Where Can I Find a Crate 289 Engine for my 68 Bronco?

[HajiF16]

Anyone know where I can find a crate 289 engine for my 1968 bronco?

 

[ntsqd]

I highly doubt that you're going to find a 289 crate engine anywhere. Can get a 302 from a couple places that come to mind.

Was it me, and there are reasonable junkyards near you (wherever that is), I'd go looking for a 5.0 Explorer. Unless you've no intention of going EFI at some point I would grab the WHOLE engine, wiring harness, PCM, everything. If no intention of future EFI then just grab the long block. Clean it up, install your front drive stuff, oil pan, etc, and run it. You will need a flywheel if yours isn't an auto trans, and your existing flywheel won't work.

 

[Chiclassics]

Explain what do you mean by "crate" , my interpretation is you meant "stock" ? Because anyone that knows that term crate should also know they dont make 289 crate blocks. Crate engines by companies blike blue print (https://blueprintengines.com/) summit racing only produce 302s (https://www.summitracing.com/search...e-engine-family/ford-windsor?kr=Crate+Engines). So if you mean a reusable running 289 or rebuildable 289, you will have plenty of options of ford cars of that era mustangs / mercury/ farilane / torino etc. came with 289s so you will have no trouble finding a 289. Unless you really want a crate and got 40grand for it. https://www.shelbyengines.com/collections/complete-engines

 

[904Bronco]

Explain what do you mean by "crate" , my interpretation is you meant "stock" ? Because anyone that knows that term crate should also know they dont make 289 crate blocks. Crate engines by companies blike blue print (https://blueprintengines.com/) summit racing only produce 302s (https://www.summitracing.com/search...e-engine-family/ford-windsor?kr=Crate+Engines). So if you mean a reusable running 289 or rebuildable 289, you will have plenty of options of ford cars of that era mustangs / mercury/ farilane / torino etc. came with 289s so you will have no trouble finding a 289. Unless you really want a crate and got 40grand for it. https://www.shelbyengines.com/collections/complete-engines

Bill Denbeste (who bought the engine side from Carroll) builds some beautiful motors, I have been to his shop in Windsor, CA and seen the production facilities.

 

[Broncobowsher]

I don't know of anyone doing 289 engines in bulk. Nobody has crates of them ready to ship.

They can be built. Either with a reman original block, or aftermarket block. I am pretty sure there is even a source of new cranks, I think out of England. But the engine would be built to your spec. Not pre-made.

The general premise of a crate engine is someone has built a bunch of them and has the stored in crates. Ready to use at a moment's notice. ither stock, or performance build. An engine in a crate where you don't pick how it is built, because it was built to someone else's plan month or years ago. To that, no crate 289s exist.

Not saying nobody builds them. I'm looking at putting one together in the coming years. I always felt the 289 was just a better running engine than the 302. For my application where I don't need the torque or HP of a larger engine, I think I will be happy with the 289. For reference I am building a boat engine where I plan to turn pretty high RPM for long periods of time at high loads. But don't want to overpower the hull or the drive.

 

[ntsqd]

OP, are you out there?

 

[JB Fab]

OP, are you out there?

Vapor lock???

 

[73azbronco]

not going to find a 289 crate. Be lucky to find a 289 that was not heavily worked on.

Not going to find an unbored 302 crate unless you go into expensive casted blocks. Oh, I bought the last known OEM NOS Ford short block 302 from Prescott Ford for $700 in 20012. Later sold to guy doing 65 mustang resto.

 

[ntsqd]

Other than casting numbers, how would anyone even know by looking in the engine bay that it was a 302 instead of a 289? Put all of the existing 289's external parts on a 302 and tell everyone that it's still the 289 and I doubt that many could prove you wrong.

 

[jscheier]

Casting number would be check #1. I thought the 289 also had a marking in the intake valley.... but maybe I'm thinking of the actual intake. It's been a minute since I had one.

My 289 block was turned into a solid roller cam 347 sitting in a 4-eyed 1986 Mustang GT.

 

[DirtDonk]

Even Edelbrock puts a “289” on one of their performer intakes.

But remember an actual “crate engine“ is by definition a brand new engine. Not a rebuilt.
Yes, you can get rebuilt engines, packaged in crates, but it’s not a crate engine unless it’s made from brand new parts.
Including, and especially, the block.
Originally crate engines came from the O.E. manufacturers themselves, and were sold through the dealers. In later years, other engine manufacturers have come up that cast their own engines. Blueprint is currently one of those.

So with that definition, you’d have to be extremely lucky and a diligent digger to come up with an original Ford engine still packaged in the crate. If such ever existed even back in the day? Probably, the GM is more well-known for doing that.

 

[serial car restorer]

Casting number would be check #1. I thought the 289 also had a marking in the intake valley.... but maybe I'm thinking of the actual intake.

Late 289 and early 302 are identical externally, even to casting numbers. Date code can give an idea, but not conclusive. The only way to know for certain is to pull head and measure the stroke (⅛" shorter for 289), or drop the pan and look at the crank marking.

Mine turned out to be a 289 based on the crank code.