Hi Everyone!
I will be building the numbers matching 289 engine that is in my 67 mustang coupe and I need some advise and suggestions. Right now everything is stock (except for a petronix flamethrower coil setup). I have a c4 tranny and unknown rear gears (which I will be keeping), though I will try to find the ratio out soon and post. I am looking to build this engine up, using the stock block and heads, as I want to keep these items original. I am ok, to do a different manifold, headers, and carb and internals. My question is based on cam selection, and other recommended upgrades. I have talked with the guys at comp cams, who recommended both the #31-242-3 and # 31-246-3. I am shooting for 330-350 hp if possible, though more importantly, I want the advantages of how that translates to the driving experience. This car will never be driven on the track, but will see summertime nice weather driving, and I want the reliability of a daily driver out of the package. I want the power to come in off idle and peak early, as I dont need crazy top end. It will be driven mainly around town, but I want the flexibility to run at freeway speeds too.
I am trying to stick to a budget of $4k for this build and am of the opinion that I dont need a full roller rocker setup (thinking hydraulic flat tappet). Please give me some thoughts and advise on which direction I should go, and recommended parts. Anyone who has built this or a similar setup, please chime in with part numbers if possible. I will also be doing machine work on the block and probably going .30 over.
Thanks!

 

The stock heads are your limiting factor IMO. No matter how much you open up the intake (4bbl, alum intake) and exhaust (headers) you will still have a smothering bottle neck in the heads. 289 hipo motors only achieved 271hp and shelby pushed that to a limit of 306hp and the car wasn't built to last long because of the changes, it was for racing.
My guess is that you will hit a ceiling of 225-250hp with stock heads. You can improve the flow somewhat with porting and polishing, bigger valves, roller rockers,etc. but by the time a machineist does his magic you'll have nearly as much into stock cast iron heads as a set of alum. ones that will way outperform and flow them.

I would post the cam specs vs. their part number, makes it easier to figure out which cam you're discussing without looking it up on their website, the ones you posted are the:
XE268 - 1500-5800rpm lift .509/.512 recommended stall 2200
XE274 - 1800-6000rpm lift .520/.523 recommended stall 2500+

Those are very large and agressive cams for a fairly stock motor, your stock stall is probably ~1500 if you have a C4 and those cams are made for upper end which is the opposite of what you said you wanted. Plus I hope you enjoy a lumpy idle, they're going to lope. I would go to the compcams website and go through the choose a cam steps and/or download their camquest program and answer the questions truthfully, it'll suggest a much less aggressive list of cams. When you get near .500 lift is where the stock pressed head studs begin pulling out also so you may not run long with those larger lobe cams either. If you have power brakes or AC those cams will not produce anywhere near stock vacuum levels either.

I've stroked my 289 to 333ci and added alum. heads, 2500 stall and still chose the XE262 as my cam. It will be much more daily driver liveable, with your stock heads I would look more at the XE250 or XE256 for your car.
Just my .02
Jon

 

Thanks Jon. I was thinking of port matching the heads, and doing screw in studs/guideplates. Also, I will upgrade to a 2500 stall converter and I dont have ac or power brakes.

 

Let's break down what you requested.

numbers matching rebuild for a 67 289
330-350 hp that will come in early and peak early
$4k budget
you don't think you need a full roller rocker set up because you are thinking hydraulic flat tappet

A quick internet search leads me to believe that before 68 ford 289's have a cast date code only. They are not labeled with the VIN.
330-350hp that peaks early, like maybe 6500 rpms?
you can build an engine for $4k
roller rockers have nothing to do with hydraulic flat tappet lifters

You will not get 330 hp with just a port match on stock heads. The port match gains are single digit. Your horspower goals will require larger valves, extensive head porting and thread in rocker studs. A roller cam and roller lifters will help the engine make more power sooner. Roller rockers flex less than stamped or roller tip and minimize energy lost in the valvetrain.

How much research have you done before posting this question?

 

Echohill poses an excellent question.....How did you arrive at needing the 300+hp figure?..The reason I ask is numbers get thrown around on the internet and kinda lose their meaning...My old 302 would run mid 13s and get rubber easily in every gear( 4speed toploader)..It would easily smoke the stock radial TAs off the rims if I wanted it too...It was probably about 270ish hp using the stock heads with some minor porting and a few bolt on goodies....My point is you may be happy with a much lower number (225-250hp).Remember most older 302s dyno well below that(140ish hp)..Especially if you want it at a very low rpm and be really streetable with an automatic and stock gears(likely 3:00 or 2:79s)....You can certainly get the numbers you are after but it will be at a little higher rpm range and you will likely need a gear change to make it work properly....
Also another pet peeve of mine is listing camshaft numbers without any specs...If you are looking for opinions on cams the least you could do is post up the specs so people don't have to go searching(this is not totally aimed at you nicke just seems to be lots of this going on lately)..

 

Answering my question like that doesn't help much, but I do appreciate the time you put into the response. I have done quite a few searches, and have yet to find the answers I am looking for.
I do understand that the engine only has a cast date only, and nothing that ties the specific block to the specific car, however, since it is the original engine, for nostalgic reasons, I want to keep this block and heads.
I should have been more specific, in that I plan on doing larger valves, stiffer springs, screw in studs...etc.
When I say "am of the opinion that I dont need a full roller rocker setup (thinking hydraulic flat tappet)" I was referring to the cam and not the lifters.
To further clarify for you, I mean a hydraulic roller camshaft vs. a hydraulic flat tappet camshaft, the roller being quite a bit more expensive, and given my previous research and goal with the engine, isnt the best bang for the buck. You may not agree, which is the input I am looking for.
Again, instead of saying " You will not get 330 hp with just a port match on stock heads" please give some constructive advise. I have read the entire thread here on this forum where a dude claims 321 hp with stock heads (2nd post). Not sure if the story checks out, but that with other research helped me to shape some of my goals while trying to work within my budget.

To answer your last question, do you want me to quantify my research in hours?

 

Great point. I am not as concerned with hitting "that" number but rather used it as a reference point for performance. I agree it might not be attainable, sure.
I want something more aggressive that stock, and I am not trying to run 12's.
I have a corvette with a zz4 crate engine that came with a dyno sheet, and I was hoping to approach the power level in that. Know what I mean?

 

If you follow the link within your link on the motor that made 321hp there is a lot more that was done to the heads than just port matching at the exh. or intake side, it describes fully porting and polishing the stock heads which is what I was referring to, this will cost ~$800 give or take and depending on how well known the porter is for knowing what he's doing and the cost of screw in studs, larger valves and reworking the heads. Once people get get to that much cost they opt. to spend $200-$400 more and get alum. heads that will outflow the reworked heads and shave 50-100lbs. off the front end.

With the taller cam, low vacuum, higher stall it doesn't match the nonrace cruise around driving you were describing of off idle power and peak early which I read as peak RPM of ~5K. Cam grinds that peak at 5800-6K aren't normally considered as early. They also won't pair well with 2.79:1 rear gears as they'll probably lug the motor. I think everyones trying to help but your list of parts and description of driving experience you're looking for seem to be opposite?

It is your car, build as you like but you asked for opinions on parts selection so we're trying. Just remember that everything works together as a package - cam/ heads/ intake/ exh./ trans/ rear gears all have to match to get the full potential out of the money you spend on parts.
Jon

 

More important than the hours is the reference materials. There is as much poor info as there is good. Some of the poor is in print even. Prioritize the following $4k budget, original parts or 330hp you can have any 2, but not all 3.
That glazier nolan link is kinda lame. It doesn't address any other port work other than working over the egr bump.

 

I completely agree. As I have never built a ford engine, I don't have the ability or experience to differentiate the accurate information from the bogus stuff in my research, so I am looking for your experienced input.
If I were to go with aftermarket aluminum heads instead of my stockers, which brands should I be looking towards? I have seen mixed reviews of the Edelbrock kits they sell as performance packages. What are your thoughts on this?
Also given this, do you have any good recommendations for cams and components that work within my $4k budget?
Again, above all else, I want to build a potent streetable motor, that has characteristics favorable to street and town driving conditions.
Again, I appreciate the help.