Pushrod 5.0 to 99-04 V6
11-23-2014, 08:38 PM
#11
Well with all that out the way be prepared for a MASSIVE project. You will learn more than you ever cared to about engine swaps and modifying your current car to work. The worst part will honestly be the electronics. A majority of the wiring harness your your current car is gonna be garbage. You will need almost the entire harness out of the old car. As a result you will likely have to splice quite a few lines to adapt to different connectors across years. You will also likely have to do a lot of repair work to damaged dry rotten lines. You will also need to pull the entire dash and most of the interior out the car to do this.
All in all, I'll guess that from start to finish the complete swap, assuming you work full time, will take 6 months to a year.
Just a thought, but have you considered doing the 4V Cobra swap from a 96-04 instead?
You will still need a donor car, but at least this swap will be more direct and will yield much better gains, especially if you can snag an 03/04 Cobra or 03/04 Mach 1 out of a junk yard that's been wrecked.
All in all, I'll guess that from start to finish the complete swap, assuming you work full time, will take 6 months to a year.
Just a thought, but have you considered doing the 4V Cobra swap from a 96-04 instead?
You will still need a donor car, but at least this swap will be more direct and will yield much better gains, especially if you can snag an 03/04 Cobra or 03/04 Mach 1 out of a junk yard that's been wrecked.
11-23-2014, 08:49 PM
#12
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Clermont, FL
Posts: 2,952
But but but, Jthorn, don't you know that the only motor for a mustang is a 5.0?
At least that seems to be what people think.
At least that seems to be what people think.
11-23-2014, 09:44 PM
#13
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: N/A
Posts: 178
Well with all that out the way be prepared for a MASSIVE project. You will learn more than you ever cared to about engine swaps and modifying your current car to work. The worst part will honestly be the electronics. A majority of the wiring harness your your current car is gonna be garbage. You will need almost the entire harness out of the old car. As a result you will likely have to splice quite a few lines to adapt to different connectors across years. You will also likely have to do a lot of repair work to damaged dry rotten lines. You will also need to pull the entire dash and most of the interior out the car to do this.
All in all, I'll guess that from start to finish the complete swap, assuming you work full time, will take 6 months to a year.
Just a thought, but have you considered doing the 4V Cobra swap from a 96-04 instead?
You will still need a donor car, but at least this swap will be more direct and will yield much better gains, especially if you can snag an 03/04 Cobra or 03/04 Mach 1 out of a junk yard that's been wrecked.
All in all, I'll guess that from start to finish the complete swap, assuming you work full time, will take 6 months to a year.
Just a thought, but have you considered doing the 4V Cobra swap from a 96-04 instead?
You will still need a donor car, but at least this swap will be more direct and will yield much better gains, especially if you can snag an 03/04 Cobra or 03/04 Mach 1 out of a junk yard that's been wrecked.
6 months - a year with also a few people helping me? Don't you think that's a little ridiculous?
And because the 5.0 swap is more direct, and much more common. I rarely ever hear anyone doing a 4V 4.6 swap on a 3.8 V6 Mustang
11-24-2014, 09:15 PM
#14
Well if you have help, that knows what they're doing, it will go exponentially faster, but still be prepared for snags.
That's just it, the 3.8L to 5.0L IS NOT, in any way, a direct or "easier" swap. The 94/95 5.0L is completely different from the 3.8L in every way, even in 94/95. For example, my 95 had an OBDII port that was completely dead, it was only there for the 3.8L as a "base option". The 5.0L is OBDI and as a result uses different everything. In a nut shell Ford made the 5.0L "work" in 94/95 as the 4.6L was planned since 93 to replace to 5.0L. Only way it would be easier, per say, is to make the 5.0L carborated and eliminate as much as the electronics that's possible. But at that point you're treading into deep waters with very few people that know how to do that and know how to do it right.
A 3.8L to 4V 4.6L is a more direct swap in that both engines use a lot of the same harness and electronics.
As far as "seeing a lot of people do it". I've seen the end results of such "conversions". Cars on craigslist asking any buyer possible to take their "project" off there hands because they didn't possess the knowledge to make the car "backwards compatible" so to speak. I've honestly never seen a 3.8L to 5.0L swap done that didn't end with some kind of major to minor issues with the car.
That's just it, the 3.8L to 5.0L IS NOT, in any way, a direct or "easier" swap. The 94/95 5.0L is completely different from the 3.8L in every way, even in 94/95. For example, my 95 had an OBDII port that was completely dead, it was only there for the 3.8L as a "base option". The 5.0L is OBDI and as a result uses different everything. In a nut shell Ford made the 5.0L "work" in 94/95 as the 4.6L was planned since 93 to replace to 5.0L. Only way it would be easier, per say, is to make the 5.0L carborated and eliminate as much as the electronics that's possible. But at that point you're treading into deep waters with very few people that know how to do that and know how to do it right.
A 3.8L to 4V 4.6L is a more direct swap in that both engines use a lot of the same harness and electronics.
As far as "seeing a lot of people do it". I've seen the end results of such "conversions". Cars on craigslist asking any buyer possible to take their "project" off there hands because they didn't possess the knowledge to make the car "backwards compatible" so to speak. I've honestly never seen a 3.8L to 5.0L swap done that didn't end with some kind of major to minor issues with the car.
Last edited by jthorn9; 11-24-2014 at 09:32 PM.
11-25-2014, 04:33 PM
#16
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: N/A
Posts: 178
The only way I can do this set up for cheap is buying a donor car (salvage title but car still runs), and you cannot find any 2V...let alone any 4V 4.6 that has a salvage title for a cheap price. There is no way I'm paying more than $4000.
A 94-95 5.0 donor car costs me $1000-$2000...compare it to the 2V's that if you're lucky you find one in running condition can be 3500+ which is ridiculous, and I rather not do that.
This set up has been done so many times, and I do have a few friends helping me. Others who have done this tells me this doesn't take more than 3 weeks to a month...and that is if it of other projects, or because of time
A 94-95 5.0 donor car costs me $1000-$2000...compare it to the 2V's that if you're lucky you find one in running condition can be 3500+ which is ridiculous, and I rather not do that.
This set up has been done so many times, and I do have a few friends helping me. Others who have done this tells me this doesn't take more than 3 weeks to a month...and that is if it of other projects, or because of time
11-26-2014, 08:34 AM
#17
Why try to shoe horn an older motor into a newer car and cause all kinds of legal headaches and potential insurance problems when you can just buy a 94-95 for dirt cheap, or a fox body for even cheaper, insurance will be cheap since its older and you don't have the headache of all that work. For the money and time and legal crap you are going to deal with it would be just as easy to buy a new edge GT.
I see you say you basically don't care about smog or any of that, and say "everyone does it" but if you tell insurance you put a v8 into a v6 car they are liable to tell you go somewhere else and not want to touch it.
Or if they do insure it, and you do have an accident, say someone rear ends you and they find an older motor in a newer car, (an illegal swap) they are just as liable to deny the claim leaving the accident technically being your fault for driving an illegal car, which also in the eyes of the law makes the accident your fault because if you hadn't been driving an illegal car on the street then said person wouldn't have run into you, which sticks you with the traffic fine as well as footing the bill to repair the other persons car.
Everyone I work with smokes but that doesn't mean its a good idea.
I see you say you basically don't care about smog or any of that, and say "everyone does it" but if you tell insurance you put a v8 into a v6 car they are liable to tell you go somewhere else and not want to touch it.
Or if they do insure it, and you do have an accident, say someone rear ends you and they find an older motor in a newer car, (an illegal swap) they are just as liable to deny the claim leaving the accident technically being your fault for driving an illegal car, which also in the eyes of the law makes the accident your fault because if you hadn't been driving an illegal car on the street then said person wouldn't have run into you, which sticks you with the traffic fine as well as footing the bill to repair the other persons car.
Everyone I work with smokes but that doesn't mean its a good idea.
11-26-2014, 09:41 AM
#18
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: N/A
Posts: 178
This is meant as no disrespect but the 94-98 'stangs were very ugly to me which is why i wouldn't buy one. If I could, and will find a complete donor car for less than 2000$. Already found one for $1600 then I will jump on it.
The NE's here cost 5000+ and mainly with high miles. I've made my car extremely nice which is why I wont go for a 2V. My car was painted, trunk decklid painted and lower part was all painted black, grille delete, chin spoiler, saleens, etc. The exterior looks nice and I dont have the money all in cash to afford a 2v (that will most likely look dull and ill have to spend more $$$ on making it look good again)
If I could get a 5.0 for 2000 and do the swap with a few buddies and buy extra parts i need it will still be under 3000...and because the 5.0 has far more aftermarket support and its way cheaper to make a v8 quick than a v6. I can also get a manual as well so that helps instead of keeping the auto
Ive spoke to insurance about the hypothetical situation. It'd basically be a 5.0 with a new edge body. Insurance will rise slightly but they told me its fine.
Smog is not an issue..at all. Please dont think I'm some jerk off, but I really am committing to what I want to do.
The NE's here cost 5000+ and mainly with high miles. I've made my car extremely nice which is why I wont go for a 2V. My car was painted, trunk decklid painted and lower part was all painted black, grille delete, chin spoiler, saleens, etc. The exterior looks nice and I dont have the money all in cash to afford a 2v (that will most likely look dull and ill have to spend more $$$ on making it look good again)
If I could get a 5.0 for 2000 and do the swap with a few buddies and buy extra parts i need it will still be under 3000...and because the 5.0 has far more aftermarket support and its way cheaper to make a v8 quick than a v6. I can also get a manual as well so that helps instead of keeping the auto
Ive spoke to insurance about the hypothetical situation. It'd basically be a 5.0 with a new edge body. Insurance will rise slightly but they told me its fine.
Smog is not an issue..at all. Please dont think I'm some jerk off, but I really am committing to what I want to do.
11-26-2014, 10:06 AM
#19
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Clermont, FL
Posts: 2,952
If its what you want to do then by all means do it, just realize that it isn't as straight forward as you might believe.
There are a few misconceptions about this swap I keep seeing though
Insurance-- there isn't a problem with insuring a swapped car. If you don't tell them then they will only value the car as a v6. If you tell them then they will charge the premium rates as a v9 car and you will be fine
Obd--the engine doesn't know what computer is running it and if you could always pull a obd2 out of an explorer to plug in.
There are a few misconceptions about this swap I keep seeing though
Insurance-- there isn't a problem with insuring a swapped car. If you don't tell them then they will only value the car as a v6. If you tell them then they will charge the premium rates as a v9 car and you will be fine
Obd--the engine doesn't know what computer is running it and if you could always pull a obd2 out of an explorer to plug in.
11-26-2014, 11:14 AM
#20
If you could find an explorer or mountaineer 5.0 from the last few years of the 5.0 being in them then that motor and computer would be more ideal as it will be obdII. And I'm not insinuating you are some jerk off. I'm just trying to point out the legal issues you might run into. Just giving you all the facts to make an educated decision. An older motor into a newer car is a big thing to do, as well as makes the car all kinds of federally illegal. But if the risks are deemed small enough to you, so be it.
I'd get an explorer/mountaineer obdII 5.0, harness, and computer, a 94-95 mustang crossmember so motor mounts will mount in fine, and a manual trans for sure. Good luck with your endeavor.
I'd get an explorer/mountaineer obdII 5.0, harness, and computer, a 94-95 mustang crossmember so motor mounts will mount in fine, and a manual trans for sure. Good luck with your endeavor.