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Re: My Other DIY Project.

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 9:29 am
by bassmonster
I'm mostly being facetious. I bought the engine because it was only $100 and good experience to try fully rebuilding an engine, seeing as the 289 is one of the easiest engines to rebuild and the iron block is forgiving to minor errors. This is one of the more common Ford engines so parts are plentiful and cheap. By the end of this project I'll only have invested about $500, and I can resell a good, running engine for about that or more. It weighs about 400 lbs, so it would be significantly detrimental to handling if I were to install it in my car. Subarus handle pretty well stock because the horizontally opposed engine has a very low center of gravity.

I've totally ruined this car, but it's not about the car, it's about the experience of modifying it.

Re: My Other DIY Project.

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 9:54 am
by bassmonster
jimbo7 wrote:congrats! you now own a boat anchor! :roll:
Why do you say that? There are people making 350 HP out of this motor with a stroker setup and roller cams and rockers and a Holley 600. Getting 11 second quarter mile times out of a motor from 1967 ain't that bad. But yeah, it's heavy. :lol:

Re: My Other DIY Project.

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 10:39 am
by Bruce Weldy
Now you just need a 67 Mustang to wrap around it.....then, you've got a car!

Re: My Other DIY Project.

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 11:56 am
by 67baja
Bruce Weldy wrote:Now you just need a 67 Mustang to wrap around it.....then, you've got a car!
Or a Ford Ranger. Pretty easy to swap a 289/302 into those little trucks.

Re: My Other DIY Project.

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 11:40 pm
by bassmonster
67baja wrote:Or a Ford Ranger. Pretty easy to swap a 289/302 into those little trucks.
Ooh..now I'm interested. There's a bunch of old Rangers around here going for dirt cheap. We had two '99s and they were great trucks. Underpowered, but lightweight and would still do burnouts on command in the rain. :mrgreen:

Now you've got me thinking...

Re: My Other DIY Project.

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 12:42 am
by 67baja
I had a 94 2wd Ranger work truck that finally died. It had the 3.0 v6 (which is IMO a turd among turds) and a rebuilt 3.0 was around $1600. I was finding 5.0's a dime a dozen. Just get - don't quote me on this - Mustang convertible engine mounts, an external oil filter mount kit, then if possible get a 99-2k Explorer 5.0 because it has the shorter accessory mounts so it fits the engine compartment a bit easier. Add tranny of your choice (t-5, c4, or AOD) and electric fan, etc. Done. On paper it should only take about an afternoon, in reality though it will take 5 years. LOL.

I just sold my old Ranger last weekend rather than go through the engine swap.

Re: My Other DIY Project.

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 9:13 am
by bassmonster
I transmission swapped my Forester, so I know how these things go- twice the money and twice the time expected. :loler: The Ranger swap is so popular they sell an engine swap kit for it now for the 289/302 engines that includes the motor mounts and a special set of headers that have proper clearance. I like the simplicity of a carbed motor so you don't have to mess with too much electrical harness junk. Now I just need to go to a junkyard to find a T5, get a 5-bolt bell housing, starter plate, etc. Should be pretty easy to find a Ranger with a blown motor too. Now if only I had play money...maybe this will have to wait till junior year of college when I have a co-op.

Re: My Other DIY Project.

Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 11:39 am
by David Raehn
Heads-up on the T-5!

S10 Pickups from the late '80s and early '90s had T-5 trannies.
You might be able to find one there where no one else has bothered to look!

Re: My Other DIY Project.

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 2:18 am
by Ryan Sober
I had a '93 S10, V6. Loved that little truck, but the 4L60E 4-speed automatic was an absolutely terrible transmission.
It was working on eating it's third when I finally traded it in.
Then again, it may not have been the transmission's fault... :oops:

Re: My Other DIY Project.

Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 11:13 am
by bassmonster
My supercharger is working now :mrgreen:





Something tells me I have a vacuum leak :lol:

Re: My Other DIY Project.

Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 11:57 am
by Tom Smit
Yes, it seems like you might have. Is that measured between the throttle plate(s) and the blower?

I noticed your tailpipe, which isn't so "tail". Where I am, it would not a safety inspection since it does not exit outside of the passenger compartment. This could allow the deadly fumes to rise up into the passenger compartment. Putting one of these dresses things up nicely, though.

Re: My Other DIY Project.

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:07 pm
by bassmonster
Well, I fixed the vacuum leak today. It was between the charge piping and the intake manifold, and a new coupler tightened it up. I also re-routed the PCV piping for better flow. I'm still having idle lope on a cold start, but that's OK.

I'm not really worried about the exhaust. I usually run with the stock muffler, but since it's been nice outside I can lower all the windows and listen to the rumble and whine of the supercharger. We don't have any inspection here. :hyper: I'm really enjoying the supercharger. :mrgreen: Even at only 3-4 psi, it's pulling much harder than it used to. Once I put the bumper and stock muffler back on, this thing will be a total sleeper. The supercharger isn't really loud until 3000 RPM.

I also picked up the stock numbers matching long block from my grandmother's 1970s VW Beetle Champagne edition, so I'll be rebuilding that. My projects are starting to take up a lot of garage space. :lol:

Re: My Other DIY Project.

Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 12:18 am
by Tom Smit
Haha, have fun.
Soon you'll need your own place. :D

Re: My Other DIY Project.

Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2014 3:39 am
by SayAgain
You want to talk off road? I got yer off road right here! Only 200hp but I can easily do 140mph once I'm off the pavement.

http://youtu.be/SAShhdyZUzI

Beaux

Re: My Other DIY Project.

Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2014 12:28 pm
by Tom Smit
SayAgain wrote:You want to talk off road? I got yer off road right here! Only 200hp but I can easily do 140mph once I'm off the pavement.

http://youtu.be/SAShhdyZUzI

Beaux
Boy, does that video bring back memories! Last year I made 4 round trips (2 hours each way) in an Airbus 320.