Posts by bobmannel

I have to agree. The sudden stops in responding are hindering growth. If I can get on and off quickly, it works well. But, the starts and stops make me feel like my feet are stuck in tar. I think we could be entering a death spiral -- less active, less reason to visit, which means less acrive, etc. Forums need to be fast or they would last.

Thanks, Please keep the info coming....

My research into HiPo air cleaners in 1965 seem to indicate that the rounded style were replaced by the flattop style sometime in 1965. I would like to ask those with original cars, which style air cleaner did your car have and what was the assembly date of the engine, scheduled build day of the car, and assembly plant?

Rounded style

Flattop

Check with Marti Auto Works. He can give you a report with all the details for a nominal price. You are is rare -- in the hundreds.

The TSB called for flaring the cup end .005"-.010" more for better retention. They suggested using a ballbearing slight larger than the inner diameter and tapping it to enlarge the opening. The cup should be sealed with a Permatex No. 2 and driven with a flat-end punch until the edge of the cup is just below the chamfer hole. In thirty years of driving, I never had one I installed come out, so if done properly, freeze plugs work fine. Carroll Shelby left them in in the street Mustang GT-350. But, for the race GT-350, Cobra Coupes, and GT-40 (350 & 380 hp versions) he used threaded plugs. Can't argue with "better" and threaded plugs are definitely better.

The Comet 289 HiPo option was actually announced by Mercury's 1964 TSB #3 dated 10-4-63. This bulletin was superseded by #3A dated 4-17-64. #3 was supposed to be destroyed, but I have a copy. #3 offered only the 3-speed with 2.71:1 rear, which was essentially the Daytona Durablity Run package. #3A added a 4-speed with 3.89:1 rear option as well. As a piece of trivia, Mercury was supposed to code the 289 HiPo was "D" in the VIN, but it never happened. If they had, it would have resulted in the Comet and Mustang using opposite coding for the 289 regular-fueled 4V and the 289 HiPo. I think Mercury coded the regular 289 4V as K to cause the uninformed to think they had a "hot" engine. But, I will say that this was a great engine for around-town driving. Good motor in the Mustang, too. A heck of a lot better than the 260 2V!

The C5OE head was used from 1965 to late 1967 production. The C7ZE head was used only in late 1967. It was replaced by the C8ZE-B head in 1968. The only difference between the C7ZE and C5OE head was that the C7ZE head was cast to allow incorporation of the California smog system (exterior log type). The head was only machined for smog if it was actually used. Smog was installed on California 289 HiPos after May 9, 1967. There were 14 cars so equipped. The C8ZE-B head was always machined for smog and included 4 plugs per head if used on non-smog engines.

I put the answer in my book (Mustang & Ford Small Block V8) on page 3-3. Carroll Shelby installed front screw-in plugs for the oil galleries when he reworked the 289 HiPo for competition versions of the Mustang GT-350 (rated at 350 hp), and for the Cobra Daytona coupes and Ford GT prototype race cars (380 hp). All other used the ½" freeze plugs. Of course, anyone could modify the engine, but from the factory, production 289 HiPos used freeze plugs.

With so little data available to see specific trends, I wouldn't question any part dated within two months of the assembly date, but much better to be within a month, and better still if within two weeks. Two weeks is "numbers matching" in my mind, but I would not question someone saying their car is all original with the dates within two months.

Yes, I still have the 63 Fairlane 4-door.

Not true. The 289 HiPo blocks were the same -- no block modifications (other than mains). Oil still went to each lifter, into the lifter, and up through the push rods. The Ford blueprints for the 289 HiPo list the dye-penetrant inspection and the heavy-duty main bearing caps, but everything else was "SAME AS", then listed the engineering number for the standard 289.

Production 289 HiPo blocks had no oil restrictors in them. Performance modifiers did many things to the HiPo. Shelby did many things to the competition 289 HiPos, but much less to the production HiPos for the GT-350 street versions.

K-code 1964 Comets are not 289 HiPo cars. If the Comet was special ordered with the 289 HiPo, all indications are that the engine will have a sequential number.

I have found engines with intake manifolds cast the day before the engine was assembled. It just depends. Routinely they can be within three days. But, I have also seen almost a year between a block casting date and its assembly date. I believe this is rare. In this particular engine, the lower half of the thrust bearing was missing. Perhaps the engine was sidelined, then later released. Who knows? The engine got close to 100,000 miles, but I could move the crankshaft almost 1/8". Must have made one heck of a lot of noise!

Anyway, I generally figure all the components will be within two months of the assembly date (two weeks to 3 days more common). Car scheduled date could be before or after the engine assembly date, but is generally before and within a week -- but not always.

The link did not work. I would call AMK and ask specifically about the part number I gave you. Max has it in his catalog, but I don't know if he carries it or not. If not, I would use a bolt from another engine.

You are correct. I have heard of 289 production blocks cast in February. Have not confirmed any production blocks in January. There were prototype blocks before that. All 1963 production 289 blocks (regular or HiPo) are C3AE-6015-N. There were a few C4OE-6015-C blocks that got into very late (July 63) 1963 production Galaxies.

Ford listed the bolt as 377850-S (5/8"-18x2" hex-head). AMK lists this bolt in its catalog under Special Bolts with the same specs and says it is grade 8 (as was the original). Is this the bolt you were sent? I use the original bolts all the time, by the way.

It is a common casting used from 1963. My memory is not too precise in this area, but I think you can find them on any small block from about mid-63. Since they were balanced for the engine, one casting was good enough, I suppose. I know there was a C2OE in 1962. My 63 HiPo has the same C3OE casting.

There might be some confusion on terms and systems. First, some background. Since the 221 came out in late 1961 there have been road draft tubes and PCV systems at the same time. Both attached at the rear of the intake manifold, so this area was always machined. In 1964 Ford abandoned the road draft tube system and used the PCV that exited out the passenger's side valve cover. In May 1964, Ford revised the PCV systems. The 7-1-64 Mercury 1964 TSB #9B and 5-10-65 Ford TSB #15, Artcile 279, stated "Bascially, this revision involves the release of the 'Jiggle Pin' control valve for vehicles built or sold in California or New York, and the release of a road draft tube for the remaining vehicles."

This does not mean that all non-CA & NY vehicles got road draft tubes. It means it was released so that they could be used. Some got them and some did not. This affected the 64½ HiPo Mustang. When the road draft tube was installed, the intake manifold was machined as it had been in 1962-63. The tube attached there. This was done at the engine plant.

For 1965 production, Ford revised the road draft tube to attach to the passenger's side valve cover. This meant that there were no changes required to the intake manifold. The 289 HiPo took a special road draft tube so that it would clear the streamline exhaust manifold. The part number was C5OZ-6758-A. In addition, a special carburetor was used with the 1965 289 HiPo with road draft tube. It was C5OF-L tagged, although the carb base might be stamped C4OF-AL.

In the 5-10-65 Ford TSB #15, Article 279, it also stated "During March 1965, assembly plants will phase out the road draft tube crankcase ventilation system previously installed as standard equipment on some car and truck engines."

So, if you have a 65 HiPo from August 1964 to about March 1965, it could have a road draft tube, although most will likely had the PCV.

Hope this helps.

Duncan, Thanks for the welcome! I see your old car most days, as it rests in my garage. I remember pulling out an old honest's nest the size of a football from the back of the front seat shortly after I got it home. So, there was a time while it was sitting in a field I would not have wanted to look it over too closely! Many of the HiPo engine parts photographed for my book came from its motor. The motor also made the round to many a show and swap meet while I was promoting the book. I had it mocked up exactly as it would look when restored and installed back in the car.

Can the order of the post under a topic be reversed? I am seeing them from the first to the last. But, I prefer to see the last to the first -- in other words look backward in time and I look down through the posts. I can't seem to find an option to do that. Is there one?