Zach3.8L

Okay, so I started the project with installing the Eaton M90 from the Thunderbird SC into my 3.8 Mustang. I have all of the parts I need, however, I can't get the piping to mount up properly. Or the coolant lines...or the throttle cable...or the supercharger itself.

I'll admit it, I bit off way more than I could chew. I am mechanically skilled, however, this was out of my league.

Basic break down of the day, which was supposed to be "Supercharged Saturday."

10:00 AM - wake up and get started
10:30 AM - realize that I need more tools - run out and get them from my house - get lunch and pick up a buddy for extra hands
12:00 PM - get back to my girlfriend's place and get started again (Yes...my girlfriend's place. What can I say, she has a good garage!
1:00 PM - get the strut tower support bar removed, along with the top half of the intake manifold
2:00 PM - get the coolant lines removed, along with the electrical components
3:00 PM - get the lower half of the intake manifold removed
4:00 PM - took another food break
5:00 PM to 7:30 PM - deal with the fuel rails (did not have "proper" tools and had to jerry rig some tools to work for line removal)
7:30 PM to 10:00 PM - got the lower intake manifold and fuel rails from the T-Bird installed
10:00 PM to CURRENT - dealing with getting everything else installed and hooked up.

The following problems have cropped up out of nowhere:

A.) the piping won't mount properly as the oil fill stem is in the way
B.) the piping won't fit in the engine bay period.
C.) the coolant piping will not fit (Trying to figure out how to re do that stuff...so not really a biggie, but worth listing)
D.) the throttle cable...how do I mount that?
E.) The pully for the supercharger is not in line with the serpentine belt. Is there a longer shaft for the charger that I can get?

Potential issues:

A.) Coolant leaking out of the damn block...
B.) Me blowing up the car out of frustration

Possible solutions:

A.) Take it to the shop to get the install done (Costly, so not on the top of my list)
B.) Get some ideas from the forums that could work

Please note...I can not put the old parts back in due to my stupidity in cutting the old water neck to make the parts for the T-Bird water neck mount up. (I'll post pictures later so you get the idea...and I'll take any flames that I get for this one.)

And I said to Pharoh: "Let my Supercharger setup work!"

Any help to make this happen would be extremely useful.

Thanks

2000AZ5.0GT

What year is the 3.8L? If it is later than a 1999, it isn't going to fit on there without a bunch of fabbing, I looked into it when I had a V6.

Zach3.8L

Mine is a '98.

2000AZ5.0GT

I dont know that much about the roots, nor have I taken the intake manifold off of a v6, so I have no Idea what that would look like. hah, but I can tell you how to install or remove a centrifigal

2000AZ5.0GT

and honestly, what you might want to look into doing, is getting a junkyard 5.0 and a 1994-1995 K member, and swap that in. you would probably be able to build it up with more ease (especially since you wouldn't have to worry about tuning, etc associated with a blower) than a v6 unless you can fab and/or want to look at the turbo route. Or you could just wait for someone else to pipe in, its just my suggestion. Fazm has an S197 Turbo V6 that I believe he did himself (sorry if Im wrong), so he might be able to answer your question. I have seen it done before on a 99+, so I know it can be done, but from what I remember, the guy who did it was really knowledgeable about what he wasdoing

Zach3.8L

ummmmm...yeah....THE F*CKING CAR WON'T F*CKING RUN!

I need some SERIOUS help, not stories about other users who TURBOCHARGED,their mustangs!

Sorry for being harsh/angry/cynical, but I've got a big problem on my hands right now, and I am frustrated as hell at this point as I do not have a functioning vehicle!

2000AZ5.0GT

Trust me, I know what its like to have a car that won't run when you need to get somewhere. My suggestion would be to go to ford, or find a junkyard and find either A. a new 3.8 manifold -if thats what you cut or B. a new water neck and get the old manifold back on.

Zach3.8L

Yeah...I guess Icould have worded that better...problem is that I won't be able to get a new water neck from ford or anywhere else. Ford is closed tomorrow, and I have to work from & AM to 3 PM and I can't get a ride to the scrapyard until around ^ PM and the scrapyards around here close at 5 PM...I'm basically screwed...

2000AZ5.0GT

Do you have any friends that owe you a big favor? it is a sunday, so I doubt most people will be doing anything, so maybe you could con one of them into helping you find the part. Is it just the hose connecting the radiator to the crossover? or is it something metal? if its just a hose, you might want to try rig it so that it will work just for the day or something, that is after all what duct tape was invented for. If not, you might look into using JB weld or something to seal it up so that it runs.

Even if you were to get the blower on to engine by tomorow, the problem is that it would need to be tuned, otherwise its not going to be safe at all. Not only that, but I doubt you will have a long enough belt to be able to run it (I could be wrong, I don't know what the configuration is. Now that I think about it, most people who do this swap get their own pipeing and route it themselves, its definately a long job unless you know what your doing.

Like I said, you might just want to jerry rig it with the old manifold just so that it will get you from point A to point B.

When I first read it, I just thought it was your project car, which is why I suggested talking to Fazm, because he has first hand esperiences with the V6, Xemeth might be able to help, I believe he started out with a 6, and I believe he is a mechanic, so he might know of a way to get it up and running. If its just a hose, you might be able to seal it, other than that, im not sure. Best of luck, I hope you get it figured out.

One thing I have learned is that its always a good idea to have a different car on hand just incase crap happens, and it usually lowers your insurance too.

Zach3.8L

Yeah...I know.....it sucks not having a functioning car, but the good news is that it may be this way for only a while longer...