(from original drawing by Ford Motor Company - 1965)
As a Christmas present to myself this year (1997), I promised that I would rebuild the engine in my 1965 Mustang 2+2 fastback. Well, it only started off as a head job, NO, an engine head job! But the engine was so full of sludge, I thought it might as well have the bottom end done as well. What the hell, my friend Andy, persuaded me to take the lump out, and sit it on the floor and do the lot. One evening later and the bonnet is in my bedroom, intake manifold, carb and sump are in the living room, and the engine is sat on a door mat in the garage. After degreasing with paraffin and a toothbrush, then a trip down the car jet wash, the engine block has just been moved from the kitchen since drying.
Now the garage is only a small garage, and the car is still in it, with no engine, so there is only a working space of 2 feet x 5 feet, not including a small table. It can be done. At the moment, the engine has been honed, cleaned, painted, and waiting for new cam bearings, as the middle one had thrown itself in a pile of bits. New main bearings, new big end bearings, new cam and lifters, new rings and a new timing chain set. So hopefully by the end of February '98, everything should be back in, cleaned, painted and looking very lovely.
Ford 289cid small block (4.7Lt) 'C' Engine as it was after the June '97 tidy up.
And this is what it looks like as from 18th January 1998, a pile of bits.
Well, as from 25th January, the block is back from Lancaster Engines, (Lancaster UK), and the new cam bearings are in and feel lovely with the new cam in. Also they lovingly removed the piston bore ridge and put a lovely bevelled edge on the lip, so it is sitting in the garage awaiting the crank, and pistons to go in next week. I have yet to put all the new rings onto the pistons, but that is a job for Monday and Tuesday night.
OK, February 1st, 1998 - crank and pistons are now in, new cam chain and sprocket kit are in, front cover and damper are on. Everything turns over real nice. All bearings and ring gaps are within minimum tolerances, it will burn a bit of oil until run in, but a small price to pay for peace of mind. All I am waiting for now are the heads back from Blackpool Road and Rally, then they can go on, then the wonderful job of putting the engine back in the car. From the photo just above, you can see how much room I have to rebuild a Ford small block V8. To take that photo, I am stood outside the garage!
1st march, 1998. The heads came back from Blackpool, new valve guides, hardened exhaust valve seats inserted into the head, all the valves cleaned up and cut for new and old seats, lovely! Both heads are now on, exhaust manifold painted white. I know what your saying, "White?!". But I wanted some other colour than black in the engine bay, and my mate had some VHT white lying around. OK. Everything is connected now, just need a Holley float bowl gasket making, then the engine will live and breath again. Even the electrics work, wow! The new front dual speaker works really well, instead of the stock single one.
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last updated - 1st March, 2005