289 hipo

[tim]

OK guys, I feel like I know a lot about ford engines from the 60's and early 70's but I have to say this is something I haven't run across before.
I have a set of 289 hipo rods that I aquired many many years ago, and I have recently gotten them out for a new project. I guess I never looked closely at them when I obtained them but they are a mimatched set. I'm not overly cocerned about the casting numbers; they match except for a "-D" on the end of the C3AE on 2 of the rods. My question is concerning the rod bolts. 2 of the rods have a rectangular head rod bolt and the other 6 have an oval head rod bolt. I know the rods are machined for the style of rod bolts that they have installed in them. I checked my ARP catog and they only lists the oval bolts. Can someone please explain what I actually have and what to do about rod bolts?
Thanks, Tim

[Thorin]

Based on your description, I am guessing that you have two, the ones with the rectangular rod bolt heads, actual 289 Hi-Po rods and 6, the ones with the football rod bolt heads, Boss 302 connecting rods. Not bad - the Boss rods are actually stronger than the Hi-Po rods, and they ended up being Ford's service replacement rod for the Hi-Po. I am guessing that all the rod bolts are 3/8 inch with 9/16 inch nuts - if the retangular headed bolts are 5/16 inch with 1/2 inch nuts, they are regular 289 rods - not Hi-Po or Boss.

My guestimation is coming from a book entitled "THE 289 HIGH PERFORMANCE MUSTANG" by Tom Gregory. The information about the connection rods is on page 10.

Dave Lowell