Technical Early K code 289 thoughts

I just brought home an early K code 289 that was put on a stand in the corner in 1969 and not touched again until Saturday.

Hopefully some of you really know your '60s Fords.
This engine was pulled from a wrecked car in 1966 or 67. The person that got the engine in the '60s has told me on many occasions that it was supposedly pulled from a wrecked 1963 Falcon Sprint. I have checked the date code and it is indeed a mid 1963 engine. However, I have not been able to find any mention of a Hi-Po 289 being put in the '63 Falcon. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

I am also wanting opinions on what I should do with this engine. This engine is in surprisingly good shape considering it sat in the corner of an old machine shed for 47 years. Engine is not stuck and is very complete including the correct exhaust manifolds. The only parts missing are the fuel pump(had an electric pump when it was last in a vehicle) and the distributor cap. Carb was stored separately and needs rebuilt. I would like to have another 289 on the street, but many of the parts would be replaced(pump gas pistons, swap the solid lifter cam, newer heads, aluminum intake).
Should I start with this engine and alter it to be what I want or sell it and build the later low hp 289 I have?

If I decide to let it go, any suggestions what it is worth?
Thanks

 

I'd sell it to somebody restoring a k code Mustang, Fairlane. It's worth more as complete running engine than keeping it and modifying it. What's it worth?
Providing it has all the right parts, balancer, heads, etc. could be around $6k-7k.

 

In 63 it would have been a 260". Were there K Codes in 63? Even the first Mustang V-8's were 260's.

 

If it is a true K-Code 289, it is not from a Falcon, and not from 1963.

If it is one, sell it off to a restorer, and build another one with the profit.

 

The k-code 289 was actually released in the Fairlane in 1963. Correct early version engines are a little less valuable than 64-67 versions and I would estimate $4500-7000 . A mid 64 to 66 carburetor and fan can bring $2000 -2500 for the pair and a pair of correct cylinder heads will fetch a couple thousand because of the mustang and Shelby use all with C4 - C7 casting numbers but the C3 castings will generally be a little bit less unless you find an early Cobra owner needing them.


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None of my books show that. Where did you get that information?

 

Ford built about 200 of the 271HP 289s late in '63, but all were installed in Fairlane Sport Coupes along with a 4-speed (and this was the only 289 in the Fairlane in '63). 'Standard' 289s were available mid-year in full-size Fords, the Falcon/Comet only got the 260. The hi-po motor then became available in the Mustang in '64 as well as still being available in the Fairlane. They were never offered in the Falcon or Comet as the hi-po exhaust manifolds wouldn't fit the smaller engine compartments of these (other than some 'race specials' built by Mercury and Ford of Canada that weren't sold to the general public). Compared to 'standard' 289 4Vs, there were very minor differences in the block (slightly wider main caps), same crank/rods as 'regular' 289s (with larger 3/8" rod bolts), different front damper (due to the extra weight of the rod bolts), dual-point distributor with no vacuum advance, 600 CFM carb with manual choke. The heads were different in that they had cast-in spring pockets and factory screw-in studs, but featured the same port/valve sizes as 'regular' 289s. So in terms of performance, they really didn't have anything over a 'standard' 289 as a base for a performance build. The NHRA class racers almost always used the lower hp 289 4V rather than the hi-po as you could get the same power with a 60 hp lower 'factor' when figuring weight/class breaks.

The other issue is the '63/64 (and all 260) blocks used the 'five bolt' bellhousing and this severely limits your transmission choices. Unless you're restoring a '63/64 Fairlane or '64 Mustang 'K' code car, you'll be better off selling this to a restorer and using a later small block. Even if it's not a K-code 289, a good five-bolt 289 block is hard to find these days and will be worth good money to a restorer. Even the 260 blocks are worth money, just not as much.

 

If I remember correctly, the early engines were higher compression(11.5:1?) but the heads weren't quite as good. Is that correct?

I always thought it was really strange to have been in a Falcon. That car would have only been 3 years old when it was in the salvage yard. I will forever be curious as to what the story on that car was. Amateur racer? Just some hot rodder in the right place at the right time to have come across a wrecked near new Fairlane?

 

The 289 Hi-Po 271 hp K Code engines were 4 bbl, solid lifter engines. A bit faster idle and 'nervous' cam sounds. The only one I had direct contact with was a white '66 model Mustang Fastback with a C4 Cruiseomatic. At the time ('66 &'67) I worked in a small town Ford dealer's shop and one of our better customers owned the car. He'd bring it in for oil changes, I'd take him back to work, in the Mustang, and get the great pleasure of driving it, always respectfully. It was my dream car.

in those days we also serviced a '63 Falcon Sprint semi-fastback, 260 V8 with Fordomatic. They were a hydraulic lifter, 2 bbl engine as produced. Another car I lusted after but could not afford then. Many years later I did buy a Sprint hardtop, 260 with factory iron T-10 4 Spd.

If your engine is in fact from a '63 model Falcon Sprint, it is a 260. That's not a bad thing, just not as powerful, or valuable, as the 289 Hi-Po.......one of my all time favorite factory engines.

Ray

 

Could be mistaken memory on the part of the previous owner or maybe a previous mod to the wrecked Falcon. Either way, I'm pretty sure it is the 289. It was altered very little from stock(electric fuel pump being the only change I am aware of). It currently has(at least since '66 or '67) dual point distributor, 4bbl, solid lifters, factory cast iron 'headers'.

 

I wish I could just clean up the engine and run it. But, I'm not too excited about the idea of buying $6 or $8 gas to suit the compression. I was also told by the previous owner that, when you run it like it was meant to be run, you frequently have to set the valves due to the solid lifters/rpm.

 

is the bellhousing a 5 or 6 bolt?

 

Ford never installed a factory high-compression 4V motor in the Falcon until the very end of production (the '70 1/2 Torino 'Falcon' stripper, which interestingly enough could be had with any of the Torino motors up to and including the 429 Ram Air), so if it's factory 4V (hi-po or otherwise), it didn't come in a Falcon. Now, Mercury offered a 'K code' 289 in the '64 Comet, but this wasn't the same motor. For some obscure reason, they used this code for their version of the standard 289 4V. This did cause confusion, but it was still just a 289 4V. And take Ford block/head casting numbers with a grain of salt; Ford wouldn't change the numbers until they used up current stock, and sometimes not even then. Where the real money on these motors is in the heads (sometimes) and the external accessories. Correct dampers, date-correct dual-point distributors and carbs, fans, and generator pulleys specific to the hi-po are hard to find. I mention date correct because Ford sold a lot of those dual-point distributors over the counter, if yours has a C5OZ-12127-E number, it's probably a 'service replacement'.

And the easy way to tell if it's 5-bolt or 6-bolt is to check the size of the bellhousing bolts; the 5-bolt is 3/8-16, the 6-bolt is 7/16-14.

 

Factory Kcodes had engine number on just above pass side pan rail. That number matched chassis number of original car. Check k code registry to see if car is still around. Owner will pay big money for a matching number hipo.

 

I've had a July 8,1964 mustang k code convertible for many years and use to deal in shelby and mustang parts . I believe Bob Mannels book or Tony Gregory's book or books will provide more info on it. A couple more things to note on the very early engine is they had the 1.12 carb but were not manual choke and the C3 casting heads were a smaller combustion chamber with higher compression.
As for the vin number stamped above the right front oil pan rail, not all were stamped. People will argue about it. You will also find arguments about the oil galley plugs behind the cam gear tapped with pipe plugs or conventional cup press in plugs. I've had them both ways.

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To my knowledge, you couldn't get a 289 in the Falcon in '63. The Sprint had the 260 (correct me if I'm wrong). You could order a 289 Hi Po in a Fairlane, though. If the dude is telling you it was out of a Falcon, I would check the numbers and make sure that you actually have a Hi Po engine there. The performance differences between the standard 289 and Hi Po really weren't that crazy and most guys that are looking for a Hi Po are doing so because they want the less-optioned numbers matching motor.

 

As others have said, sell the K-code motor to a restorer since you're not really excited about what makes a K code a K code. You can build a nasty small block ford for what you'll probably make in profit.

 

A woman that I worked with in 1963 bought a brand new Falcon Sprint 4 speed and it was a 260. My dad ordered a new Mustang in late 1964 and he wanted the 260 and it came through with the 289. What we're all telling you is that there were no K code's in 1963.

 

They did build a handful of 65 Falcons with the 271 horse 289. They were 2 door sedans and built in Canada.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=...98Ca69NMXaRinldfQZTEDWtg&ust=1478705820360797

 

I acknowledge that. I was merely suggesting that the engine may have been transplanted into a Falcon already so early in it's life. Certainly not an impossibility considering when it was purchased in '66 or '67 it immediately went into a '62 Mercury Meteor and then in '69 this engine was briefly in a '66 Mustang.

 

I think at this point we are more or less in agreement that this was likely a Fairlane motor originally. It is definitely a '63. Date stamped 3F06.

 

Check the block there should be vin or partial vin hand stamped on it.
My big block cars have it on the left rear just below the cyl. head.

 

If this truly came as original equipment in this Falcon the biggest cubic inch it could be is 260 CID. The bell housing bolt pattern of 5 bolts and have casting plugs below the cylinder deck 289 usually have 3.... so you need to verify first ...if it is a 289 or a 260 or even a 221 for that matter since the story does not make sense if claimed to be original equipment.

 

and have casting TWO plugs below---- objection sustained..... earlier post nails it,,,,,,Date stamped 3F06.

 

What would be a fair $ amount for this engine?
I am figuring a guy would want to at least clean it up and replace gaskets. Carb needs rebuilt from being stored separately in less than ideal conditions. Also, distributor needs cap, points. May need water pump. Engine does not have generator, but does have bracket. Has water pump and crank pulleys as well as flywheel. I can't figure out how this engine isn't full of critters as the only thing that was closed up was the intake(had a leather glove laid over the carb pad with a weight on it). But, as I said, it turns over fine. I took the exhaust manifolds off to check for mouse nests or whatever and, amazingly, there are no signs of mice ever bothering. It's a good thing the homemade stand was fairly tall as the legs had sunk into the dirt 8 or 10 inches over all these years.

 

That's where I believe some of my posts have been misleading/misunderstood. It was never claimed to be original to the Falcon. Just that it was removed from a Falcon when it came to my family in the mid '60s. That was part of my original inquiry to see if it was possible for this engine to have been original to the Falcon.

 

I know that seven gets tossed around a lot on the internet, it gets repeated from what was printed in the Wild Child article, but I have seen other older sources that say there were 60 built.

 

LOL I was going to post that when I have a Ford specific question my goto guy is Crazy Steve, but it looks like he already has it under control.

 

And...there was at least one 1965 Canadian Falcon k code 4 speed convertible built in Oakville Ontario. It raced out of Winnipeg from 1965 through the early 70's under the names "One of a Kind" and then "Frustration" with Johnny Kulchiski at the wheel. I owned and restored this car.

As for the original posters question...post some pictures of your motor (damper, main caps, rod bolts, valve spring pockets etc.) it's easy to confirm k code details...if is indeed a k code sell it to a restorer and start with a base c code or a code 289 for you project...you'll probably rnd up with a free motor and money in your jeans.

 

good thread.