Hi, First off I'm a domestic car guy. I like some vehicles from all of the Big 2.5, and have worked on several from each brand. However my experience with modifying OBD II cars has been with GM products. I expect the concepts to be the same but need details so plese feel free to teach me anyting you deem important.

My wife has an insane passion for a 95' Windstar. I've tried to get her to sell it or move up to a newer version but she is as stubborn as a mule about keeping this damn thing.

It has the acceleration of a snail.

The head gasket gave way & I have water in the block. I've already pulled the motor / subframe & have it sitting in my garage. A shop is telling me a rebuild of the 3.8 will be $2000. The damn van has a blue book value of $900. My personal preference is to get a junk yard 3.8 for $250 and shove it in, but the wife does haul around the kids. Not sure the junk yard is the best option.

But either way I end up with a whopping 0-60 time of 18 seconds.

Since I have the motor out I'm thinking of the following: Get a complete 4.2 with low miles from a truck, change to a 96-99 ECM / harness to handle the two runner system, port & polish the heads and intake, then pray the AXOD transmission can handle the torque.

I'm not looking to run 11 second 1/4 miles but something where I don't have to pray everytime I pull out in traffic.

Would it be better to get the 4.2 kit from the sponsor here and the newer windstar intake or take a complete 4.2 from a junk yard donor? Suggestions on exaust, intake, CAI, injectors, programming, heads, cams, etc. greatly appreciated.

Can FWD 3.8 blocks easily interchange with RWD 3.8 blocks? Whats the difference?

I'm wanting to get all the torque I can. Right now I'm not planning on a high reving motor. Kicking aroud the idea of a 75# shot of nitrus once the bugs are worked out...

So, Don't just tell me I'm crazy. I know that. But let your imagination run. Help me build a minivan that can take off from a stoplight next to a Civic with a fart can and a wing and embarrass him!

 

You can most defiantly get this thing fast, I would personally get the 4.2L F150 and drive train. 4wd system and they the upgrades from ssm.

 

windstars are FWD and will not bolt with RWD motor, some later model windstars have 4.2s in them

 

You can put all of the guts from pretty much any 3.8/4.2 in one.

 

Ok, I'm going with a 4.2.

I see a lot of chatter here about the 99' Windstar split port intake and heads. Is that set up better than the F150 for low / mid range rpm? Am I correct in thinking that the split port set up will provide better driveability for this application?

Do you guys agree that changing to a 96-99 ECM / harness to handle the two runner system is the right way to go? This would lead me to believe I should take the block from a F150 & whole top end from a 99' Windstar for ease of hooking everything up. Correct or no?

The only difference I'm seeing between a FWD & RWD blocks is the "cam shaft / balance shaft" combo. It even looks like a RWD has the provisions for the balance shaft cast in. The motor mount holes appear to be the same position to me. Why won't they interchange? I'm not trying to argue here, if they wont interchange they won't, I just want to know why. My thinking is that if I can swap the short block I will know that the pistons match the cylinders without having to do machine work / buy oversized pistons.

I've already got what look like shortie headers off a mid 90's mustang. I read that they aren't that much of an imrovement over the stock exaust. The minivan came with trident shaped manifolds. Is there an advantage to using the shortie headers / mustang manifolds here especially going to a 4.2?

 

The reason I don't see the block working for RWD is that the part numbers are different for a bare block, but the bare split port heads are all the same. It may just have to do with what holes have put in the front of the block for accessory mounting.

 

aaaahahah. That had me laughing to myself for a good solid 10 seconds.

EDIT: That sounds like an awesome idea by the way. I'm wishing you the best!

 

yeah, I'm sitting in a room by myself and I was just laughing out loud by myself. it was awesome, love the idea. When I was like 14 and got interested in car stereos i put subs in my mom's windstar lol.

 

I believe the FWD essex blocks are cast differently than the RWD blocks, but its been a loooong time since i've worked on a 3.8 taurus so I cant say for sure. that and the accessory drive is probably completely different to accomodate the tighter confines of FWDness. Would be the two main differences i can think of that would make a swap difficult.

 

Well,
I have aquired a 98' 4.2 from a F150.

The FWD & RWD blocks have different hole patterns for the front motor mounts which means I can't just drop it in. All other accesory holes seem to be the same.

So, I'm planing on swapping the heads / intake and the internals to my FWD block.

Between 3 motors, I think I have enough parts to make one.

One area of concern is the lack of a Crank Balancer Shaft in the 4.2. Does any one KNOW if I need this because the motor is mounted transverse? I'm assuming that the 4.2 pistins, rods, crank, & flexplate are balanced and that if I put them all in the transverse block without the Crank Balancer Shaft I should have a smooth running engine...