How To Increase Willys Wagon Horsepower!

TheWagoneer

Gear Grinder
Jul 3, 2014
10
First Name
Brody
Willys Model
  1. Wagon
Willys Year:
  1. 1961
I have a 1961 Willys Wagon. What are some good but cheap modifications that i could do to increase the hp?

P.S.:New radiator with elec. fan, 289 cu. in.
 
When you say increase Willys wagon horse power, it looks like you have a 289 which, if I'm not mistaken, is probably a Ford Mustang engine? Not really a Willys wagon engine to increase the H.P. in. That being said, I am sure some one can help with that engine. Also. I am sure there must be a lot of places to see how to get more power from that engine. Due to the popularity of the Mustang, I'm sure there are many Mustang sites to find this info. also. Good luck
 
Anywhere a 289 fits so will a 351, all Windsor engines were externally similar. Although I wouldn't go too nuts, even a fairly mild 289 will have enough power to destroy drive train components at will.

What's your end goal? Faster on the highway? Drag racing? Bigger tires? Towing? Increased fuel consumption?
 
Hi Brody. More information would be helpful to answer your question: How to Increase a Willys Wagon Horsepower? How much MORE horsepower do YOU WANT? Does the wagon already have a 289 in it? If the Wagon has a stock 226 in it, then Yes, a 289 would increase your horsepower. If it already has a 289 in it, like Herk suggested, a 351 will increase horsepower. A Duel Exhaust System will increase horsepower. More or bigger carburetors will increase horsepower. Fuel Injection will increase horsepower. If you want a lot more horsepower, you can install a Super Charger or a big Turbo. You can bore the cylinders out and get larger pistons to get more horsepower. It all depends how much horsepower you WANT and how much you want to PAY for it. The list goes on. Good Luck. Pivnic
 
Well it has a 289 in it already and is a 3 speed. my dad said it'll probably go only around 65 mph. which equals no-no lol
 
TheWagoneer said:
Well it has a 289 in it already and is a 3 speed. my dad said it'll probably go only around 65 mph. which equals no-no lol
Click to expand...

Do you know what gear ratio is in it? You may have a very low gear ratio which will dramatically reduce the top speed. Does your Wagon take off like a BAT and is wound up right away? That says that your Wagon is geared really low, and thus, not much left for higher speeds. Pivnic
 
TheWagoneer said:
Well it has a 289 in it already and is a 3 speed. my dad said it'll probably go only around 65 mph. which equals no-no lol
Click to expand...

Your stock axle gearing is most likely 4.27:1 which is a little on the low side. 3.73 would be better on the highway, but about the limit of the T90's tall first gear. Overdrives were popular accessories on these vehicles for a reason.

The bigger question is why on earth would you want to go more than 65 in a Willys Wagon? What if you had to stop? or turn? No piece of this vehicle was designed with that sort of speed in mind, any you'll need to change far more than one or two parts to successfully make it do what it was never designed to do.
 
i want it a little faster, at least 75 to go a decent speed on the highway and not be getting blown away lol
 
When you say you want to do 75, that's okay, my wagon will easily do 100.The problem is not necessarily getting to that speed, it's doing it safely and being able to stop. Stopping is a lot more important. We need info. on what the drive train and braking system is in your wagon before we can tell you how to go faster. Please tell us about what kind of brakes you have, are the power brakes and if anything else has been upgraded.
 
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