Hey guys,
I have a 1994 3.8l v6 ford mustang, its been my daily driver for just over a year. i had bought a 1987 fox body 5.0l carbed v8 for another project that turned out to never happen. Now this 3.8l engine is starting to misfire (ECU is in party mode). the transmission is also grinding going into 4th (syncro is pooched) and the first 3 gears are recently starting to make interesting noises, and its hard to pop into reverse most of the time. anyway the engine/ transmission setup is leaking oil and money really bad. I have the chance to buy a 2000 ford mustang 3.8l t5 transmission and i was wondering if that would bolt onto my 1987 5.0L engine directly and if anyone knows if my 1987 5.0l has the same location for motor mounts as the 3.8l does? basically this is my first ford build up and i was looking for some answers/ advice. if anyone can help its GREATLY appreciated. thank you guys so much in advance!

 

Firstly, I'm confused as to what you're asking. Are you asking about putting the 5.0 into the 94 or buying a 2000 and putting it in there.

Either way, it's illegal to put a 5.0 in any car newer than 96 and is a complete waste in the 2000. Not to mention any car newer than 96 uses a completely different electrical system and is not directly compatible with older motors.

The 5.0 can be put into the 94, however you will need a 94/95 GT as a donor car for the needed parts. Also the carb setup will make things more difficult as your car is setup to run fuel injection. You'd have to do two swaps, the v6 to v8 swap and the fuel injection to carb swap. Which IDK why you'd want to do that because carb motors, in every way are inferior to fuel injection. Only upside is they're easier, per say, to work on, however do not get the same power, mpg, and over all efficiency as FI.

The other problem. 79-93 5.0s are different than the 94/95 5.0s. Ford had to completely redesign the 94/95 to fit in the sn-95 profile.

The 94/95 5.0s are different in the following:
* Lower profile intake and runner design to clear hood
* Redesigned heat tube exchange for more efficient cooling and intake clearance
* Thermostat sensor is located at the front of heat tube, not on top
* Different alternator to clear valve covers and hood
* Modified valve covers to clear lower profile intakes
* Different throttle body and intake design
* Different water pump and water pump design
* Different AC compressor
* External accessories located in different locations in a different configuration for clearance
* Different radiator and components
* Different wiring harness to meet newer engine setup



Basically in a nut shell, while it's possible to use an 87 motor, you will need a cowl hood, and an 87-93 wiring harness to use the motor. It's cheaper to convert over to a 94/95 setup. While you will still need the GT/Cobra harness, you won't need as much as using the 87 motor.


There are several other differences, but your 94 will already have those

 

if your going to do a motor swap do something worth while that your not going to kick yourself for pissing all that money away on a slightly better then what you had setup, a built 351, supper coupe 3.8, a newer 4.2 etc

 

alright well than that seems like a tad bigger project than a weekend project. To clarify the question i was hoping to take the transmission from a 2000 3.8l mustang and put it in the 94 mustang body, than take the 87 foxbody engine and put that with the newer mustang tranny in the 94 shell. honestly i dont think im going to do it now, i wouldnt get a 351 or anything else because i just fell upon these parts and the mustang is my daily driver, my track car is a camaro and thats where the bigger engines will be going. So with the 5.0 out of the equation, would the transmission and bell housing bolt directly to the 94 3.8l engine? the transmission is getting worse daily and i need to get to work etc.. they are the same generation but with a few difference so im told.. just thought i should double check because if they do bolt up i need to do this transmission swap this weekend. thanks so much for these replies though guys!

 

The 94-04 V6 transmissions are not directly compatable with the 5.0s. The 94/95 5.0s have a different transmission than the 87-93 as they have a longer input shaft for the clutch assembly than the older motors due to the increase in body length in the Sn-95s. The V6 T-5s also don't have the same torque capacity as the W.C. T5s in the 5.0s.

The 94-04 Mustangs all use the T5 with electronic speedo. The transmission will be a direct swap as there is no difference in the 94-04 drivetrains. The only thing that may be different may be the lower wiring harness that plugs into the tranny as your 94 is OBD I and 96+ is OBDII.