 325 horse, w/ ported, worked factory castings...early, small chamber heads , with lots of port work. they rev so nice, though...I have heard of 500 horse 289's, though I think a reliable 325/350 is do-able with modern castings...what has been done to the heads you have now?
In lieu of aftermarket, early Windsor heads. They have small chambers and with equal work, they'll far outflow anything you could ever get out of a 289 head.
Late Explorer 5.0 "GT40" heads are the best factory iron castings available lately. If you get the even later GT40P version they do even better but the spark plug is relocated and it can interfere with headers sometimes.
Actually there is nothing wrong with the 289 heads. They just need good valves at about 1.94I /1.60E. Some port work and you're in.
It really depends on what you want the motor to do, you mentioned 6500rpm.....................................how much HP do you want to make. Had a 64 Comet(in the early 70's) with 289HiPo, headers, Crower Cam, and a set of 1969 Windsor heads..................4brl type..........milled .040 (around 10to1) and turn 12.90's with a set of 4:88 gears/slicks and a locker, Oh yes...............I used the rear facing traction bars and they worked great. This was a street car in the early 70's and I really surprised at lot of GTO's, Camaro's, and Mustangs. With the right head work, cam, intake/carb, headers/ignition and good stiff set of gears you should be able to run 350/400hp with a reliable motor.
Take a look at AFR. Their 185 cc outlaw street head is a great head for all but an all out 289, 3/4" thick deck, 2.02" intakes with 1.60" exhausts. 58 or 61cc combustion chambers, they also offer 205cc and 225cc heads if you really want to twist it up. The 289 is the same as the 302 except for .012" more stroke and shorter rods, the blocks are about the strongest production parts except for the Boss 302. Original pistons tended to crack in the skirt and the rods can use some help when used in power levels over 300 hp., stock cranks if prepped properly and balanced correctly are good for about the same.
I will have to ask the guy at the shop. I do know it has been punched .60 over so this is it as far as rebuilds for the most part. It also has flat top pistons. I believe the block is somewhere around 65-67 with heads from the same time frame. I want the 2x4 tunnel ram, for looks mostly, will it be way over carbed with that do you think? (2 450 Holley's) He said the heads have been ported, this is just some redneck, which I have found talk alot better game than actual results. I just figured I get the engine complete from carb to pan with 1200 miles on it and with a C4 for $300 I do not have much to loose.... Watch out for a C4 for sale if I get it because its getting a manual trans...
My 302 is .040 over 12.5 ta one winsor dart heads and open plenium intake stock rods ford crank balanced 625 demon =345 horse last time I ran it 63-65 was about it for RPM and past the power curve. This little engine likes 5500 32degrees advance.
Look up the specs for the 289 factory 271 HP engine. In its day, it was a hot one. All the parts should still be available. With a single carb on a highrise, they would pull to over seven grand and hold together.
There's nothing like cubic inches. I'd at least look for a 5.0 in a wrecking yard. Lots of performance parts. However, $300 for a good 289 is something hard to p*** up. I paid the same for a 271hp 289 back in 1969. It was rebuilt though. Put it in the wife's 63' Fairlane station wagon.
I remember reading somewhere the best early heads have a C6 casting number,the 5.0 mustang guys seem to like the E7TE heads and the V8 explorers supposively have the GT 40 heads. I am thinking about a set of edelbrock aluminum heads for the 351 in my 55 ford if I cant find any of the good steel heads. Jeff
I really admire guys running tunnel rams on the street..............what kind of gas mileage do you get. A friend with his 490HP 351C/Tram gets around 8/10mpg depending on how far his right foot is pushed into the floorboard.
From a lot of the posts I have read on Ford websites from people that know say NEVER go over.040" overbore,at .060" I think you should p***.There are all kinds of 5.0 roller cam motors 86-93 out there for about the same money.
Agree. If I remember correctly, the stock car guys use 289 heads on the 351W and punch them out to larger valves. The only work well turning left however.
I got a 14 to 1 compression 289 in my 65 comet..I run stock casting heads for now that have been fully ported, polished, 2.02/ 1.60 valves, etc..I've spun the motor to 7700, but the heads aren't flowing past that...the motor was built back in the day using really good parts, and shes put up with my abuse....My next plan is to put some really good aftermarket heads on her....see if she'll breathe around 8000..seeing as the isky in her is good for that..maybe dyno her afterwards....either that, or find a buyer for it... edit: I also run an old torquer 289 intake, and a double roller timing set...I never liked tunnel rams, though I know its a look thing...
Anyone else think I should p*** up a complete 289 with a C4 hooked to it for $300 because of this? If I don't go with this engine I am going to build that 350 I got for free.
get a 5.0 HO roller motor from 87-90 (yes I know they made them from 85-95,but 87-90 were the best),factory forged pistons,double roller chain,roller cam/lifters,decent (E7TE) heads.Even with 100k+ miles,toss a new chain in and your good to go for another 150k-200k. Early V-8 Explorers,3/4 through the `96 Model year,had the GT40 cylinder heads,anything after that had the GT40P`s. Have found a few sets in the junkyards,there great heads.
keep the iron heads , more weight which is good for an anchor, helps keep ya still while your fishin.......build the chevy ...........
I would say, go for it. At $300 bucks with trans included, you can't go wrong. It will at least get your car running....
That's a thinwall cast engine; pretty lightweight. We had a new '63 Fairlane back then and it redlined at 7200 RPMs and was pretty fast untill it tipped over on a mountain road. Also ran one in a short track car for a few years and it did pretty well against the SBCs (lacked a little torque needed getting out of the corners though). All in all a good little engine......Bob
I agree with this. Try running this combo for a while.... hell it's cheap! In the mean-time you could scrounge up a 5.0 that already has the decent E7TE heads and build that one. As already stated, they are very durable and can take the abuse of a heavy foot! Malcolm
I always thought small block fords were wore out around 120k, burning oil etc. It seems that way anyway, with mustangs, broncos and F-150's etc.
I would say that this is incorrect. In the early days the "umbrella" valve seals would harden and allow the blue smoke condition. The good part is they're easy to change. The problem DOES NOT exist in the fundamental construction of the engines themselves IMO. Ford spent a ton of resources on cast iron foundry techniques which is why they are often referred to as "thinwall" engines. Ford engines are cast with a comparatively high grade iron and poured in a process commonly referred to as precision cast. If you look inside a Ford engine you'll see that material is located where it needs to be and is not there in excess. I've very often torn down 100,000 + mile Ford engines and found minimal cyl wall ridge and still having the crosshatch pattern showing. It's very interesting to me to see how the latest aftermarket blocks for different brands of engines are now very similar in design to the thinner but reinforced factory Ford stuff, with features like scalloped main webbing and bulkheads. These are premium engines designed to be very purposeful for their intended usage. A very big part of the performance picture is to have the greatest strength with the least amount of weight.
Howza Brutha- This is a quick post reply, I did not eve nread what our other friends have posted, so I am going with what I know. a set of '69-or'70 351w heads, the '70 are stamped on the underside of the head DOOE are EXCELLENT. These ar ethe 4-barrell heads that were used on the Cougars and Shelbys. They had large ports and the exhaust ports do not have that strange "bump" that are found in so many SBF heads. These heads were copied by Ford and Edelbrock. Ford used this design for their 90's era GT-40 aluminum heads and Edelbrock did much of the same. I have a bare set and am still wondering what I am going to do with them.
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