289 Cam and Lifter advice

Make sure you have a pre 65 bell housing or your 64 1/2 289 wont bolt up. (the earlier 289's are 5 bolt and the 67s are 6 bolt). Also the the 64.5 small block v8 was 260 cid not 289, so if your using the stock crank and rods it will be smaller than you anticipate. I would suggest finding a 6 bolt small block. 289s and 302s are all over the place for dirt cheap. just sucks since you already have the machining done.

I putt an HEI electronic distributor on mine. They are sweet. one wire hook up and are like 55,000 volts, and you don't have to have another coil or anything. look on ebay, you can find them pretty inexpensive.

The 289 was the optional v8 in 1964. Just check measure the bore. 260's have a 3.80" bore, while 289's have a 4.00" bore. The stroke is the same, so crankshafts and rods are interchangeable.

What are the specs on the cam? What are your goals with the engine/trans/brakes/rear end gears?

The cam is like the engines brain, and so that was why I asked about the other components. I have the Edelbrock Performer RPM cam in my 68 Cougar.

Edelbrock 7122 - Edelbrock Performer RPM Cam and Lifter Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com

I also have a manual trans and a 3.50 rear end gear. The car pulls very well, makes good torque, but the 3.50 gear isn't enough, and I will be changing up to a 3.73 later this year.
The OP was "brand new in the box Clevite Camshaft # 229-1601 Hydraulic camshaft, and also new in the box Clevite # 213-1667 lifters (16)"? Does this cam have the cam card in it?

If you are not planning on changing the rear end gears, then I would not recommend anything over about a .500 inch lift.
COMP Cams K31-218-2 - COMP Cams High Energy Cam and Lifter Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com

COMP Cams CL31-238-3 - COMP Cams Xtreme Energy Cam and Lifter Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com


Something like one of these...

Not getting any response on your other post?
Cam and lifters advice - MustangForums.com

I found these specs on the cam on Ebay...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Clevite-229...pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr

I think that cam is not enough of an improvement over a stock cam.

Don't use your buddys old cam just because it's good deal. Cams are cheap, buy what you want from a reputable manufacturer that has KNOWN and PROVEN specs. I like Comp Cams stuff and have had good luck with them for years. If you like Edelbrock, fine, they make good parts of all kinds as well. Call the manufacturer's tech line and tell them what you plan to do with the car, what converter, gears and such you'll be using and have then help you out with the selection, they want you to be happy with your cam. I have learned over the years that the cam you THINK you want is much too large. I personally love the sound of a wild cam and used to go straight to the top of the cam selection for the biggest, wildest cam I could and stuck it in. I can promise you that is the wrong thing to do. There are so many variable to cam selection you can't believe it. Gears, trans type, converter stall speed, vehicle weight, compression, valve spring pressure, heads, intake, carb size, the liist goes on and on. But you need to know each and every one of these items and be HONEST with both yourself and the tech guy on the phone helping you. But since you asked for it, here's my pick for a good all around cam for a street-driven, mild Mustang. I have the Comp Cams XE268 in my engine and love it. But it's not JUST the cam, the engine builder selected the whole valve system from Comp. Cam, lifters, springs, pushrods, and rockers all came from Comp Cams.I've had the car running for a few years now and it has been the perfect cam for what I use the car for. Lots of torque, decent idle and trouble-free.

The 229-1601 cam is the stock replacement 289 camshaft. It has a 184 degrees intake duration and 189 degrees exhaust duration. Intake lift is .368" and .381" exhaust lift. Great for low speed torque, but I do not see it going beyond 5000 RPM tops.