1968 289 H2O
03-30-2011, 08:56 AM
#1
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: California
Posts: 611
1968 289 H2O
I'm sure you all heard of the Hi Po engine of the 60's and the HO of the 80's well this is a story of neither of them, this is my H2O. That's right come along for a ride with me as I try to bring this tired stallion back to life.
I'm just an average guy trying to turn a wrench one Saturday at a time. Got a wife and kids and just recently got into cars. This is my $800 dollar Mustang coupe that I bought after it was sitting for god only knows how long out in a field somewhere without a hood, but I love it.
We will have no artificial deadlines and maybe a hundred bucks a month if I'm lucky to get these eight pistons poppin' again. I hope to provide the pictures and the laughs at my expense and I would appreciate it if you could provide the answers to the questions that will come up along the way.
GOALS
1. Put the engine back to stock salvaging as many components as possible and get it running as a daily driver.
2. Learn about engines and how to do the work yourself, hone cylinders, lap valves, torque down bolts, torque sequences, set timing, tune a carb, etc.
What this is not:
I'm just an average guy trying to turn a wrench one Saturday at a time. Got a wife and kids and just recently got into cars. This is my $800 dollar Mustang coupe that I bought after it was sitting for god only knows how long out in a field somewhere without a hood, but I love it.
We will have no artificial deadlines and maybe a hundred bucks a month if I'm lucky to get these eight pistons poppin' again. I hope to provide the pictures and the laughs at my expense and I would appreciate it if you could provide the answers to the questions that will come up along the way.
GOALS
1. Put the engine back to stock salvaging as many components as possible and get it running as a daily driver.
2. Learn about engines and how to do the work yourself, hone cylinders, lap valves, torque down bolts, torque sequences, set timing, tune a carb, etc.
What this is not:
- This is not a how to rebuild a complete engine thread.
- This is not a thread on how to build a 300 horse power engine with this and that "performance" doodads.
- This is not a thread on how to cover the engine in chrome using every possible bolt on "billet".
- This is not a concourse restoration, nor a restoration at all, just a honest to goodness no thrills reconditioning.
03-30-2011, 07:24 PM
#6
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: California
Posts: 611
Let's get up to speed
So let me catch you up a bit. I removed some parts out of the engine bay. Not all of these had to come out to troubleshoot this situation, but I had my reasons.
I removed the radiator, because it was not bolted in, it was just sitting there, and more importantly it is not a Mustang radiator. I will be buying a brand new radiator.
I also removed the AC condenser as I will not be running AC for the time being. For one I am missing the compressor, so that bracket will come off too.
I removed the heater hoses because initially I will not run them to the heater core and they were in the way when it came to getting the heads off.
I removed the radiator, because it was not bolted in, it was just sitting there, and more importantly it is not a Mustang radiator. I will be buying a brand new radiator.
I also removed the AC condenser as I will not be running AC for the time being. For one I am missing the compressor, so that bracket will come off too.
I removed the heater hoses because initially I will not run them to the heater core and they were in the way when it came to getting the heads off.
03-30-2011, 07:29 PM
#7
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: California
Posts: 611
What I should have done first.
What I should have done first, and what anyone buying a car or who has just bought a car should do first, is check the spark plugs. It is simple and easy.
But I did not, instead I decided to eventually (pronounced: months later) check what heads I had on my car. You see when I bough the car the engine looked stock, but later my buddy pointed out that it had a mid 70's intake manifold. That led me to wonder how many other parts are authentic if any.
So instead of checking the spark plugs like any reasonable person would do I removed the valve covers and prayed to see, a big 289 stamped into the heads somewhere in the valve train area.
Though it's difficult to see in these photos it is there, these are 289 heads, and they don't look too bad from the top. What do you think?
But I did not, instead I decided to eventually (pronounced: months later) check what heads I had on my car. You see when I bough the car the engine looked stock, but later my buddy pointed out that it had a mid 70's intake manifold. That led me to wonder how many other parts are authentic if any.
So instead of checking the spark plugs like any reasonable person would do I removed the valve covers and prayed to see, a big 289 stamped into the heads somewhere in the valve train area.
Though it's difficult to see in these photos it is there, these are 289 heads, and they don't look too bad from the top. What do you think?
Last edited by Gregski; 03-31-2011 at 11:56 PM.
03-30-2011, 08:01 PM
#8
6th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PA
Posts: 5,232
I really dig the blue distributor cap, but that Motorcraft carb has got to go.
You will not regret re-installing the AC. Even if you don't make it operational (at first), you'll be glad it's all there.
You will not regret re-installing the AC. Even if you don't make it operational (at first), you'll be glad it's all there.
Last edited by 2+2GT; 03-30-2011 at 08:05 PM.