85 Ranger getting some teeth...

[baddad457]

1.585 will give you about .020 down the hole at TDC. That's about 4 cc's volume to add to the 9.5 (head gasket) and about another 5 ccs for the valve reliefs. Add some 58 cc heads and you'll have a 9 to 1 comp ratio. The 289 heads will bump it up to about 9.5.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Will I have to use the 289's valvetrain too?

I think the rocker arms for the 302 that I have all cleaned up in the bottom drawer of my toolbox at work have bigger main pivot ball sections than those on my 289... maybe they changed something else. If so that is a bummer, the 289's are wore down to the point that the rocker arms were rubbing on the valve spring retainer washers.

 

[baddad457]

Depends on the 289 heads. The pre April 66 heads used different rockers than the post April 66 heads (rail rockers). I've got a spare set of these early rockers if you want them. Just pay the shipping. I was keeping em for some reason, but looks like they'll never get used. Think I still have most of the pushrods that went with em too. (they're hardened for use with the early heads)

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Both rockers fit the "rail rocker" discription in my book, the 302's have a bigger ball and wider "rails" that straddle the valve but otherwise are identical in concept to the 289's.

They don't look like what they show for the pre-rail rockers that are just rounded on the valve side of the rocker and uses the pushrod to locate, and the 302's are not the goofy looking stamped ones they show for a '78 302.

 

[baddad457]

Rail rocker heads have a round hole for the pushrod to pass thru the head. Pre-rail heads have a narrow rectangular slot. The date code is also an indicator.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I can't find a normal casting # but this is all I found.

The rocker arms, 289 left and 302 right:

The little nub for the crankshaft position senser on my 302 block if it would have actually had it.

 

[baddad457]

Rail rocker heads. The casting numbers are on the bottom side of the intake ports. Post a pic of the chambers

 

[baddad457]

From what it looks like, the valves are pretty well f--ked. Tips all chewed up from the rockers. Might be better to find better set of heads.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

From what it looks like, the valves are pretty well f--ked. Tips all chewed up from the rockers. Might be better to find better set of heads.

I was going to tear them apart and see what I have. One thought that I like about going thru them is I will know what I have when I am done, worst case new guides, seats and valves.

I thought that when I bought the 302, the 289 was about shot thru and thru so I would just buy a better engine... and it wasn't much better. I am kinda getting the vibe that if I don't settle down and rebuild what I have I will just keep dragging home other peoples crap in hopes that it is better than what I have and by the time I am done I have spent more than if I had just fixed it in the first place.

If nothing else, the 302 doesn't seem to have nearly as much wear/abuse, I could probably run those heads if I wanted to. The worst 302 is still better than the best 2.8... and mine is far from the best.

 

[baddad457]

A set of E7 heads would give it a bump in compression, especially if you mill em .040 first. That will decrease the chambers from 64 to 58 ccs, that's a full 12 cc's less than the D8 heads the 78 motor came with. Port the E7's and you'll have a good set heads, better than the 289's. Good serviceable E7's are easy to find.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

A set of E7 heads would give it a bump in compression, especially if you mill em .040 first. That will decrease the chambers from 64 to 58 ccs, that's a full 12 cc's less than the D8 heads the 78 motor came with. Port the E7's and you'll have a good set heads, better than the 289's. Good serviceable E7's are easy to find.

By the time I buy different heads, have them milled and ported would I be much farther ahead than just putting guides and exhaust valve guide seats in my 289 heads?

I have seen loaded heads advertised on craigslist and whatnot, but they are usually at least $100 a head and go up wildly from there. I don't exactly remember what the bill was, but I didn't think it was that bad to put all new guides and seats in a 6 cyl. diesel head on a tractor that came thru the shop a couple months ago, like $200 or a little less. And that was for a Massey-Ferguson so everything costs more.

 

[logicgear]

did you every check on the dripsitck location? i think 83 is when they started putting them in the block. i have a 66 289 and mines in the timing cover so i have to get a pan that has a dipstick hole in it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

did you every check on the dripsitck location? i think 83 is when they started putting them in the block. i have a 66 289 and mines in the timing cover so i have to get a pan that has a dipstick hole in it.

Yup, so far the best place I have found to get a dual sump with a dipstick is a store on Ebay.

 

[baddad457]

By the time I buy different heads, have them milled and ported would I be much farther ahead than just putting guides and exhaust valve guide seats in my 289 heads?

I have seen loaded heads advertised on craigslist and whatnot, but they are usually at least $100 a head and go up wildly from there. I don't exactly remember what the bill was, but I didn't think it was that bad to put all new guides and seats in a 6 cyl. diesel head on a tractor that came thru the shop a couple months ago, like $200 or a little less. And that was for a Massey-Ferguson so everything costs more.

The difference is going to be on how good the set of E7's is to start with. You know your 289 heads are going to need new valves. Chances are if you're careful in shopping, you can get by with a set of E7's that only need a valve job after porting. That's what I did with the sets I ported. The only out of pocket expense on the first set was $50 for the heads, about $70-100 for the valve job, plus whatever I spent on porting kit and a set of long stemmed carbide porting bits.(which I've since used on at least 4 more sets of heads) I put $150 in those heads 8 years ago, they're still running now on a second build in my Ranger. I also topped em off with a used set of Cobra roller rockers (also bought used with over 100K miles on em) All told, I invested $250 in these heads and rockers. And still enjoying them after 8 years.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Only the exhaust valve tips are buggered up, so from here only half would need replaced. They are still in the heads so I don't know what the other side looks like. It is a busy time of year with planting in full swing and I haven't got back to them to finish stripping them yet.