We've done our share of supposedly easy performance bolt-ons that turned out to be not so easy. It seemed that a cylinder head swap on our carbureted 289 Ford might turn into a fiasco. However, we found that installing a pair of Edelbrock aluminum heads wasn't really that tough. While they can't be slapped on in an hour, if you gather all the tools and parts we've listed here before you begin, two people could have them installed and the car running in about three to five hours.
Edelbrock's Ford Performer RPM heads come totally assembled and ready to install on a 289, 302, or 351W. They include 1.90/1.60 valves and have 60cc combustion chambers. The heads (PN 6022) do not have passages for EGR and are for early Ford engines that are not emissions controlled. Edelbrock also has a complete line of 50-state-legal Ford heads for Mustang 5.0s and other late-model cars and trucks.
Tools You'll Need
• bucket to catch drained antifreeze
• fender covers (if you've got nice paint)
• gasket scraper (you'll need one to scrape the front and rear intake manifold seals)
• 3/8-inch-drive short and long extensions
• 3/8-inch-drive short and long socket sets 3/8-inch-drive ratchet
• 1/2-inch-drive short and long socket sets 1/2-inch drive ratchet
• 1/2-inch-drive breaker bar
• 1/2-inch-drive short and long extensions
• marker
• combination wrench set (box and open-end)
• torque wrench
• Phillips and flat-blade screwdrivers
• set of Allen wrenches
Think Before You Buy
• Does your engine already have a good four-barrel carb and intake-preferably an aluminum dual-plane unit? At the outset, this 289 had a two-barrel carb and intake, but we added a four-barrel after installing the heads.
• Make sure you know exactly what spark plugs are recommended for any aftermarket cylinder head. Edelbrock says to run a Champion RC12YC plug with most of its Chevy and Ford heads.
• Do you want to consider switching to an aftermarket roller-type and/or 1.7:1 rockers since you may need new ones anyway? While it's a popular upgrade for Fords, we stuck with 1.6:1s to be sure we avoided any problems with piston-to-valve clearance.
• Do your new heads require dedicated gaskets, manifolds, intakes, or valvetrain components?
• Will the chamber size of your new heads adversely affect compression ratio? Can that problem be solved by altering the head-gasket thickness?
• Are special head gaskets required for the aluminum heads?
• If the new heads have larger valves or non-stock valve angles, will the valves clear your existing pistons and cylinder walls?
Stuff You'll Need to Buy
Item
Source
Price
Edelbrock Heads PN 6022
PAW
$1,019.95
Edelbrock head-bolt bushings, PN 9680
PAW
$38.95
ARP head bolts and washers, PN 454-3601
PAW
$75.95
Crane roller rockers 1.6:1 ratio PN 36750-16
PAW
$299.95
Crane pushrods PN 36622-16
PAW
$107.95
Fel-Pro 289 Ford engine gasket set PN HS 8548 PT-11
Pep Boys
$76.38
8 Champion spark plugs PN RC12YC
Pep Boys
$7.92
Anti-seize compound
Pep Boys
$2.99
One gallon of coolant
Pep Boys
$7.99
RTV
Pep Boys
$4.49
TOTAL $1,642.52
Prices are good as of press time but may change by the time you're ready to buy
