Justin~K

I am planning on trying to do this install. But i would like to find out what transmissions will bolt up to a 289 5-bolt housing or 6-bolt. I have not bought a 289 but am trying to gather the money. Can any of you give me or direct me to a list of trannys that fit one?

dcohen

why not just use a 302?


but if you must

any transmission that comes out of an 88 with a 5.0 will work

heck, just about any ford transmission will work with the right bellhousing and flywheel

my77stang

slaps dcohen!

as long as you get a 6 bolt 289, your fine with any later model tranny. this includes C4's, C6's (small block C6's), AOD's, etc.

Justin~K

thanks my77stang

gothand

Why slap him? IMO, the benefits of the late model 302 far outweigh any perceived benefits of using the 289! It is certainly a lot easier to find quality 302 blocks that haven't been rebuilt andyou get a one-piece rear main seal and roller cam without any additional cost or effort. Besides a slightly better rod ratio, is there another benefit to the 289 that outweighs the additional 13 CI and other late model advantages listed above? This doesn't even take into account whether he is staying with EFI or converting to carb.

To the O.P., perhaps if you listed your build plans in a little better detail you'd get better informed decisions.

Good luck!
Jeff

TexasAxMan

I agree with gothand, why on earth would you want to put a 289 in an '88? 302's are plentiful, reliable, and the newer ones (like came in the car) are roller blocks with EFI and one piece rear main seal. I'm not trying to start anything, but I think it should have read:

slaps my77stang!

mustangmatt63

Why not go with a 302 Roller motor?Very reliable and plenty around to be found for a good price!Are you going with EFI?Some more build details would get you more direct and informative answers!!

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Justin~K

I was planning on going carb. I also am planning on having on the essentials. I like simplicity. Yeah this install can get complicated but I work at a fabrication shop. I am planning on going without electronics(brain) so i can Install Autometer gauges into a custom dash. The 2.3 isnt running. I dont want a 302. Yes i undersand that they are newer designs and probably more reliable. I'm not looking for an everyday car. If I was I would buy a civic.

my77stang

slaps texas, gothand, and dcohen LOL

302 block + 289 guts = any more complaints? and yeah, the lip has to be ground off the crank - but if they are already grinding your crank it would cost maybe 20 bucks for them to do that and knock a seal saver on there. oh yeah, 289's have (what seems to me) like better rod caps, there is like 2 ribs for strength where the later 302's rodcaps look pretty thin.

gothand

I don't know about the others, but this was the chief basis to my response. He is on a budget, and based on his questions about what transmission will fit the engine, is sold on the 289 more in name than anything else. Perhaps that is a large leap, but this is the internet and assumptions have to be made based on the information given(very little).

Yes, he can take a 302 block and build a roller 289 with a one-piece rear main seal, but that is hardly a budget build in comparison with a rebuild of a stock 5.0L roller motor. Additionally, 6-bolt 289's were built for a comparatively very short time so finding good, used, rebuildable parts is going to be that much more difficult (expensive). By all means, people should build what they want with their money. That said, one shouldn't be surprised that the 5.0L is going to get the nod on this board over the 289, especially if the build is on a budget.

To the O.P., good luck with your build.
Jeff