289 build recipe

Cool, good to hear real world results from a trusted source. Sounds like a real sweet mill. I still have that Crower Monarch grind just in case an opportunity presents itself!
 

Mike

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Thanks Scott. You used to have some good dyno videos showing reversion. I wanted Webers but just didn't think I had enough courage to deal with the cam grind and reversion that was sure to have occurred. I'd rather have the nasty cam than something with less overlap and top end just so I could get the Weber look. That and good air filtration would have hid them from view anyway.
 
What kind of intake and carb could I run if i decided against the weber setup? Running a normal intake and carb would change my cam choice from what you guys have been saying. Are there more options if I go roller cam with a four barrel carb? Also thanks for all the info from all the posts.
 
Mikes running a 4bbl with the Le Mans cam, Apart from the alloy block & 302 crank his engine is essentially what your aiming for, a pair of AFR 185 heads are ~$1700 USD plus a bit more if you upgrade springs etc. I would do it a bit different, but that's me.
 
My recipe for a 289:
289 crank ground to 2.100" on throws to match SBC rod brgs
5.7 SBC rods narrowed to Ford width @ big end full floating at SE ( I beam & liteweight)
Pistons with 1.070" pin height/0.927 pin dia.
AFR 185 heads-paired shaft rockers.
external oil line from filter sandwich block to rear of main gallery to supplement standard oiling.
Stand pipes in cyl head drainbacks to maintain oil level to lower coil of valve springs.

There is a heap of stuff I also do in regard to oiling that is best explained by saying you should be able to pass a 1/2" ball bearing from pickup to filter.

For a 302 swap the SBC rods for SCAT Holden rods and stay at the std SBF rod dia.
For the 289 the Rod Ratio will be 1.98/1, 302 will be 1.87/1.
Remember the comp GT40 cars used 5.315 Indy rods, not 5.155. The longer rod ratios I've suggested have an added benefit with long duration cams like the Le Mans, as the piston dwell time is increased there is reduced reversion during the overlap period as the piston is virtually stopped/ reduced pumping action.
Note for Scott, the pistons with 1.070" pin height are stock shelf items for SBF347 package, the rods are 350 chev items than can be narrowed at B/E very simply on a lathe at minimal cost. Piston cost is not much more than a new set of 289 items and the new rods are cheap insurance over the OE 289 items that have already done a lot of work.
 
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A less expensive /complicated way to get virtually the same results as Jac suggests (with a 289 crank), would be do use a 5.4 SBF rod and a shelf Ross piston. Easy peasy.
 
Don't get turned off of the Webers. Lots of us have been running them on street cars for years trouble-free. At WOT they sound awesome, and the bling is a bonus. You just have to pay attention when picking a cam. Other than that, no big deal.
 
I haven't given up on the weber carb setup yet. I just wanted as much advice on this engine build before I start buying parts. I have limited access to good machinists where I live, so I have a substantial wait before my bare block will even be worked on. It gives me plenty of time to come up with a final plan. I do like the look of webers on top of a small block ford.
 
Mike,

Didn't even see your response until just now. I'll see what I can do. The car was off the road for a lengthy time due to an unfortunate meeting with a poorly marked trench in the road. All is good now (Thanks Steve Wood/Panavia).
 
I used GT40 heads with headman headers on a 1968 302 once with a mechanical CAM with 288 degree advertised duration and 460 inch lift. It was as big a Cam as I would want on the street, still offered good drive ability and pulled hard to 6000rpm. I think it is easy to overdo the Cam on the early 289/302 and have an engine that makes big dyno numbers but is not much fun to own and drive in the real world. Easy to get carried away with all the big numbers advertised.
 
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