OK So im 17 and no very little about engine stuff and in the process of replacing sheet metal but when im waiting for pieces to come in and when im taking a break from sheet metal work i want to start on my engine.. my dad nos quiet a bit but i am just curious and want to get some other peoples looks. what im looking for is a daily driver car, what i mean from this is a car that will be rotated back and fourth with my F250. so i guess 3-5 times a week if not all the time. Ill never drive it in the winter. it will see a occasional rain shower. I just want a car that has ***** and moves when i want it to but also a ok cruiser. and of course it needs to sound Sweet..(the kind of car that you hear when your getting fuel and you say Holly **** that sounds sick)

I work alot and bring in more money then a kid my age typically does so money is not as tight as it would normally be for some one my age, and i work for it.

Also what are some keys to success on disassembly

Thank you guys and i cant wait to see what you have.

 

You can build a pretty snappy 289/302 without spending a ton of cash.

289HP air cleaner
600 cfm Edelbrock carb
Pre-bent steel fuel line for the Edelbrock
Edelbrock Performer RPM 4V manifold
C9OZ-6250-C cam (hydraulic version of the 289HP cam)
Screw-in rocker arm studs
Exhaust ports cleaned and smoothed and matched to the exhaust
289HP exhaust manifolds
Re-curve your stock distributor for performance (it's probably out of adjustment anyway)

You can do this for under a grand, and the results will be and engine that runs smooth, gets decent economy, and puts out noticeably more power than it did in stock form.

If you need to rebuild the engine, some of these steps will be done anyway, so it's an even better deal.

 

scchweeett thanks ill have to look into these and checkem out

 

A small small-block can easily make good power if it is built to spin some rpms. More displacement and a longer stroke will give you more lower rpm torque which is always good for roasting tires. It really depends on what your budget is and how far you are willing to go. It also depends on what rpm you are willing to drive at on the street. If you want to keep the rpm low and want good torque, you need to think about a stroker. If you are willing to spin some rpm, you can have a bunch of fun with a short stroke small block like the 289/302.

I can give you some targets to help cut thru the BS. 400+ft*lbs is a pretty good amount of torque for a small car like the Mustang. The closer you get to that level, the more you are going to need to upgrade the rest of the drive train. At 450-475ft*lbs, I have broken pretty much the stock entire drive train behind the motor. 300hp is a pretty decent amount of power. As you go up from there, you will need to upgrade parts so they will last. At 425-450hp, I have upgraded to all forged internals with all ARP connecting hardware, which can get expensive quickly. 3000-3500ft*sec piston speed is the threshold for needed to upgrade your internals so they will not fly through your oil pan. Piston speed increases as your rpms and stroke distance increases so this number is important if you plan to spin the more high or plan to stroke it.

The 289 did not make a ton of power or torque in the stock configuration. Out of the box, they made 190-210hp and 280-300ft*lbs depending on the year and type. The HighPo made closer to 270hp & 310ft*lbs but did this with more compression and a raceier cam and heads. The 302 had a little more because it had a few more inches of displacement thru a little more stroke. My point is if you can get the power to mid to high 200s you will probably be pretty happy...until you are ready for more .

Read and ask a bunch of questions. There are numerous guys on this forum who know about playing with power and even more than know how to get the most out of a stock 289/302 small block. Glad you have you here and have a blast with the car!

 

I would strongly suggest that you not get too carried away with modifications on your first rebuild. If you start talking about carbs, cams, manifolds, headers, etc., before you talk about getting the engine apart, measured, inspected and doing the rebuild steps to get it back in solid condition, then you're putting cart in front of the horse.

Pull the heads off and measure the cylinder bores and pull the pan off and remove a couple of caps for micing and inspection. All bearing caps must go back in their original position. If you need help with this, most machine shops will bring their micrometers and come measure them for you. If the bores look good, then plan on reringing it and replacing the bearings and sending the heads to the machine shop for a valve job. If the bores are worn beyond the reringing part, then completely disassemble the engine and send the pieces to the machine shop that need attention which will include the block and heads and possibly the crankshaft depending upon measurements.

Make yourself a solid short block and heads, THEN start thinking about the speed parts. I would recommend not building anything too radical. Overcamming and building an engine for high RPM will produce horsepower that can win races at the expense of soggy low and midrange torque which will take away the fun of driving it. An engine with low and midrange torque will be much more fun to drive on the street.

I rebuilt my first engine at the age of 13 and I always encourage a young person that wants to jump into such a project.

Good luck and keep us posted.