Car Talk (1 Viewer)

[Billo_Really]

I don't know sh!t about cars. So I ask the question to those in the know, just how much power can you get out of a 289 short-block?

 

[FISHX]

I don't know sh!t about cars. So I ask the question to those in the know, just how much power can you get out of a 289 short-block?

Could you give that to me in cc or liters please then i can answere your question.

if small block chevi engine i,d say feasibly 400bhp but it could probably handle 600bhp+ but there woul,d be reliability issues .

 

[scottyz]

Could you give that to me in cc or liters please then i can answere your question.

if small block chevi engine i,d say feasibly 400bhp but it could probably handle 600bhp+ but there woul,d be reliability issues .

I assume he means to say it's a Ford 289 Cubic inch small block? I'm pretty sure another 60-100hp could be had with better flowing heads, exhaust and EFI. It's really all a matter of how much money you want to spend.

 

[FISHX]

Is it a 4.7 liter engine?

 

[Billo_Really]

I was talking about a Ford.

In addition, what is the difference between a big-block and a short-block?

 

[shuamort]

I don't know sh!t about cars. So I ask the question to those in the know, just how much power can you get out of a 289 short-block?

Depends on the car and the carburetor (assuming it's not fuel injected), but that sounds like an early Mustang engine which should get 195 for a two barrel and 225 with a four barrel carb.

 

[Billo_Really]

Originally posted by shuamort:
Depends on the car and the carburetor (assuming it's not fuel injected), but that sounds like an early Mustang engine which should get 195 for a two barrel and 225 with a four barrel carb.

Is it true they didn't have Holley 4-barrels back in the fifties? My dad said they had to make their own.

 

[shuamort]

Is it true they didn't have Holley 4-barrels back in the fifties? My dad said they had to make their own.

Well, here's a 1955 Holley Carburetor Service Manual for a four barrel. So, my guess is yes.

 

[scottyz]

I was talking about a Ford.

In addition, what is the difference between a big-block and a short-block?

A big block is usually a V8 with cubic inch displacement greater than 383. A short block is a complete bottom end.. as in block,rods, pistons, etc.. but no heads or manifolds. A long block is the bottom end and the head or heads.

 

[scottyz]

Depends on the car and the carburetor (assuming it's not fuel injected), but that sounds like an early Mustang engine which should get 195 for a two barrel and 225 with a four barrel carb.

Edelbrock will sell you better flowing heads and a fuel injection kit for the 289.
http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/mc/heads/ford_sb_performer.shtml

 

[shuamort]

Edelbrock will sell you better flowing heads and a fuel injection kit for the 289.
http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/mc/heads/ford_sb_performer.shtml

I had an Edelbrock carb on my 71 Chevelle 307. I remember spending almost a week rebuilding that f**ker. The car was 20 years old when I bought it and had 42K on it. Original everything except for a Montgomery Wards underdash A/C that kicked out air so cold you could see vapors. Damn, I miss that car.

 

[Billo_Really]

Originally posted by scottyz:
A big block is usually a V8 with cubic inch displacement greater than 383. A short block is a complete bottom end.. as in block,rods, pistons, etc.. but no heads or manifolds. A long block is the bottom end and the head or heads.

Could you say this in English?

 

[scottyz]

Could you say this in English?

A small block is generally a v8 that is less than 383 cubic inches and big block is a v8 that is more than 383 cubic inches. Your 289 is a small block because 289 cubic inches is less than 383.

A short block is usually just the block, pistons, crank and rods without the heads or anything else. A long block is a motor that has heads plus everything a short block has. The head is the unit that bolts on top of the block and contains your intake & exhaust valves and camshaft or camshafts in modern engine designs.

I don't usually like posting wikipedia stuff but maybe this will help.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Windsor_engine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_combustion_engine

 

[Billo_Really]

Originally posted by scottyz:
A small block is generally a v8 that is less than 383 cubic inches and big block is a v8 that is more than 383 cubic inches. Your 289 is a small block because 289 cubic inches is less than 383.

A short block is usually just the block, pistons, crank and rods without the heads or anything else. A long block is a motor that has heads plus everything a short block has. The head is the unit that bolts on top of the block and contains your intake & exhaust valves and camshaft or camshafts in modern engine designs.

I don't usually like posting wikipedia stuff but maybe this will help.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Windsor_engine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_combustion_engine

Thank you. I really hate auto mechanics. Your hands are never clean. You got to stick your fingers where they won't fit. You have to look around corners with telescoping mirrors. 90% of being a good mechanic is knowing how to troubleshoot. I just don't know the tricks of the trade.

 

[shuamort]

Thank you. I really hate auto mechanics. Your hands are never clean. You got to stick your fingers where they won't fit. You have to look around corners with telescoping mirrors. 90% of being a good mechanic is knowing how to troubleshoot. I just don't know the tricks of the trade.

I used to be one in between high school and college and between frosh and soph years of college too. I won't touch new cars nowadays though. Too much computer going on under the hood and I was never good when it came to wiring to begin with.

 

[UtahBill]

There is SO much more to say here, you should move this question to a Ford forum. Engine power is only the start. You have to make sure the transmission can handle the additional power, and the rear axle, and the suspension. And when it comes to engines, size matters. Why mess with a puny 289 when a 360 will fit in the same place? If you are going to spend a lot of money making horsepower, it will cost pretty much the same to build up a 360 as it will a 289, and you can easily get a lot more power out of the 360. Better yet, screw the ford and go get a late 60's or early 70's Mopar with a hemi, or at least a hot 440.

 

[scottyz]

Thank you. I really hate auto mechanics. Your hands are never clean. You got to stick your fingers where they won't fit. You have to look around corners with telescoping mirrors. 90% of being a good mechanic is knowing how to troubleshoot. I just don't know the tricks of the trade.

I'm not a auto mechanic. I work on my own cars a lot and sometimes mess with other peoples cars but I don't do it professionally. I'm definitely no expert on Ford engines. There are many of Ford forums and Mustang specific forums out there that could help you with the specifics of your motor,goals and application.

 

[scottyz]

There is SO much more to say here, you should move this question to a Ford forum. Engine power is only the start. You have to make sure the transmission can handle the additional power, and the rear axle, and the suspension. And when it comes to engines, size matters. Why mess with a puny 289 when a 360 will fit in the same place? If you are going to spend a lot of money making horsepower, it will cost pretty much the same to build up a 360 as it will a 289, and you can easily get a lot more power out of the 360. Better yet, screw the ford and go get a late 60's or early 70's Mopar with a hemi, or at least a hot 440.

It seems wrong to stick a Mopar motor in a Ford or vice versa. A Ford 351 might do nicely though.

 

[Billo_Really]

Originally posted by UtahBill:
There is SO much more to say here, you should move this question to a Ford forum. Engine power is only the start. You have to make sure the transmission can handle the additional power, and the rear axle, and the suspension. And when it comes to engines, size matters. Why mess with a puny 289 when a 360 will fit in the same place? If you are going to spend a lot of money making horsepower, it will cost pretty much the same to build up a 360 as it will a 289, and you can easily get a lot more power out of the 360. Better yet, screw the ford and go get a late 60's or early 70's Mopar with a hemi, or at least a hot 440.

I used to think the hottest car in the world was the '73 455 Transam. But they don't allow street cars any more with that size of an engine, do they?

 

[shuamort]

I used to think the hottest car in the world was the '73 455 Transam. But they don't allow street cars any more with that size of an engine, do they?

It's not just the size, but the efficiency. The first car that came to mind that's street legal and in mass production is the Dodge Viper which has a lot more horses:

Viper SRT10's aluminum-block 8.3-liter V10 engine delivers a staggering 510 horsepower and 535 lb-ft of torque. That means 0 to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds, an estimated top speed of 190 mph on the test track, and completion of the signature SRT 0-100-0 mph test in just over 12 seconds. Translation: Buckle up and hold on.

Which is much more than the 73 Trans Am 455:

For the first time since 1970, two engines were offered in the 1973 Trans Am, both displacing 455 cubic inches, in base and Super Duty versions. The engines might have offered the same displacement, but that is where the similarity ended. The base engine (coded as follows - manual WT, WW, ZZ, and, ZE and for the automatics - X7, XE, XL, XM, YA, YC, and YD) produced 50 fewer horsepower than their round ported 1972 H.O. counterpart. Horsepower was 250@4000 rpm while peak torque took a hit as well, dropping to 370 lb/ft @2800 rpm. Increased emission regulations meant a drop in the compression ratio, now down to 8.0:1. The output of oxides of nitrogen (large displacement engines are more succeptable to high levels of N0x as compression ratio's increase) were lessened with a lower compression ratio. Pontiac removed the H.O. designation from the engine, and simply badged the shaker with 455 engine calouts.

 

[scottyz]

I used to think the hottest car in the world was the '73 455 Transam. But they don't allow street cars any more with that size of an engine, do they?

I wasn't aware there were any rules about the size of your engine. Having skinny tires up front and drag tires in the back will make your car illegal to driveon the street in this state.

 

[Billo_Really]

Originally posted by scottyz:
I wasn't aware there were any rules about the size of your engine. Having skinny tires up front and drag tires in the back will make your car illegal to driveon the street in this state.

Remember, if there was ever a thread not to take my word on anything, this is that thread. For I am the last person in the world you would want to consult with an issue about cars.

 

[Billo_Really]

Here's a question for ya'll:

What's the best muscle car in history?

• Ford Torino
• Oldsmobile 660 Cutluss
• '57 Vette
• '68 Stingray
• '67 Shelby GT Cobra
• '73 455 Trans Am
• Firrari
• Lambergini Countache
• De Tomaso Pantera
• Merdedes Benz C-111
• __________________

 

[shuamort]

I loved my friend's '74 Nova SS. You could feel yourself sink into the seats when he punched it. It was also one of the last muscle cars before the fuel shortages of the '70s hit.

My parents have a 70 RoadRunner that wins a lot of carshows up this way. They've got a little wall of trophies for that one.

But my overall preference would be the 6 barrel, 440, 1971 'Cuda convertible. That's f***in' hot.

 

[Blind man]

Here's a question for ya'll:

What's the best muscle car in history?

• Ford Torino
• Oldsmobile 660 Cutluss
• '57 Vette
• '68 Stingray
• '67 Shelby GT Cobra
• '73 455 Trans Am
• Firrari
• Lambergini Countache
• De Tomaso Pantera
• Merdedes Benz C-111
• __________________

That list is SOOOO wrong. A bunch of those aren't muscle cars by any stretch of the imagination. To give you a hint there's a BIG difference between a Muscle car, a sports car and a Rally Car (my fave). Mercedes Ferrari Lamborghini etc DON'T make muscle cars. They make High-end European style sports cars. I hate it when people try to compare different types of cars. A true Muscle car will smoke the European cars in 0-60, yet the second a corner comes along that same muscle car will fly off the road. They are Entireky different building philosophies. Muscle cars were pretty much invented in America and most Americans have a soft spot for them. Europeans for the most part just don't get it. A big part of that is the type of roads available.