How much are you willing to spend?

i used Coyote engines for my truck's engine rebuild. They gave a 50000 mile 3 year warranty.... they were the best deal in the metroplex, the engine is running well. Dont know about what they will charge. Esp that it is only the long block engine rebuild not install.. you might get off for cheap 

look on craigslist for builders too.

I just saw on craigslist a 302 engine and 4R70W transmission from a 94 or something Ford F150 .. for 800 obo   you could look into that and get those rebuilt

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/pts/5243781606.html

Last edited by Gaba (11/06/2015 1:14 PM)

You are going to be hard pressed to be able to do a true rebuild for 1000 dollars, even doing all the reassembly yourself.

If you are willing to assemble the engine, you can save a lot.  If you are willing to source the engine to rebuild (e.g., pick and pull) and deliver it to the machine shop, you can save even more.  I recommend Performance Auto Supply, 4904 Samuell Blvd, Mesquite, TX 75149.  They did the cylinder heads on my engine and I was very happy.

Hornman wrote:

Gaba wrote:

I just saw on craigslist a 302 engine and 4R70W transmission from a 94 or something Ford F150 .. for 800 obo   you could look into that and get those rebuilt

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/pts/5243781606.html

 
That 4R70W will not fit under that 66 convert without extensive driveshaft tunnel modifications. Plus it interferes with the exhaust pipes.

Au Contraire Hornman!! Gaba's idea is very worthy.
The 4R70W will fit very nicely. Just do not use the 4R70W yoke It does have a large harmonic balancer which will get in the way.Swap out the 4R70W's tailshaft housing for one from an AOD and use a T-5 yoke, which has longer internal splining and is stronger.
Lots of 65-66 Mustangs utilize 4R70W's, Barry aka 5.0 Vert and I for examples.

Tubo
 

I am going to swap out my 650 edelbrock  4 barrel for a 2 barrel, change out the plug wires and check for any vacuum leaks in an attempt to smooth out the roughness. If these minor things dont work I guess I will pull the heads and have them re worked. 

I have to agree with the 5.0 idea.  The roller, injected 5.0 is a serious longevity machine.  The 90 GT that I got from my brother, and sold to JKB had nearly 160k on it and it used no oil, made no strange noises, went like stink, and delivered 30mpg.  My donor 89 Lincoln TC had nearly 200k on it and the standard (not HO) 5.0 came 320 miles, over the mountains from Denver at 70mph, with the air going and delivered  23mph...no smoke, no noises and I bought the whole car for $400.  They are out there and if you are in a cash crunch a used, good running 5.0 is a cheap, reliable way to go.  Then find another for a core and spend a year building a really nice engine as the cash is available.  Just sayin'.

IMO...and I'm not alone here, pouring $$$ into a flat tappet cammed engine with soft exh. valve seats is really not a prudent, efficient use of your bux.  There are much better, efficient, cost effective ways to go.

As for the 4R70W?  It's essentially the same size as the AOD and I know that will fit.  What Corky says about the tail shaft housing is true, and an easy fix.  The stock H-pipe will NOT clear, however, but that by itself shouldn't be a stopper.  If you have a budget issue the trans swap is not cheap.  Besides the price of rebuilding the trans, if needed, the controller is around $600 so you probabably would prfer to hold off on that for a while.

I am curious about a 5.0 with 4R70W out of an F150.  I though the 4R70W went into the F150 in 97 and the available V8s then were the 4.6 and 5.4.   Someone please straighten me out.  I do believe a 4R70W could be had behind a 5.0 in the last of the Exploders. 

BB

Last edited by Bullet Bob (11/08/2015 9:11 PM)

If you are prepared to spend $1,000.00 on an engine overhaul, you should also be prepared to be seriously disappointed.  Properly done, the project will conservatively cost three or four times your target cost.  Even the City motors idea will exceed your budget.
Best of luck,
Al

skunkape wrote:

I am going to swap out my 650 edelbrock  4 barrel for a 2 barrel, change out the plug wires and check for any vacuum leaks in an attempt to smooth out the roughness. If these minor things dont work I guess I will pull the heads and have them re worked. 

I hate to keep slang'in bad news butt......IF you choose to have the heads re-done it will end up stressing the old bottom end even more. Re-doing 289 heads is like "lipstick on a the proverbial squealer".  Best that could happen later......use the re-done heads on a newer 5.0 roller motor.(which would be like" trying to puke with a "re-done" rope around your neck!")
Sorry for the smart alec phrases butt they are true. Re fub'ed 289 heads WILL help boost compression on newer engine butt they just won't flow much with the small ports and valves. You COULD have bigger valves installed and do a little porting..........then you got more $$ tied up than a set of after market heads.
Its just a mad circle or......"like a dog chasing his own tail"! (I'm just full of the phrases this morning!)
The big question is........."when he catches his tail...what's he gonna do next"! (it goes on-and-on..I just can't help myself!)
 

For anything but a restoration rebuilding a 289 just isn't worth it.  If you want more power it really isn't worth it.  The old head castings suck, and you can easily exceed the cost of new entry level aluminum heads trying to get them to flow better.  By the time you've done seats, guides, valves, screw in studs, and porting you've got a set of heads using 50 year old design theory and casting technology that might flow as well as a set of out of the box Edelbrocks (which are at least 50 pounds lighter even if everything else is equal).  Redoing stock iron heads like that is only worthwhile for guys doing class racing where they are restricted to stock casting numbers. 

The benefit of a roller cam, and the cost to update an old block for roller operation isn't worth it either.  $100 for a set of lifters vs. $350.  Plus, you get a lot of power under the curve with a roller due to the ramps being more aggressive.

The idea of building an 8,000RPM screamer out of a 289 is intriguing to me, but for street driving I'm sticking with more cubes and low end torque. 

 

I have a 87 HO  5.0 that I haven't heard run.  But I checked out the bearing and they look good.  They cylinders look good to.  Im either having a Valve Job done on the stock heads and going with it. Or improving the heads with some Aluminum Heads and call it good.   If it gives me problems or is Mosquito Killer Ill pull it and have it rebuilt.    Steve69