Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Technical => Engine Swapping => Topic started by: ottoparts on January 02, 2009, 09:20:18 PM

Title: 289
Post by: ottoparts on January 02, 2009, 09:20:18 PM
I plan on putting my 289/C4 from my 65 Mustang into my 88 T-bird. The T-bird has a 3.8 V6 currently residing in it. What will I need to put my 289 in it?

I have a dual quad high rise manifold with two Holley 450's on it. How far above the cowl with this sit? Trying to figure out if I should get a hood scoop or just cut the hood.
Title: 289
Post by: Thunder Chicken on January 02, 2009, 09:40:51 PM
Should drop right in if the early small blocks use the same mount pattern as the later ones. You might want to upgrade your stock mounts though - Chuck W sells a really nice set of custom built heavy duty poly mounts for 86-88 T-Birds and Cougars (Mustang mounts will not work).

A cowl hood would probably be your best bet with that dual quad intake...
Title: 289
Post by: HAVI on January 02, 2009, 11:18:05 PM
If your 289 has the 7" span for the motor mounts, yer good to go.  anything you read here for the 302 basically applies.  And welcome to the site.
Title: 289
Post by: ottoparts on January 03, 2009, 12:11:45 AM
Thank you both.

HAVI I see that you have a 48 F1. I have both a 1949 F2 and a 1950 F2. Nothing better than vintage Ford steel.
Title: 289
Post by: HAVI on January 03, 2009, 12:34:10 AM
Hey that's pretty neat!  I have a 1949 F6 and F8 up at my uncle's I've been trying to get home, too.  Along with a few others.  I'm a regular over on Ford truck enthusiasts in the 48-60 forum.
Title: 289
Post by: ottoparts on January 03, 2009, 10:43:16 AM
Very cool. I too belong to FTE as well. I have the same user name as here.
Title: 289
Post by: TurboCoupe50 on January 03, 2009, 11:28:13 AM
The 60s 289/302/351 has the water pump inlet on passenger side, nothing a long hose won't cure... You could switch to a 70s pump, but it interferes with the timing pointer(it swapped sides when the outlet changed)... To move the pointer, you need a 70s front cover and balancer...

Also you'll need to can the electric fuel pump in the tank and fab up a pickup(it is possible to use it with a regulator)... The pre-fuel injected Birds/Cougs use a conventional pickup...
Title: 289
Post by: ottoparts on January 03, 2009, 02:38:03 PM
I plan on using an electric fuel pump of some sort, diffidently not the stock in tank one. I didn't think about water pump inlets. But I don't plan on using the stock radiator either. Looks to small. Might have worked well for the 3.8, but looks insufficient for a V8.
Title: 289
Post by: V8Demon on January 03, 2009, 06:31:35 PM
Same part, believe it or not....

A decent upgrade would be a 3 core.....I prefer the Visteons as they are the manufacturers of the OEM ones.
Title: c4?
Post by: Crash225 on January 04, 2009, 10:18:42 AM
I was also thinking of using a c4 when the my AOD goes. What is he going to need for the c4 part of the swap?
Title: 289
Post by: jcassity on January 04, 2009, 11:05:08 PM
what size I/E valves you got in the heads?  Are those heads the 289HP, aka HO?  My I/E are 1.9 and 1.6.

If so, isnt that a lot of fuel for such small heads? 

also, are the heads ported because they have really super small exhaust/intake ports stock when you compare them to a dual plane high rise.
Title: 289
Post by: ottoparts on January 04, 2009, 11:41:23 PM
No the heads are not High Po heads. Stock valve size for now. Called Holley with all my spec's and what not. Told them I'm shifting at 8000 rpms. They told me that I am running anywhere between 900 to 1200 cfm and that my dual 450's would work just fine.
Title: 289
Post by: ottoparts on January 04, 2009, 11:48:55 PM
Forgot to mention that the heads have been heavily ported.
Title: 289
Post by: jcassity on January 04, 2009, 11:54:50 PM
your planning on shifting more than once i hope:hick:

get those heads studed (7/16) and do some 1.6 rollers.  Cut the seats and add bigger valves then shave the heads bout .020.  There you have the HP heads in a very low cc range.  mine are heavily ported as well but porting does nothing without the valve size to complement it.
Title: 289
Post by: ottoparts on January 04, 2009, 11:58:58 PM
It's seen 8000 rpm more than a few times. I agree on needing bigger valves. Not enough money slowed me down at the time. I would love to put some AFR's on it.
Title: 289
Post by: HAVI on January 05, 2009, 06:13:48 PM
Quote from: Crash225;250155
I was also thinking of using a c4 when the my AOD goes. What is he going to need for the c4 part of the swap?


Matching block plate, (1/16" thick plate that sets the starter in place), a way to shift it, kick down for a carb, vacuum line to the modulator, and probably some other things I can't think of off hand.  Since the 289 is 1965, it should be the 6 bolt type, so no problems there. 

Ottoparts, if you have a dual carb set up, I'd like to see it.  I'm considering one for my Meteor, or Fairlane (both 1962)
Title: 289
Post by: ottoparts on January 05, 2009, 07:14:51 PM
HAVI here are twp pic's of my 289. With air clraners for when I was driving down the road and the stacks are for racing.
This set up in a 62 (If I remember right) Falcon sat nice and low in the engine bay (with the air cleaners). The stock hood almost closed.
This set up in my 65 Mustang was way above the cowl. Even with a fiberglass tear drop hood, I couldn't run the air cleaners. I'll look to see if I can find some pic's of it in both cars.
Title: 289
Post by: ottoparts on January 14, 2009, 10:07:16 PM
http://picasaweb.google.com/ottous1/65Mustang?feat=directlink[/URL]

Well here are the pic's of when the engine above was in my 65 Mustang. Now you can see why I was asking how high this set up would sit above the cowl.
Title: 289
Post by: HAVI on January 14, 2009, 10:40:14 PM
link not working
Title: 289
Post by: ottoparts on January 14, 2009, 10:50:05 PM
Dumb question, did you open a new tab and then copy and paste it ? I just tried and it worked.
Title: 289
Post by: HAVI on January 14, 2009, 11:37:44 PM
yep, copied and paseted into google instead of the top of the IE explorer thingy....my bad.

BTW, there's a thread on the HAMB right now about old aluminum intakes for the first 289's.
Title: 289
Post by: ottoparts on January 14, 2009, 11:42:54 PM
I'll go look for it. Thanks.
Title: 289
Post by: SLEEPER T-BIRD 87 on January 15, 2009, 05:41:16 PM
Whats rods/crank and pistons are in that jewel?
Title: 289
Post by: ottoparts on January 15, 2009, 11:05:13 PM
Nothing to special. The rods are stock (scary, I know) and hope to upgrade them this year. The crank is stock but has been cross drilled and micro polished. The pistons are TRW 12.5:1, forged pop tops with plasma rings that we hand file fitted. The ring gaps are roughly half the thickness of stock pistons too. At the time the plasma rings were all that was offered for them. The whole rotating mass was balanced too