289 Sohc

OzJavelin · 08-05-2006, 01:51 PM

Just to prove nothing is really new .. I was reading an old "MuscleCars" magazine last night and found an article on smallblock Fords (written 1990) which detailed a 289 Windsor with SOHC:
"Ford engineers added aluminum cam boxes in place of the valve covers. The cams acted directly on the top of the modified rocker arms. The bump-sticks were driven by a 1-inch Gilmer belt that got it's twist from a crank-mounted pulley ... The result? With single 4-barrel, the engine cranked out 300hp. The 289 'cammer would also spin to 6500rpm with ease. The problem was that even with the additional rpm potential, the heads and manifold simply couldn't flow enough to keep up. Until that disappointment, Ford had intended to market the overhead cam setup as an over-the-counter kit to be installed by car owners looking for a higher level of performance. When the OHC didn't live up to expectations, the project found itself to be shelved."
I don't think 300hp from 289ci in the mid-sixties is too shabby? Kind of makes a SOHC 5.4L look under-rated. How cool would a SOHC 289 be in an XR GT?? Sweet!!!

Bossxr8 · 08-05-2006, 06:09 PM

Ford had a SOHC 427 available in the 60's. They made around 50 of them, they would have sold more but Nascar banned them from using it so they dropped it. Made around 600+ hp and revved past 7000rpm.

smciner1 · 08-05-2006, 08:15 PM

It would certainly have had potential.

nb_351 · 08-05-2006, 11:00 PM

i think everyone is wishing they built more of the 427 cammers... except the opposition... hehe
would have been the best motor out... imagine it in a gt40? or a cobra... or even a phase 2 like bil bourkes? hmmm

philstoj · 08-05-2006, 11:13 PM

The 289 in the shelby GT350 models was rated at 306hp, the R models a bit more.
The standard ford 289 Hp was rated at 271hp...
It obviously wasnt a viable option,otherwise they would have built it.
Also the 289's in the GT40's, and cobra's were rated at 385hp, and race ones that were fitted with fuel injection, and guerney westlake heads were rated at well over 400hp.
The 289 is a very nice little engine which wouldve been seeing well over 8000 rpm in racing cars back then, the 289 powered GT40's of the day had a top speed of 217 mph.

OzJavelin · 09-05-2006, 08:17 AM

... sounds like the 289 SOHC was basically a stock engine with the conversion .. imagine if it was setup to 289 HiPo specs .. or Shelby-ized??? Great little engines. Very cool ..

fast66 · 09-05-2006, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philstoj

The 289 in the shelby GT350 models was rated at 306hp, the R models a bit more.
The standard ford 289 Hp was rated at 271hp...
It obviously wasnt a viable option,otherwise they would have built it.
Also the 289's in the GT40's, and cobra's were rated at 385hp, and race ones that were fitted with fuel injection, and guerney westlake heads were rated at well over 400hp.
The 289 is a very nice little engine which wouldve been seeing well over 8000 rpm in racing cars back then, the 289 powered GT40's of the day had a top speed of 217 mph.

No, the Hipo 289 was rated at 271 hp. The standard 4 bbl was rated at 220Hp and the 2BBl was rated at 200Hp. (1966)Keep in mind those power ratings are not comparable to current measurement figures.

all4ford · 09-05-2006, 04:22 PM

Sorry if this is a dumb question. but how do they convert an engine to OHC, what do they do with the area in the block where the cam use to sit?

OzJavelin · 09-05-2006, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by all4ford

Sorry if this is a dumb question. but how do they convert an engine to OHC, what do they do with the area in the block where the cam use to sit?

Good question actually? If it wasn't a solid lifter jobbie, then they need to at least block off the oil galleries and whatnot? I don't see any point in keeping the cam/lifters/etc in ...
Rod.

turboute · 09-05-2006, 07:57 PM

They could just leave it empty - as long as the oil returned to the sump there would be no problems in theory.

Barry_v · 09-05-2006, 10:54 PM

well you would need the cam to still be turning so that the dizzy/oil pump would still be driven. so chances are they just left it there.

philstoj · 10-05-2006, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philstoj

The standard ford 289 Hp was rated at 271hp....

Quote:

Originally Posted by fast66

No, the Hipo 289 was rated at 271 hp. The standard 4 bbl was rated at 220Hp and the 2BBl was rated at 200Hp. (1966)Keep in mind those power ratings are not comparable to current measurement figures.

Exactly! the 289 hp is the hipo!!

Rev28K · 10-05-2006, 11:08 AM

There were a couple of aftermarket companies back in the 80’s/90’s that had/talked about an overhead conversion to pushrod Ford V8’s (I can’t remember if they were Windsors or Clevos). I think they had different heads bolted on to the stock blocks. The drive to the OHC was taken by rubber belts (maybe chains) from the front of the crank.

Expensive as all hell – I don’t know what they did with the distributor drive.

BJ · 10-05-2006, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Ford had a SOHC 427 available in the 60's. They made around 50 of them, they would have sold more but NASCAR banned them from using it so they dropped it. Made around 600+ hp and revved past 7000rpm.

Were did you pluck that figure from. Ford had to make 500 of them to get them homologated for NASCAR. If they only had made fifty than it would have put the 30 that Mickey Thompson race with nearly all of the stock ford had. Plus the 20 odd that ford had throw at Connie Kallita, and the other 10 that they gave Jack Roush for his race program. And there top rev range was 6800 not 7000rpm. The main reason was the 6foot timing chain in them. The Little 289 would have be a bit of a weapon though.

Bossxr8 · 11-05-2006, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BJ

Were did you pluck that figure from. Ford had to make 500 of them to get them homologated for NASCAR. If they only had made fifty than it would have put the 30 that Mickey Thompson race with nearly all of the stock ford had. Plus the 20 odd that ford had throw at Connie Kallita, and the other 10 that they gave Jack Roush for his race program. And there top rev range was 6800 not 7000rpm. The main reason was the 6foot timing chain in them. The Little 289 would have be a bit of a weapon though.

I got that info out of the story in Street Machine last month. They didn't make many as it was banned not long after they started production. Why be so pedantic?

BJ · 11-05-2006, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

I got that info out of the story in Street Machine last month. They didn't make many as it was banned not long after they started production. Why be so pedantic?

Because that how misinformation gets started that why. Like the fact that every one states that the four barrel Autolite inline carby is actually four single carbs, when in fact it's not and guess who started that one as well, yep good old Street Machine. I believe half of what they write and 10% of what i see in that mag. Call me pedantic if you like but unlike some i like to no the facts.

:

Bossxr8 · 11-05-2006, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BJ

Because that how misinformation gets started that why. Like the fact that every one states that the four barrel Autolite inline carby is actually four single carbs, when in fact it's not and guess who started that one as well, yep good old Street Machine. I believe half of what they write and 10% of what i see in that mag. Call me pedantic if you like but unlike some i like to no the facts.

:

Well maybe you should provide the exact numbers of Cammers produced.

philstoj · 11-05-2006, 05:09 PM

BJ is right though, there were quite a few more the 50 made as they did sell them over the counter as a complete engine (crate engine) aswell.
I dont know the exact figures, but even though they were banned from NASCAR, to qualify them, they wouldve made a minimum number much greater than 50.
As BJ said, they were fitted to various different drags cars, nitro funny cars,altereds,AFX cars etc.
Would be good to see if anyone knows how many they made.
As for street machine.....