I have a 289 that needs to be rebuilt due to a lot of miles. Thing is that I have a lot of good stuff on it-Trick flow High port heads ported and poilshed,Forged pistons,Edlebrock perf rpm manifold, MSD billet dist, High amp 3G one wire polished alternator, Billet pulleys ect. It will be fairly cheap to rebuild it. BUT would it be better to build a 347 or a 302 or put in a late model EFI engine. I don't want to get to carried away with the money as most of my mustang projects are but I want to fill good about what I finally decided to put in it was the right thing to do.
What engine should I build?
- Thread starter fastdave
- Start date
6Stang7
New Member
well, you can take all the later model efi stuff off a late modle 5.0 and put it on your 289. swap the cam out to the firing order of the 5.0 though (it's the windsor firing order). you can still use all of your stuff if you do this, same if you do a 347. with the 347, you will need to get your block bored out (.030) and get a new crank, rods and pistons. all in all, you can still use the alt, dis. heads, and intake depending on what set up you go with.
Well what do you want to do with the engine? Do you want a drag strip torque monster or do you want a stout crouser? If you want a torque beast, for a 302 anyway, go with a 347. If you want a stout crouser just rebuild your engine with some good insides, which it sounds like you have a great start. Personally I like my little 302, its getting the job done and before I'm done I'll see my 12 sec goal with it N/A hopefully.
I drive it to work sometimes,all highway. I did bore it .030 and installed forged pitsons. If I drive normal I get 20 mpg. I need to compromise power and fuel mileage. I cruise and sometimes drive it pretty hard so the more power would be a plus.Stout cruiser I guess would be my choice. Maybe put in a stroker kit?
LMan
Founding Member
It's a stroker made with a 5.0 roller block. They (roller 5.0s) can be found in 85-95 stangs, 86+ Lincoln Mk7s, 91-93 Cougars, and late 86-on LTDs and Grand Marquis'.
HTH
--Kyle
PS: I have an 87 Grand Marquis motor in my shop & it IS roller, contrary to what I've seen said here. Also, 89+ truck blocks, and most/all blocks made 87 or later are setup to take a roller cam, even if they are running a flat cam. All you have to do is drill/tap the hold-down boltholes and add the roller goodies. Explorer 5.0s are roller too, but due to the good heads & intake, they seem to be prized by junkyard owners.
HTH
--Kyle
PS: I have an 87 Grand Marquis motor in my shop & it IS roller, contrary to what I've seen said here. Also, 89+ truck blocks, and most/all blocks made 87 or later are setup to take a roller cam, even if they are running a flat cam. All you have to do is drill/tap the hold-down boltholes and add the roller goodies. Explorer 5.0s are roller too, but due to the good heads & intake, they seem to be prized by junkyard owners.
I would go with a 302 built up. I am in the same boat as you but a buddy of mine said there is no reason to go with a 347 unless it is seening the strip. Which is true in my case. I just want to have fun. He built a 302 and it ran 7.30's in the 1/8 mile. SO Iam going the 302 route with a cam in the .540 lift range and still drive it on the street and take it to the track a few times a month. 
66P51GT
New Member
Even with the rebuild, expect ~$500 in machine work just on the block and you will have to replace the pistons ~$200 - ~$500. If you decide to keep the Crank and Rods, definitely upgrade to ARP bolts and have the rods reconditioned ~$200. You will then want to get the entire assembly balanced. ~$180. With the right cam, that 289 will spin some good HP numbers especially with the heads you already have.
Or, you can save all the trouble and get an assembled 5.0 roller short block for $1,300 - $2,000 depending on if you want a stock bottom end from the factory, or a forged stroker that is balanced. Since you will be using a different grind on your cam, you may have to match your valve springs. You will also need new pushrods since roller lifters are longer and use shorter pushrods. Be sure to factor these into your overall budget.
When I started my project, I was just going to rebuild my 289 until I found a deal in my local recycler classified that heavily swayed my decision.
My advice - go with a roller short block that is within your budget. Also remember if you make over 400HP (easy with a stroker), you may have to re-engineer your drivetrain to handle the extra power.
Or, you can save all the trouble and get an assembled 5.0 roller short block for $1,300 - $2,000 depending on if you want a stock bottom end from the factory, or a forged stroker that is balanced. Since you will be using a different grind on your cam, you may have to match your valve springs. You will also need new pushrods since roller lifters are longer and use shorter pushrods. Be sure to factor these into your overall budget.
When I started my project, I was just going to rebuild my 289 until I found a deal in my local recycler classified that heavily swayed my decision.
My advice - go with a roller short block that is within your budget. Also remember if you make over 400HP (easy with a stroker), you may have to re-engineer your drivetrain to handle the extra power.
Decisions,decisions... hmmmmm My rods have been sized,shot peened,balanced and have ARP fastners. BUT it sounds like a 302 roller might be the way to go for my case. My heads ,intake and accessories should still bolt up to it. I was looking at the Ford Racing web site and Summit racing at assembled short blocks. Would one of these be a good place to buy a 302 roller? ALSO how will I know what length push rods I will need?
66P51GT
New Member
Balancing should be done with the entire assembly (rods, crank, pistons, balancer, flywheel, rings, piston pins & retainers)fastdave said:
Correct. Speed Pro makes pistons with the correct pin height and valve reliefs. I have a set in my Boss Rod 5.0. Unfortunately, I do not have the part number for these. However, Wiseco has a set that is designed for 5.155 rod length. the part number is 8014 and are available from http://www.racerwalsh.com/v8_pistons.htm $576. These are available off the shelf so you don't have to have custom pistons made $$$$.D.Hearne said:
6.25" is the stock pushrod length on a roller 5.0. I decked my block and milled my heads. I used a special tool from Comp Cams to measure the pushrod length. I ended up going with 6.20" length. Again, Mr. Hearn is right on target.
Just a thought: couldn't you have the crank machiened for a one-piece rear main seal and install the entire 289 rotating assembly in the 5.0 block? I know it's been done before, and it might be a good option in this case. It will also let you use the early 28oz imbalance, curing a few 5.0 swap issues right off the bat.
HTH
--Kyle
PS: This has my curiosity; if you are re-doing the engine due to high miles, what will you accomplish by reusing 80% of the same components? Why exactly does the existing motor need gone through?
HTH
--Kyle
PS: This has my curiosity; if you are re-doing the engine due to high miles, what will you accomplish by reusing 80% of the same components? Why exactly does the existing motor need gone through?
Good info on the pistons, 66P51GT66P51GT said:
In the 331 I built, I had the Canfield heads milled .060 ( from a previous 5.0 build) and the block decked.010, used the stock expanded graphite gaskets and the Ford Racing pushrods for the 5.0's were a perfect fit. Bottom line is, build it first and check the geometry of the rockers before ordering pushrods, you may not need custom length ones.
66P51GT
New Member
Absolutely. You would essentially have a roller 289. Deck height and main journal sizes are the same.5.0ina66 said:
