How can I tell a 260 from a 289 in a 1963 Galaxie?

I heard you can tell by the timing chain cover..but I don't know the difference...

 

On post 66 260 & 289s the transmission bolt patterns will always be 6 bolt. Early bell housings (up to 1965) have a 5 bolt pattern.

 

I wonder if it's a 260 or 289 or somethin' else??

 

Ford vin the 5th digit is engine 8 or f is 260 c is 289 2v.

 

ALOT OF WRONG STUFF HERE...in 1963 some galaxies did have the 260 , and not all 289's were painted gold and had cruiseomatics. mine 63 galaxie came factory with the 289 five bolt block and it was painted ford blue with a 3 on the tree. and I have seen some wwith the 260 five bolt block with a tree on the tree and some with the overdrive. trans...

 

Quite frankly, you want to stay away from the 5-bolt motors unless you're a restorer (and I say that as a Ford guy). The manual bellhousings all use the '64-back trans pattern so that limits your trans choices, although it will allow you to use the early manual units without an adaptor if you're swapping into a fifties car (unless you can find the rare 5-bolt/'65-up trans bell used on the early '65 260 Mustangs). The 5-bolt C4 auto bells are hard to find and expensive too. A easy way to ID the 5-bolt block is the bellhousing bolts are smaller, only 9/16" heads IIRC. The 6-bolt used 5/8" heads.

Unless you have a known unmolested car, the only sure way to ID a 260/289 is casting numbers or check the bore size.

The 260 isn't a bad motor (Shelby used 'em in the prototype Cobras, and don't forget the Tigers) but it just didn't have the torque to move a big car like the full-size Fords unless you geared them low and used a OD trans. The 289 was better, but not by much; that's why most of these had 352s in them.

 

I realize that the original question was to determine 260 vs. 289 without crawling under the car, but the only sure way of determining short of measuring the cylinder bore is to remove the starter motor and note the cylinder block casting number above it.

Well depending on chassis and amount of grime, sometimes you can barely see the casting number using a mirror and flashlight with the starter in place. I used this method to verify a roller 351 engine in a truck once.

 

My guess is, that since it was almost 2 years ago, he figured it out

 

I assume if people are still posting to it there is still interest.

 

My 63 Club Victoria has a 289
Here is a site were you can find the codes: http://www.oldride.com/library/1963_ford_galaxie.html
Although some of the info is incorrect. it show by 63 box top body style, as a fast back. But it doe shave the engine codes.

 

Wiki is wrong. Look up the Ford F100 entry. Looks like someone hacked WIKI and put a bullshit story about some exotic FE production engine with some ungodly power only for the 65 model year before the government made ford pull it back. Total BS. Don't trust them

The early 63 Galaxie had a 260 as the standard V8.. Fordomatic was available with it.

Later galaxies dropped the 260 option and added the new 289, with a 3 speed cruisomatic. Both were 5 bolt blocks.

Consumers Reports even had a 260 Galaxie road test. It didn't do too well against the 283 Chevy or 318 Plymouth.

 

My 63 country sedan has a 289 with 2 speed ford o matic box , as fitted at factory

 

More likely it's because the grenade inspector dug it out of the archives 5000 pages back when he was searching for something on a 260 or 289. Interesting reading when you don't have a dog in the fight but quite a bit of conflicting information posted over a period of time.

 

Here's another Grenade Inspector thought. So the wonderful 260 should bolt right up to the three speed manual that is currently on my 1960 Ranchero 144 inline?

 

I had a 63 1/2 Falcon Sprint with a 260 and it ate 289's and 302's for lunch,but Gene Cromer massaged the heads quiet a bit. HRP