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1966 Ford Mustang - Project '66 - Ford 289 Short-Block Buildup Part 1 - Project '66 Engine BuildJust Like a Well-Built House, a Strong-Running, Small-Block Ford Needs a Good Foundation to Build on. From the March, 2004 issue of Mustang Monthly By Mark Houlahan Photography by Mark Houlahan
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During the course of a restoration, there are hundreds of decisions to be made. Some are made up front before a single wrench is turned, while others are often made on the spur of the moment because of a great deal on a rare option or for personal changes. For Mustang Monthly's Project '66, we knew right up front this hardtop was going to be converted to a V-8 with all the correct and proper accoutrements, such as V-8 suspension, steering, and brakes. Most of the conversion fell into place easily, since these areas needed a complete restoration anyway. Instead of replacing the six-cylinder steering with new six-cylinder steering components, we simply ordered the V-8 parts instead. The biggest problem in our quest for V-8 power was finding the 289 V-8. We scored a freebie from a fellow club member, only to have the machine shop tell us it was too worn out for another overbore. The second engine we found was a short-block, but it had been sitting so long unprotected, it was rusted up solid. 1 When we arrived at A&S... 1 When we arrived at A&S Motorsports, John had our 289 block fresh from the machining operations. He had the block decked to ensure flatness, line-honed the main bearing journals, and, of course, the cylinders were bored .030 over for a fresh start. Not shown here, John also reconditioned our factory rods, shot-peened them, and installed ARP Wave-Loc rod bolts. After the machining process, John used a combination grinding stone and hand files to deburr the block and take off any sharp edges that might cause stress cracks under heavy load. We were about to give up and order a 302 long-block from a local auto parts store when our savior came in the form of Mustang & Fords Editor Jeff Ford's '66 Ranchero. It had a California-emissions 289 under the hood, backed by a C4 trans. Best of all, Jeff was planning a 351 Windsor swap and didn't need the 289. He wanted to keep the emissions-style cylinder heads for a friend, and he wanted the C4 as well, but we could have the short-block and any pulleys, brackets, and so on. After pulling the 289, it was disassembled and inspected-lo and behold, the block was usable. We finally had a foundation for a 289 buildup. With a good block to work with, a plan was hatched. The 289 would receive all the modern technology we could hide inside, but it would look like a stocker on the outside. We made a wish list of modifications, such as a roller-cam conversion, forged pistons with low-friction coatings, Extrude Honed manifolds, CNC ported cylinder heads, and more. With a few calls to Comp Cams, Federal-Mogul, Power Heads, Extrude Hone, and Pony Carburetors, all our ducks were in a row to build one sweet 289. In this first installment, the short-block is prepped and built by A&S Motorsports' John Douglas. John has been building and racing Ford engines for decades, and he knows how to make power and build a reliable engine. We were more than willing to let him wave his magic torque wrench over our pile of parts.  2 John runs a hand tap through...  2 John runs a hand tap through every hole in the block before the block is washed and thoroughly cleaned. Tapping all of the holes allows more accurate torque readings and prevents problems with possible galled or stripped fasteners. The last thing you want to do is build a sweet small-block, then have to drill out a broken bolt because you didn't tap and chase all the threaded holes in the casting.  3 While we wont see the pushrods...  3 While we wont see the pushrods and rocker arms installed until we work on the top end of our small-block in an upcoming issue, we will use the timing chain, lifters, and camshaft during the buildup of our short-block. We're using a Competition Cams' Magnum Retro-Fit roller cam kit along with a Comp 284HR grind and Magnum roller rockers. We've used the Comp Cams line in several previous buildups, and were extremely happy with their performance.  4 After lubricating the cam...  4 After lubricating the cam journals and bearings (preinstalled during the machine-shop work), John carefully installs our Comp Cams stick into the 289. The rear core plug has not yet been installed because the engine stand was in the way, so John has to be careful the cam doesnt slide back too far. The 284HR grind specs out at .533 lift and 224 at .050 duration on a 110-degree centerline. It may sound stout by flat-tappet specs, but these numbers are quite streetable when they are coming from a roller grind.  5 With the cam in place,...  5 With the cam in place, John installs our original cam thrust plate to secure the cam within the block. Our original thrust plate cleaned up fine in the bead-blast cabinet, but you can still purchase them from Ford and some Mustang parts vendors.  6 For the reciprocating assembly,...  6 For the reciprocating assembly, we went to Speed-Pro and its line of Power Forged replacement pistons. These pistons come as matched-weight sets and feature an antifriction full-skirt coating. These L2482F slugs are direct replacements for the original Hi-Po piston, but will need fly-cutting if youre using larger valves like we are. We also tapped Speed-Pros parent company, Federal-Mogul, for bearings, and subsidiary Fel-Pro for a complete gasket set.  7 John uses a small section...  7 John uses a small section of a Scotch-Brite pad to polish the bearing surface before assembly. A main bearing is shown here with one half polished and the other half as delivered out of the box. John feels the coating on the bearings only gets in the way on engine start-up, so he polishes off the coating.  8 John prepares for the installation...  8 John prepares for the installation of the crankshaft by placing the main bearing halves into the bottom of the block. The No. 3 bearing is the thrust bearing (denoted by the thrust surfaces on the sides of the bearing) and often requires gentle persuasion to fully seat. John uses this small tapping hammer for just that. The rear main-seal half is installed at the rear of the block at this time.  9 With the bearings seated...  9 With the bearings seated and a light layer of 30-weight engine oil lubricating them, the crankshaft can be carefully laid into place. John took our original crankshaft and turned the main and rod bearing journals .010 undersized, then polished the throws, chamfered the oil holes, and balanced the complete assembly with our new flywheel and damper as a matched set.  10-a Using the specs supplied...  10-a Using the specs supplied by the shop manual, John torques down our main caps, then sets up his dial indicator to check crank thrust.  10-b Our setup was a bit...  10-b Our setup was a bit on the tight side, so John adjusted the thrust with a few careful blows on the end of the crankshaft (a process you really don't want to watch). We used ARP fasteners wherever we knew they wouldn't be seen, such as these main-cap bolts.  11-a The Speed-Pro ring package...  11-a The Speed-Pro ring package were using is a file fit set, meaning the builder sets the finish gap and the rings are filed to this setting. First, John uses an aluminum tool to square the bare ring in the finished cylinder bore and measures the end gap with a feeler gauge.  11-b The ring is then placed...  11-b The ring is then placed on a ring grinder (even a hand file will do) and material removed. The ring is squared in the bore and checked again until the correct gap is achieved.  11-c Once the rings are ground...  11-c Once the rings are ground to their proper gap, John assembles the rings to the piston. Read the ring packaging for proper ring orientation on the piston.  12 To prepare the block to...  12 To prepare the block to receive the piston assemblies (fully dressed with their rings), John applies a healthy coating of transmission oil to the cylinder walls with a paper towel. The towel removes any dust and dirt just before installation, while the transmission fluid aids as an installation lubricant while helping the rings seal on initial startup.  13-a There are many different...  13-a There are many different ring compressors on the market, but John prefers to use this style with the quick-release pliers-type handles. He first sets the piston-ring position on the piston by rotating the rings so the end gaps are not on the thrust sides of the pistons. The compressor is installed over the piston and the connecting rod (pre-assembled to our pistons) is lowered into the cylinder bore. With a few careful taps with the end of his hammer, John installs the piston into its bore.  13-b Notice the use of rod-bolt...  13-bNotice the use of rod-bolt covers to prevent nicking the crank journal. The rod cap is installed and the ARP hardware tightened up. John repeats the process for the remaining seven pistons.  14 Once all eight pistons...  14 Once all eight pistons are installed, John rotates the block and positions each pair of rods (per crank throw) at their highest point, then torques the caps to the specs provided with the ARP Wave-Loc rod bolts.  15 With the reciprocating...  15 With the reciprocating assembly all settled in, there are only a few small items left to deal with on the short-block assembly, including the valvetrain and oiling system. Here, our Comp Cams double-roller timing chain is set into place with the original fuel-pump eccentric and a new cam-gear retaining bolt.  16 We picked this Speed-Pro...  16 We picked this Speed-Pro high-volume oil pump for our 289 buildup. The pump comes out of the box in a black oxide finish and ready to go with its own high-torque-rated driveshaft and gaskets. The replacement pickup tube and screen are also from Federal-Mogul.  17 Before bolting the new...  17 Before bolting the new oil pump to the block, John uses a small punch and hammer to make a series of raised marks around the oil-pump passage on the block. This aids in sealing the pump to the block, John tells us. With the new gasket positioned, John bolts the pump to the block using our ARP hardware.  18 The replacement pickup...  18 The replacement pickup tube is secured to the inlet side of the oil pump with its own gasket and ARP hardware.  19 John rotates the block...  19 John rotates the block upright once again, and slides our new roller lifters into place, accompanied by their H-shaped retaining bars. Notice the retainers have the word UP on them to show proper orientation.  20 The metal retainer, often...  20 The metal retainer, often called a spider, is positioned over the lifters retainers to prevent the lifters and retainers from coming out of the block too far at high rpm. The spring steel of the spider puts pressure on the H-bar retainer to do this. The spider is retained to the block by two Allen head bolts, which must have holes drilled and tapped to accept them. John made the two necessary holes during the machining operation, so we were good to go. Don't make the mistake of having a completely built short-block and having to take it all apart to drill these holes.  21 While not physically installed...  21 While not physically installed in this stage of our 289 buildup, we ordered a new damper and compatible V-8 flywheel from National Parts Depot so our 289 could be fully balanced. In an upcoming issue, well install the modified cylinder heads, degree the cam, and button up the engine with a new timing cover, oil pan, and other goodies to prepare it for some flogging on the dyno. After we dyno-test our hot little combo, well drag out the detailing parts and paint we obtained from NPD to dress our 289 for full show duty. Stay tuned.
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 | We take a glimpse inside the how, what, why, and where of restoring a vintage Mustang |
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