is there any difference aside from the fuel pump area on the 289 version? the reason i ask is i am goin to run a 5.0 front accesory setup but don't have a 5.0 timing cover. will the 289 cover work if i block the fuel pump area off?
The 289 cover will only work with a standard rotation water pump and a 5.0 cover will only work with a reverse rotation water pump (usually a sepentine belt setup.
The difference is in the way the coolant ports are made, the 5.0 cover has the ports reversed from the 289 cover to improve the flow path of the coolant. The gasket flanges may also not work together to seal. The pump will bolt up on some versions (there are at least a dozen versions of the Ford small block timing cover) and on others it won't. Then there's the timing pointer to deal with. You will need the 5.0's pointer(bolt on) to work with the cover as well.
I had issues with pulley depths when I pieced mine together with an edlebrock waterpump. I am running the early cover on a roller block, added a pointer, use FMS underdrive crank & alt pulley but the waterpump one was a different depth (no PS on mine). I ended up with a 76 granada waterpump pulley (deeper dish) and although not as shiney as the others it works. The alt needed shimmed different than original as well.