hey guys, a friend of mine is selling his 91 5.0 LX hatchback automatic to me for pretty cheap. i really only want it because im tired of driving my 2.3 convertible everyday, convertibles dont make good DD's. but i also dont want a DD that gets 12 MPG lol. winter is just around the corner and last winter did a number on my convertibles body, and i would really love to keep this car as a project, i already spend countless hours every week working on it.
first things first, i was thinking about first swapping the 2.3 into the 5.0, but im wondering what it is exactly that i need to swap, besides obviously the engine, rearends, fan, and dashboard. any help will be very much appreciated.

both of the cars are auto's, so would i even need to change the transmission? im assuming i will also have to switch the speedos...

suspension? will there be problems while driving the 2.3 if it has the 5.0 suspension? will the 2.3 drag on the floor with its stock suspension and a 5.0 engine?

wiring? is there a difference in any of the engine bay wires or dash wires between the 91 5.0 and 92 2.3?

im probably forgetting a few things, feel free to give your 2 cents. this is something i really want to do. maybe putting the 2.3 in the hatchback isnt worth the trouble, but idc, i like to keep busy and i want a DD mustang. thanks for reading, guys!

 

that's going to be an involved swap. you'll have to swap engines, transmissions, rear axles AND rear suspension (the control arms for the 7.5 are longer), engine wiring harnesses, radiators, fuel lines (2.3 lines go to drivers side, 5.0 to passenger side), instrument clusters....it's a long list. There was also a point between 1990 and 1993 that the chassis harnesses and engine harnesses changed. When I swapped the driveline from my 90 GT to a 93 LX, I couldn't use the 90 engine harness....it had to be from a later year model. I'm sure someone will point you towards a detailed thread on this subject and add anything I missed. Good luck.

Why not just leave the 5.0 stock? A stock Mustang will get much better than 12 mpg...my modified GT still gets 18-20 mpg in local driving.

 

They are not.

my 347 gets 16mpg...

 

that is a very complicated swap, i bought a 91 lx convertible that was originally the 2.3 converted to the 5.0 H.O. by the previous owner, i have had the car for 2 months as a daily driver and i am still battling with problems from the swap, recommend keeping it a auto, the 5.0 auto to standard has a very horrible vibration which will eventually blow out the tailpiece of your transmission. i have already replaced it... if your lx has power doors the 5.0 harness will need to be spliced into the existing harness for the windows, my windows do not work and thats what i have been told to do. my car still has the 4 cyl rear end/shaft/suspension and the gears are too close together. you will run into a lot of complicated issues and will take quite a while to do, better off doing the swap when you have a lot of time if you take it off through the winter and have another vehicle... like i said i still find issues everyday so i will keep posting for you

 

And why don't they????? unless the one you had/have is a POS then I understand ..................as for the mpg....misinfo at it's finest...........I just did a 400 mile round trip in my 89 vert that has 3.73's and a full h/c/i mod done to it, after doing the math I avereged over 20 mpg, roughly 22-23 mpg's

 

[QUOTE=AdderMk2;7155835]They are not.



Adder....when I swapped the drivetrain from my 90 GT to my 93 LX, we laid the uppers and lowers side by side. The 4 cyl. control arms were almost 1 inch longer than the stockers from the 5.0. Maybe because it was a 93...who knows.

 

i do a lot of freeway driving, and its too loud to keep a conversation going in the car. if i had a gf yeah thatd be ok, but its usually just me and my buddies lol.

im gonna try the 5.0 out for 2 weeks doing the intense driving that im currently doing. im averaging 350 miles per week right now. but once school starts that should drop to about maybe 100/week. if i can average 18-20 mpg in the 5.0 then ill just keep it and sell the convertible.

i found a site that tells me everything i need to change it, and gives pictures telling me what it is/where to find it. i plan on just cleaning/greasing **** up and placing them in before doing any mods.