Posts by 289tr4_old

    Valves - just about stock (small size). Used new (Farias I think) due to extreme seat pressure of mechanical roller cam.


    Valve springs - K-Motion for Mechanical Roller Cam.


    Cam is a brand new 1986 Lunati grind. I met this gentleman at ATCO over 20 years ago and was amazed at his running a full weight metal Ford Falcon in the high 10 second bracket with stock 302 Windsor heads! He was nice enough to have Lunati share this grind with me (thru ATI in Md.) and it stayed new in the box until 2005 when I rebuilt the motor.


    Cam Lift - .660" w/Harland Sharp 1.6 rocker arms.

    Duration - 268 Deg. @.050" intake and 273 Deg. @ .050" exhaust (I believe.) I have been thinking about trying the new Lunati VooDoo series cam and am sure the folks at the factory would have even newer grinds too for any of our interested members.


    This is an odd engine by today’s standards as the cubic inches are tiny at 289 x 1.030 and the heads are tiny high compression units dimensionally very close to un-ported stock HIPO 289 castings. The Carb is a Holley 650 CFM but I ran an Autolite 600 CFM 4100 on this motor for years and recently put the same Carb on the Dyno with my marine 289 and made essentially the same HP as the Holley (2-3 HP more with the Autolite that had 68/72 jets vs. the lean Holley 67/71 street jets that are in the car in the video.)


    When I was a kid, I used to read Superstock Magazine; there was an article on a "K" 2+2 Mustang called "High Winders" that stuck with me until I could build this motor many years later. In NHRA Superstock in those days, if not now, you could optimize the clearances ("blueprint" the motor) but the heads pretty much had to be stock. So in summary the breathing improvements seemed to come from the cam!

    Thanks Guys!


    What are you using for an automatic trans? - (C4)


    Are you shifting manually at 7500rpms - yes?


    What kind of build on the 289? - Pretty much super-stock build with big Lunati Mech Roller Cam. Crower 289 Rods (no stroker) a must!!! as well as dynamic balance job! Pretty much Stock C5 small chamber 289 heads with mega K-Motion Springs. TRWs kept hitting valves so I went to .030 Wiseco Forged pistons.


    Estimated HP? - Although it sounds like a 480HP vintage race motor, I believe I am making just over 306HP ((306HP/2230lb w/driver)^.318) x 225 = theoretical 1/4 mile MPH = just under 115. Although I have run low elevens with the 8" converter, I left at an idle here with the 10" converter and ran 12:00 at just over 114 MPH Deep Staged!!!


    1957 Wagon 9" Rear, 4:86 Cougar "N" Center w/Detroit Locker (Factory Posi seemed to slip after a while) 28" BFG Street Drag Radial.


    Thanks again for the interest, John

    Hi again HIPO 289 Friends.


    Although not in a Mustang chasis, I though you all might enjoy seeing one of my 7500 RPM 289 screamers running a against a Buick Turbo. Amazing what these 42 year old motors can still do!


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    Needless to say, always use new lifters and break-in lube with your new cam and don't use solid lifters with a hydraulic cam or visa-versa.


    There used to be a C9 Hydraulic cam in the Ford Muscle Parts (circa 1970) Catalog. It was supposed to have similar power characteristics as the HIPO 289 cam without the clatter and maintenance requirements (setting lash) of the real HIPO 289 cam. However it was essentially done at 5500RPM whereas the Hipo 289 cam will run to 6000 RPM. I think the old Hydraulic Ford Marine Cam and early 5.0 Cam 1982? had a similar profile. Check the firing order for your specific cam.