259 to 289 rebuild

[The Hawk]

I am going to rebuild my 259 engine and I would like to know what it takes to change it to a 289.

[irish]

You will need the 289 crankshaft and 289 pistons, the other parts are the same.

[gordr]

You will also have to bore the block to the next available oversize. There will be a slight ridge at the bottom of the 259 ring travel area, that could really cause grief if ou installed a longer-stroke crank and did not clean up the bores.

[Jim B PEI]

...and would a 57 259 block work just as well as a 63 259 block for a 289 makeover, for fitting into a 63 Wagon? Anything else that has to be changed, or year specific? The 57 is an automatic, the 63 is an overdrive 3 speed, BTW.

[Tom Bredehoft]

Jim, keep your flywheel, and bolts. They (the bolts) need to be installed before the rear main cap goes on.

Thats if you want to keep the 3sp OD. otherwise, keep the flex plate and it's bolts. It would be an easier swap if you kept the original transmission in the car.

But there is little if any difference between the 57 and 63 engines, externally.

If I understand you, you want to convert your 63 259 to a 289, no problems. If you have a 57 and want to convert it and put it in your 63, again no problems, but you will want to use a partial flow oil filter. Still no problems.

[PackardV8]

Until the crank, rods and pistons were installed and the serial number stamped, all the '55-62 and '62-64 blocks began life the same. Any 224", 259", 289" or even the mighty 304.5" came out of the same foundry and down the same machining line. Any of these blocks can be made into any of these displacements, no worries.

jack vines

[The Hawk]

Okay, if I understand this correctly all I would need to find is a 289 crank or better yet a 304 crank. The engine components would be available from a vendor. Also, I would like to put in a floor shifter in the car. Are there any available?
The car in question is a 1962 Hawk with a 259 with auto trans. The column shifter reads PNDLR and I have seen a floor shifter in a 1963 Hawk which reads PRND21. Can this configuration be achieved with the existing trans with a new floor shifter?

Greg -

[Jim B PEI]

In a word, no. PNDLR is the shift pattern of the regular Flightomatic which starts in second in D with V8s. L is 1st gear, as in from a stop, but shifting to L from D will engage 2nd if you are in 3rd, and once you have slowed down enough, it will engage and hold 1st. These were column shift automatics. PRND21 (and only with a floorshift) is a 63-64 Powershift which is like a conventional modern automatic with the now standardized shifter pattern, with a manual shift selection of 1-2-D (ie, 3rd). Both are 3 speeds but quite different in the details of how the innards are arranged, which is why there is a different shift pattern. If you can find a Powershift and floor shifter, it should work with some modifications, However, Powershifts with all the bits aren't all that easy to find. You can do the 1-2-3 shift with your 62 column shift. Keep your arm out so that you don't even accidently pull back to override the detent to R, for example. Start in L, notch back to D when you are going about 25, and immediately notch back down to L. It will shift from 1st and into 2nd, but once it is in 2nd, reengaging L will hold it in 2nd. Leaving it in D will likely cause it to shift to 3rd from 1st directly. Shift to D when you want 3rd. Try this with engine off and stopped. With your arm out, you have N-D-L as the positions, if your detents are good.

[StudeRich]

If it were me, I would use the full flow '63 259 Engine with factory matched Standard Trans. bell housing (if it is). Bore it to the next oversize, install the new 289 pistons and crank and put everything else back on the engine as it was with the exception of the Intake and Carb. if it is a 2 Brl. I would get a machined into a AFB sized 4 Brl. 2 Brl. Intake manifold and a new Edelbrock AFB clone Carb. and a Pertronixs Electronic Ignition conversion kit.

Forget the R3 304 clone thing for a street driven car, it is NOT a different crank, it's a .093 oversize bore with block machining, special forged pistons, high RPM mods to the crankcase, $2000.00 plus experimental new Heads, R3 Aluminum Intake and Cast Iron Exhaust Headers, Aluminum Cam Gear, special cam and valve springs, a Paxton Supercharger, a T-10 four speed or Power Shift Automatic, etc., etc. all required and then some!

You will not be able to "build" the 289 too strong, or it will require a H.D. Trans. (like the '58 Golden Hawk ONLY unobtainable long tail T85 Overdrive) or a T-10 4 Speed, as the T-86 3 speed Overdrive is marginal at best for a stock 289.

UPDATE: Sorry Greg (The Hawk), I got a bit confused about who needs what with TWO people asking about two similar but different combos, one Overdrive, one Automatic! Please just sort out the info that applies to your situation, as it all applies to one or the other Thanks

[Jim B PEI]

I wasn't going to be making the 289 'too strong' or using it too hard, just to have a bit more when I'm towing a utility trailer or the fibreglass Boler, or if I add A/C. As you point out, the 63 block etc would be better if it is okay than the 57 just for the oil flow and filter alone. Just wondered if it could be done easily as the 57 259 is sitting unused.