First produced in 1963, the 289 quickly became one of Ford's most popular small-block engines of the 1960s. The 289 was used extensively throughout Ford's passenger vehicle line, including the Mustang, the Cougar, the Fairlane and the Comet. The 289's distributor relied on a vacuum-advance system and a single set of ignition points rather than an electronic ignition. Within the distributor are several springs and discs that, once worn out, will cause severe ignition problems. Although the distributor can be rebuilt, it is usually more practical to replace it.
Disengage the distributor cap's two retaining clips by prying the clips off of the top of the distributor with a screwdriver.
Lift the distributor cap off of the distributor, taking care not to disturb the eight spark-plug wires and the single coil wire attached to the top of the cap.
Pull the rubber vacuum hose off of the metal canister located on the front of the distributor.
Trace the wire that protrudes from the side of the distributor to the ignition coil, then remove the nut that secures the wire to the coil with a wrench and lift the wire off of the coil.
Scribe a chalk mark across any identifiable portion of the base of the distributor and the top of the engine. A common portion is the vertical casting seam that runs along the length of the distributor shaft.
Note the direction that the metal tip of the distributor's rotor points toward.
Remove the distributor's hold-down bolt located at the base of the distributor with a wrench.
Lift the distributor out of the engine.
Rotate the new distributor's rotor until the metal tip points to the direction noted in Step 6, then lower the distributor into the engine.
Rotate the distributor until the portion of the base of the distributor identified in Step 5 aligns with the chalk mark on the engine. Install and tighten the distributor's hold-down bolt with a wrench.
Position the distributor's wire onto its post on the ignition coil, then tighten the wire's nut over the wire with a wrench until the wire is secure.
Press the distributor's vacuum line onto the metal canister located on the front of the distributor.
Lower the distributor cap onto the distributor, then fold the cap's two clips onto the sides of the cap.
