1st of all hello and I'm a newb to this site. 2nd I have a 67 coupe with a 289, it was still a daily driver when I bought it 3 yrs ago. I would drive it 1-3 times a week but over the past 3 months it slowly declined in power and then developed a slight nock/ticking and lost all power. It would start but not rev up or move. I was told I was a lifter sticking. My question is could a novice like me be able to rebuild a 289 out of his personal shop. I am an oilfield mechanic And have swapped out motors, rear-ends, tranny, and the like so I know some but I've never tried to rebuild an engine. Is it possible? Should I even try?

 

If you have a shop do all the machine work there is absolutely no reason you couldn't assemble the motor yourself. I've done a couple myself and I'm in the process of doing my first ford (also a 289). I told the machine shop "no rush" so my block has been sitting there for 2 months untouched. Never tell a shop "no rush".

The hardest part of any assembly is putting the right combination of parts together so you get a motor that suits your needs. Even the so called "professionals" have a hard time with it. Between a reputable shop and the folks here you shouldn't have a problem.

 

I guess my first question would be your budget. The quickest and easiest is to buy a brand new engine(long block)I would pick a 302.This way you can spend time cleaning/detailing engine compartment.Machine work is expensive and getting a shop that knows what they are doing can be a challenge.If you have lots of time/money you can rebuild yourself,but getting the right combo of parts will require a lot of thought before you start. Do you want the car to be original-a performer or all out racer?Lots to think aboutand how dedicated are you--it could take several years.

 

Ok but it is the original engine wouldn't it be best to keep that with the car, where would be a good place to order a 302 long block?

 

It's easy enough to build a motor once the machine work is done. If all else fails get the video that takes you through it a step at a time

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Rebui...sQ5fLiterature

Whether you are using the numbers matching block or not...I would sure keep it in storage at a minimum.

 

Once the machine work is done, the assembly is not that difficult. You'll need a couple of specialized tools - just like for your work. Gotta have the right tools. But nothing outrageous.

The trick is very carefull attention to detail. Each assembled part needs to be carefully inspected to make sure you did it right to begin with. Then move on to the next part. For example, install piston 1 and 5, then turn the crank a couple of time. Then install 2 and 6, and turn the crank a couple of times. Simple stuff like that.

Rebuilding an old gets expensive, messy, and time consuming. If it's a daily driver, you might consider buying a 302 crate motor and swap it out over a week end. Unless you can do your own machine work, it's generally cheaper to go with a crate.

If you want to keep the car original for the resale value, put the original engine in storage for when you sell the car.

Personally, I enjoy the assembly part. If I was looking for a whole new engine, I'd get a "kit" from PAW. I'v purchased from them before, and the machine work is spot on. I get exactly what I paid for. And, they're on sale this month!

https://secure.pawengineparts.com/sh...cfm?catid=1594

 

Check with machine shop to see how much they would charge to assemble the longblock. For what the shop in Cadillac Michigan did my AMC 360 for it wasnt worth my time to do--plus they do them EVERY day. There are places to save money doing things yourself and there are places not to--just my 2 cents

 

i did mine myself and it was the first time i have ever done it. It was not all that hard but i really did not save any money. it actually cost me a little more than if i would have had it done. But i liked the learning process.
my car is a screamer but i could have got a more powerful engine for the same $ if i were to go with a crate engine.