Small block fords get no respect

If you get a really early SBF its has a different bolt pattern on the bell housing that can be hard to find. Other than that, I think the block looks the same all the way up through the 5.0s.

 

221 was the first to come out , followed by the 260, then 289,302 , early ones had the 5 bolt bellhousing verses the later 6 bolt

 

Did hot rodders embrace the Windsor in '62 like they did the SBC in '55?

 

221CI and then the 260CI.

 

I seem to recall 289s being used in a lot of Model T's with closed hoods - especially early Ts, such as Steve Tansy's 1915 Center Door simply because they fit better than the ubiquitous SBC - you could actually close the stock hood. The SBF is narrower and lighter (460 lbs). Use one with a shortie waterpump and they are as short too.

Didn't a certain Mr. C. Shelby use the 260 and later the 289 in a funny little AC derived sports car called the Cobra?

And as for being ugly - a full dress Weber IDA equipped SBF has to be one of the all time visually stunning engines IMHO.

 

Here's mine. I dont know how "traditional" it is or looks, but It is in my car and I like it.
oh, and it runs and sounds bad***!! (at least I think it does) hahah

it is either a 68 or 69 block
4bbl heads ported, milled to 50cc
TRW forge .068 pistons
1.94/1.60 stainless valves
1.6 to 1 crane cams roller rockers
Zero Decked
Balanced
Melling high volume oil pump
292/534 cam
victor jr intake
600cfm carb


The motor was built by a fellow hamber years ago. in 99 I believe.

 

What about the lame 255 in the early 80's I think ??

 

My rother has a 289, mild build, in his '34 Ford P.U. It's an early five bolt bellhousing one. stock bore and stroke too. That little truck will absolutely spank my '46 chevy with a mild 350 in it. He simply walks away from me. I know there's a difference in weight, but no that much. My car is no slouch, I've won more races thatn i've lost in it but I won't race that truck any more!

 

Anyone in the Phoenix area that knows 351W's and SBF's? I want to dial my 351W engine in and get it in the sweet spot for streetable fun. Everyone I know are GM and MoPar fanatics.

 

The 260 was what your thinking of

 

The 221 then 260 was what your thinking of

 

What I like about them over the SBC, is that they are lighter, smaller in dimensions, a little better mileage, and always sound better due to their firing order.

 

Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick, Klack, Klack, Klack, Klack, BANG!!!

 

That's a great impression of a SBC, LOL

My heart pumps Ford motor blue!

 

What do the 260 valve covers look like? I always hated SBF valve covers. They never looked vintage enough for me.

Here's mine in my '36. It's a '70 Torino motor with an early mustang water pump so the outlets are reversed.

 

SB Fords usually do whip up on the guys with the sb chevies.

 

i cant wait to build my 302 with a c6 trans.

 

Ilove my fords took my first 302 apart when I was 7. My buddy has a SBF in his dirt latemodel that turns out over 850 nasty hp and whips up on them SBC guys. Its a beautiful thing

 

I've always thought the SBF looked less than traditional also, but that's the first thing I'd replace my flattie with if it ever puked out. I've had 5 different cars with 302s and never had a problem with any of them.

 

at last a real hot rodder!

 

Some early valve covers look really good , just stamped steel , kinda round and with FORD in large raised letters, I like 'em.

 

I think by 66 just the 289 and 302 remained and they were now 6 bolt. 289, 255, 302 only different in bore and stroke.

There is a guy local to me with a 63 Fairlane with a 221. He said he had a heck of a time trying to rebuild it because few people remembered the 221 and the pistons were hard to find. I guess he was just a stickler for the numbers matching. A 289 would have been a lot less trouble.

Oh yeah, there are about 8 different timing covers too. If you work with a SBF, rule of thumb is to always get the complete front dress (timing cover, water pump, all pulleys, brackets) or you can really rack your brain trying to get the right combination of it all to work together.

<-speaking from experience

 

Amen. Flywheels too.

 

289 is a great motor, you just have to know it's strong suits. It's no low rpm torque monster so don't put 2.78 gears behind it and expect miracles with a big cam. You can spin the **** out of them with few problems. My bottom end is 41 yrs old and it sees 6 grand at least once or twice a week. When cash falls from the sky it will be replaced with some forged bits with a bit more stroke.

Weasel, that is gorgeous. There is a guy around here that comes to Goodguys every year with a T-bucket his dad built in the 60's. It has a 289 from a GT350 with webers turning a 4spd and pie crust slicks out back.

Hapanut, ditch that C6 for a C4. C6 is a big block or truck trans. The C4 will take everything a 302 can throw at it, and use half the power to do so. They also weigh quite a bit less.

 

I had a 289 that I beat the **** out of in high school. Loved that engine....

 

My sentiments exactly. I did the same thing back in October. One little section on the west side of the store for Fords. I even bought a pair of air shocks for my '56 Ford, waited forever for them to find them and when I got home they didn't fit. They were Monroes and Monroe doesn't even make air shocks for '56 Fords anymore. Had to send them back and get a set of Gabriels from Ebay and they didn't have the airhose kit with them. I emailed them and they got them right out though. The day I was there they even had a "Chevy" car show going on. Not one car other than Chevrolet there!

 

Bottom line is that small black fords, small block chevies, and small black mopars are all great engines with tremendous performance potential.

Anyone who says that any one of them is "great" while the other "****s" is a ****ing retard, plain and simple.

 

My beater '57 Plymouth has a '66 289/C4 in it. Get a lot of head scratching on the car, and sometimes someone knows what it is. But I've only had two people notice it's FoMoCo powered. Great car, stone reliable...

 

I dig your wagon.

 

They have the same firing order as a Chevy if you renumber the cylinders and start at #8, its just at the rear. Smart too, because thats where the thrust bearing is. Little Fords usually knock on the 1-5. The 1-3-7 302HO 351W distributes the load across the thrust better. If you renumber the cylinders on an LSx Chevy its the same. BTW, the FE, MEL, and 460 have the "GM" firing order if you do the same. And another little factoid. If you put a regular 302 cam in a 351W it will run with the 351W firing order, like ****. You have to rewire to the standard 302 order for it to run right. Ask me how I know.

The Flathead and Y blocks were the same and they have a unique firing order, to me the best for loading, cooling, and sound.