My new baby! Hi-Po or no Hi-Po?

[19stang66]

Hey guys,
I just bought a 1966 Coupe down in Texas. (Not the one in my sig) Just got back this morning at 3am. My question is where do I look to decode my engine. It was originally a 289 2v as I found out from decoding the VIN. But the guy I bought it from kept saying it has a 289 Hi-Po in it. I know this has been asked before and I searched the forum for it (not very hard though) but did not find anything. Sooo where do I look on the engine for the code and what other ways will I know if it really is a Hi-Po??? If it really is that will kick ass but if not oh well. Thanks!!

Here she is on the trailer in Texas before her voyage home. Quite a big difference than my other Stang.

 

[Capt Dan]

At the bottom there is a 'manage attachments' box. click on this to browse and attach files from your computer.

 

[6r09k******]

G'day, parts decoding for the hipo engine comes down to what year the engine was produced (differing parts between production months and years). You can check out www.hipomustang.com/hpmx for specific part numbers that you can find (ie: carb, exhaust manifolds, fuel pump etc...). I have bought Tony Gregory's HiPo book (for my 66 K Fastback) and have found it to be invaluable when confirming parts on my car.

 

[gjz30075]

Definitely go to the above mentioned website but if you're just looking at the engine for now, check the harmonic balancer. Should be very wide; wider than the normal ones and the distributor will not have a vacuum advance, stock distributor, that is. There are many other things and the Tony Gregory book tells it all.

 

[JB66]

Aren't the HiPos the only one's with mechanical lifters (not hydr)??

 

[19stang66]

This pic is from my camera phone so it doesnt show her real beauty. I'll get some better ones tomorrow in the sunlight. I already started dissasembling the front suspension. Does anyone know where to get the Shelby 1" drop template from??? I am putting in new 620# springs, new KYB Gas-A-Just shocks, new upper A arms and lower arms w/balljoints, new tie rod ends, new brakes etc.., basically the whole shebang. Then I put in the new rear 5 leaf mideye leaf springs, new shackles (the ones currently on are made to raise the rear ), and all new rubber is that non-squeak midolyne stuff. Then go on the new 17" chrome Bullitts.

 

[davishokies]

Here's the Shelby drop template.
Sounds like you got big plans for your new stang. I would recommend rubber (Moog is great) strut rod bushings instead of Mylodine though. Good luck.

 

[302 coupe]

if the PO said its a HiPo, then it must be a HiPo

seems like 98.14% of all 65-67 289 mustangs sold these days are K codes, and all 69-71's are Boss's.

you could remove a valve cover and look for cast-in spring pockets and screw in rocker studs, or you could remove the intake and check for solid lifters. The exhaust manifolds are HiPo specific, they look sorta like shorty headers compared to the standard 289 logs. Or you could drop the oil pan and check for the thicker main caps, and Brinnel tested crank. Or you could safely assume its a C-code with 4 barrel intake and holley carb. Post the list number of the carb (on the air horn, by the choke) and we can tell you what it is.

 

[19stang66]

Jeeze, theres too many places to look. I'll worry about that in a lil bit though. rmdhokie for that link, it shows up in a window where you can resize it by %, and when you open the page its at 50%, is that what % it needs to be at to be printed? Also does anyone know of a place where you can just buy the damn template (i really dont want to screw this up), otherwise i'll just print it then copy it to a metal plate. I've had big plans for my other stang but now those plans are moved over to my new one! Thanks guys.

 

[Edbert]

you could remove a valve cover and look for cast-in spring pockets and screw in rocker studs, or you could remove the intake and check for solid lifters.

I've seen the other castings with screw-in studs many times, and the spring seats can be machined as well. One thing about HiPo heads that I've yet to see "faked" is the slot (instead of round) for the pushrod. Most guys who fake a K just use guide plates to hide it.

I just hope you paid for a C and not a K.

 

[Capt Dan]

Jeeze, theres too many places to look. I'll worry about that in a lil bit though. rmdhokie for that link, it shows up in a window where you can resize it by %, and when you open the page its at 50%, is that what % it needs to be at to be printed? Also does anyone know of a place where you can just buy the damn template (i really dont want to screw this up), otherwise i'll just print it then copy it to a metal plate. I've had big plans for my other stang but now those plans are moved over to my new one! Thanks guys.

It should print out at 100% no mater what you are viewing it at. Just check the dimensions that it shows when it prints out. 1" down and 1/8" back.

 

[302 coupe]

I've seen the other castings with screw-in studs many times, and the spring seats can be machined as well. One thing about HiPo heads that I've yet to see "faked" is the slot (instead of round) for the pushrod. Most guys who fake a K just use guide plates to hide it.

I just hope you paid for a C and not a K.

actually, I think that some other head castings had the slotted holes also. They didn't go to the round holes until the switch to rail rockers. K- code heads have cast-in spring pockets, not machined like other heads would have.

 

[19stang66]

Thanks guys. I'll just make my own template from metal then. I only paid $4000 for the car. We had the old Stang estimated to be finished (paint and some body work) at $5200. So we decided to look for a different one with the body straight and the paint done. So we got a good deal.

 

[krash kendall]

Here's a template that prints actual size.


Shelby Drop