289 Build Recommendations? Anyone?

[TGI FORD]

Can anyone recommend a "go to" 289 build package/kit that will get me in the 450+hp range?  I'm going to start up a 65 FB project soon and have a 289 (Possible HP) engine out of a car that was parted out that I can repurpose for this project.  The FB body is from a 289 4v but not an HP or GT.

thanks for any input you can lend. Don

[427heaven]

You are going to need some cubic inches to get there. A stroker kit with at least 331-347 will get you on your way, the rest of the engine like heads. intake ,carb , cam , compression will be your personal preference. Good Luck-

[Jim Herrud]

Back in the day, I drove my 65 Fastback as a daily driver and for autocross. Many moons ago, I tore into the car for a rebuild. I decided to keep the 289 for sentimental reasons, plus it was sized right for my intended use. Today, my circuitous 25-year rebuild is finally reaching its conclusion, though the engine was completed a while back. I thought my engine-build experience might be of some use to you as a data point.

I intend to regularly drive the car and use it for cruises and shows, so I want it to run and idle comfortably. I plan to retire my Corvette from autocross and start using the Mustang next year.  Not trying to be competitive - just having fun at GoodGuys and in the SCCA CAM-T class. I may also want to do occasional track days – we'll see how confident I feel in the car at speed. I didn't strive for max. horsepower, but rather wanted low/mid-range torque for the tight turns. I also wanted the engine to be able to tolerate this abuse as much as practical.

My engine builder, Matt Compton at Performance Solutions (PSI Racing) in Boise, was a career engineer at Edelbrock – which likely explains my heavy use of their products. He retired from Edelbrock, moved to Boise  and ran his performance shop here for many years. I got his name during a shop tour with Jeff Beynon and Bruce Couture at Modern Driveline – the 5-speed conversion guys in Caldwell ID. Afterwards, I asked around, mostly in the drag racing circles, and found that Matt came widely recommended. Unfortunately, his health concerns meant that my engine was one of the last he would build.

After discussing my intended use for the car, we decided to maximize the torque, making the curve as flat as practical, but still have a reliable engine. At the risk of igniting a controversial topic, I'll add that in his opinion, my emphasis on reliability meant we avoided stroking the engine. The engine was built to run reliably at 6500 RPM.

Here's what we ended up with:
•   289cid C-Code block, over-bored 0.060", K-code internals targeting 10.5:1 compression
•   Edelbrock Performer RPM Top End Roller Kit
•   Edelbrock Performer RPM Intake Manifold #7121
•   Edelbrock Camshaft #2221
•   MSD distributor #8352, MSD ignition kit & coil
•   EFI: I plan to run EFI, but the unit was not available when we ran the engine dyno, so we used a carb. I don't recall the carb make & model, but Matt said it was sized properly to not be a constraint for the dyno testing. He said I might get a modest power increase from the EFI.
•   Headers: I now have a set of Stan's Tri-Y headers, but I didn't have them when we did the test. We used long-tube headers on the dyno. Matt said the Tri-Y's would boost the torque compared to his headers but will likely reduce max horsepower. That's a good tradeoff for me since usable torque is what I'm after.

I'll add a couple drivetrain details. Obviously, they don't pertain to the engine specs, but I thought you might want to see the whole system:
•   T-5 5-speed
•   9" rear-end, 3.89 ratio, WaveTrak differential

The corrected engine dyno runs showed maximums of 349 HP @ 6500 and 338 ft-lbs at 4300 RPM.



I plan to run a chassis dyno when I get the car running. I'm hoping for ~300 ft-lbs of RW torque. We'll see.

There are other systems and configurations available that might give you a bit more grunt than the Edelbrock setup, but if you want a lot more horsepower, I suspect that 427heaven is correct that you'll need more displacement or forced-induction.

Have Fun!

[Cobrask8]

I will offer two major changes and some opinions for the next time the motor is apart.

1 - 331 Stroker kit. Invisible externally, and makes a tremendous difference in how the "grunt" feels. I have run a SCAT 331 kit on a 68 302 block for four years now in a dedicated track FFR Cobra, and have the rev limiter at 6500. No problems at all, and that RPM is safe for the combo. I would look very seriously at doing that.

2 - Heads - So many choices, but just about anything aftermarket flows better than stock. If you are looking for the stock external look, less choices.

3- Oil cooler and better pan. If you will run it hard. pay attention to lubrication

4 - I run the FITECH system. Took some tuning and work, but has a better "feel" than the carb.

[shelbydoug]

I actually like the results of the 347 kit. It's still good into the high 6000's. Gives you more torque then the 331.

You need to go to better heads. I went with AFR 1388's shaved to 54cc's. Then you need a better intake, CARBS and cam.

That all will put you where your initial target was. Around 450.

I've got no oil consumption issues with the set up even though the oil control rings overlap the pins.

If you dot all of your i's and cross your t's you are pushing 500 with this set up without the grief of a big block. It's a real street sleeper but you need to gear it right to run with the current new offerings from the Big 3.

I always like it when the kids are embarrassed by the old guy.

[gt350hr]

  Don where are you located?

[427heaven]

Speed equals money... How fast you want to go?

[shelbydoug]

Speed equals money... How fast you want to go?

...until no one can catch me. 

[Rickmustang]

Cobra Automotive. Enough said....

[427heaven]

We never discussed budget and who you know for parts sources or a helping hand at any capacity. From my experience any one with half a brain can get to 300 hp with basic stock components, for a chunk of change you can get to 350 pretty easy but after that plateau it gets a lot more expensive for every 50 hp more. If you are not well connected in speed circles I would suggest buying some good used engine if you have a shop you can take it to for an update on condition before purchasing. The cost difference between a 300 hp engine and a 500 hp engine in a small block can be staggering if your unprepared what speed costs.

[shelbydoug]

It isn't that 500hp is expensive, it's that 300hp is very cheap. You can put together a 300hp 302 for around $3,000. 500 costs more.

[TGI FORD]

I'm located in San Antonio.  thanks for the input guys

[shelbydoug]

One of our former members, Kiwi, built a 331 stroker on his 289 block using AFR 1388, 185cc heads, Cobra intake and 715 Holley.

He got 415hp on the West Tech dyno.

It is published on the 'net'. I had it in my bookmarks but a gremlin stole the link. You can find it by searching for AFR 1388 tests.

My opinion is somewhere he screwed it up since it should have brought over 450hp but Randy can more accurately describe the results.

The point being, the engine went into his 65 GT350 "Tribute" and looked very stock in there.

I did the same thing with the 347 kit and a few minor changes to the concept, so that's where I'd recommend that you go.

The 331 is a more reliable 8,000 rpm engine but the 347 is more of a street combination.

[Cobrask8]

My motor made 435 at the crank on a dyno, aggressive Howards cam, worked Alum heads, 10:1 compression.

About $5,500.00 in the build

[shelbydoug]

My motor made 435 at the crank on a dyno, aggressive Howards cam, worked Alum heads, 10:1 compression.

About $5,500.00 in the build

Which heads? How many cubes?