289 engine build thread.

7418 Views 79 Replies 21 Participants Last post by timthechef, Mar 18, 2014

timthechef

Discussion Starter · Jan 23, 2014

I'm starting this to post progress on my engine build. My son and I are going to put this engine together.

I have gotten a 1965 289 block. It's cleaned, decked, and bored .040 over. The shop is going to install cam bearings, soft plugs and paint it black. Then we will start working on the crank shaft. ( I still have to get that out of the old engine )

I will be reusing the heads from my old engine and anything else that I can salvage.

41 - 60 of 80 Posts

Woodchuck

· #41 · Jan 26, 2014

timthechef said:
That block is already at .060 over. There's no room left to bore.

Then I'd be off to the scrap metals yard to see how much scrap cast iron is going for by the pound... :thumbsup:

Paul1958

· #42 · Jan 27, 2014

timthechef said:
I'm starting this to post progress on my engine build. My son and I are going to put this engine together.

I have gotten a 1965 289 block. It's cleaned, decked, and bored .040 over. The shop is going to install cam bearings, soft plugs and paint it black. Then we will start working on the crank shaft. ( I still have to get that out of the old engine )

I will be reusing the heads from my old engine and anything else that I can salvage.

Tim,
Ask the shop how much it will cost to install threaded plugs instead of press in at the front and rear of the block for the oil galleys (passages). Usually fairly low cost for big peace of mind.

Good luck
Paul

timthechef

Discussion Starter · #43 · Jan 27, 2014

I have a new block. It's all ready to go. I delivered the crank shaft and connecting rods to the machine shop today. We'll see how it goes with them. Hopefully it won't take much to recondition them and they will not have to be replaced.

timthechef

Discussion Starter · #44 · Jan 29, 2014

Stopped by the machine shop today to check on the crankshaft. Good news it's reusable. They are grinding it now and they have all the connecting rods cleaned and ready. Once the work on the crank shaft is done we will be ordering the the engine kit with all the bearings, pistons, timing set and cam.

Any suggestions on the cam? I'm currently figuring on just getting a stock cam as it looks like I'll be using the two barrel carb that I currently have. Doesn't look like there will be money for an upgrade to a 4 barrel.

gt350ed

· #45 · Jan 29, 2014

c.midland said:
Quick question: A retired machinist I talked to told me not to bore over .030 on a 289/302 because it will start to have over-heating issues. Wonder if that's true?

In the book How to Rebuild the Small-Block Ford by George Reid, considered an authoritative text by many, it states that anything up to .030 overbore is perfectly fine on a 289. Boring to .040 over is possible but not advised. The reason has nothing to do with overheating. It has EVERYTHING to do with the risk of punching thru to the water jackets. The 289 walls were notoriously thin by design, and boring to .040 and beyond COULD result in disaster due to the non-uniform thickness.

Boring to .060 will almost certainly lead to a ruined block or engine.

And boring does not affect heating or cooling. What you DO with the motor and what you INSTALL in the motor does.

timthechef

Discussion Starter · #46 · Jan 30, 2014

Well, my new block has been sonic checked and is supposed to be good. I'm not worried about the bore. I'm not building a race engine. It should have a pretty easy life from here out.

Shorty

· #47 · Jan 31, 2014

tooponies said:
A 289 block that is .040 over may run alright without any overheating problems but .060 will overheat in most situations. Sure you can go to a 3 row alum. radiator, high flow pump, elec. fan, water wetter and on and on but that's not normal or won't look stock under the hood. I have never seen or heard of a 289 being bored .080 and don't believe you could use one for street use. Most of these car's ran a little hot to begin with or that's what the temp gauge would say. This experience with your son will be priceless.

Your reply is quite interesting. With my "new 66 Fastback" project which I bought from my son come three 289 blocks. My son bored them out when he went to vocational school "Automotive Industrial Machineing". As I recall he said they were bored out to the max and now have 349 cubic inches........ can that be correct? And if so how much over would that have to be? These three blocks were oiled down, wrapped in poly and then put in a poly bag...... been there for 24 years. He also tricked out a set of heads.

I've thought about building one of them blocks but sure don't want any overheating problems because I'm planning on driving the car not racing it.

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Woodchuck

· #48 · Jan 31, 2014

Shorty said:
Your reply is quite interesting. With my "new 66 Fastback" project which I bought from my son come three 289 blocks. My son bored them out when he went to vocational school "Automotive Industrial Machineing". As I recall he said they were bored out to the max and now have 349 cubic inches........ can that be correct? And if so how much over would that have to be? These three blocks were oiled down, wrapped in poly and then put in a poly bag...... been there for 24 years. He also tricked out a set of heads.

I've thought about building one of them blocks but sure don't want any overheating problems because I'm planning on driving the car not racing it.

A "349" would be a 289 bored to 4.060" with a 3.40" stroker crank. It would be quite impossible to bore a 289 to 349 cubic inches with a stock 2.87" stroke.

1PONY2NV

· #49 · Jan 31, 2014

timthechef said:
I know you guys love pictures so here are a few for you. These are of the old block, and the crankshaft and the camshaft. I'm going to try to reuse the crank (after is gets checked out by the machine shop first) but the block and cam are junk.

More wrench turning please.

timthechef

Discussion Starter · #50 · Jan 31, 2014

I'll have more wrench turning and pictures once I bring the block home. I'm currently waiting on the crank to be done.

timthechef

Discussion Starter · #51 · Feb 6, 2014

4

Ok, I have some progress to report. I brought the new block home today. I also picked up the crankshaft. both are all machined and ready to go. Engine masterkit is on the way and the machine shop will be putting the pistons on the connecting rods when it comes in.

That's my son in the pictures. He and I are going to assemble this engine as a father/son project.

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tooponies

· #52 · Feb 7, 2014

Think he's giving a thrumbs up now...wait till he hears it crank up for the first time.

Paul1958

· #53 · Feb 7, 2014

timthechef said:
That's my son in the pictures. He and I are going to assemble this engine as a father/son project.

My son (11) has the same hair as your son - same length/color.

Paul

timthechef

Discussion Starter · #54 · Feb 12, 2014

Pistons and the rest of the parts came in today. We will be assembling soon. I'll post pics as we start.

timthechef

Discussion Starter · #55 · Feb 12, 2014

3

Here are the new parts! I also included a picture of the block painted, and a picture of my timing cover.

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McKnight77

· #56 · Feb 12, 2014

Sonic test

gt350ed said:
In the book How to Rebuild the Small-Block Ford by George Reid, considered an authoritative text by many, it states that anything up to .030 overbore is perfectly fine on a 289. Boring to .040 over is possible but not advised. The reason has nothing to do with overheating. It has EVERYTHING to do with the risk of punching thru to the water jackets. The 289 walls were notoriously thin by design, and boring to .040 and beyond COULD result in disaster due to the non-uniform thickness.

Boring to .060 will almost certainly lead to a ruined block or engine.

And boring does not affect heating or cooling. What you DO with the motor and what you INSTALL in the motor does.

I beg to differ.

The only way to know how much each individual block can be bored oversize is to sonic check it to measure the cylinder wall thickness. That, and only that, will set the limit for oversize. Some blocks will measure safe for .060 oversize and some blocks will measure unsafe for .030 oversize. And, every cylinder should be measured because every cylinder is different in casting thickness. Anything else is just a guess and wrought with risk. Why put all that money into a 40+ year old block unless you can be positive it will perform like it's supposed to?

If your machine shop doesn't use a sonic tester before boring oversize, get another machine shop. JMHO

timthechef

Discussion Starter · #57 · Feb 12, 2014

Well this block was sonic checked before I bought it. It checked out ok. That's why I went ahead with it. Won't know for sure if I made the right choice until it fires up and runs a bit.

timthechef

Discussion Starter · #58 · Feb 13, 2014

5

Ok, here are some assembly pictures. We put in the cam shaft and the crank today. We used assembly lube on the cam journals, and moly grease on the lobes. Torqued all the crank journal bolts to 60 ft lbs in sequence 20 ft lbs at a time.

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tooponies

· #59 · Feb 13, 2014

Has the block been completely washed internally to remove all machine work shavings and such.

timthechef

Discussion Starter · #60 · Feb 13, 2014

Yes. They did that at the shop. I blew it out good with compressed air as well.

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