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Eight from Four: Fox Mustang 2.3L to 5.0L Swap GuideHow to turn a four-banger Mustang into a true 5.0 From the June, 2002 issue of 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords By Jerry Heasley Photography by Jerry Heasley
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Horse Sense: Longtime readers may recall reading this story before. Swapstories are so popular we decided to rerun several in this issue.However, since we last ran this story, Doug Durham closed his business.The info in the story is still useful, of course. The obvious question surrounding a V-8 swap into a four-cylinder Mustangis, why would you want to do it? After all, there are plenty of used 5.0Mustangs for sale in the paper and trader mags, so why screw around witha lame four-banger and go to all the effort of performing an engineswap? Well, there are two reasons. The first is obviously price. Lesser'Stangs are much cheaper to buy than comparable 5.0s. In fact, whileshopping for a four-cylinder car to use for a big-block swap, we'vefound acceptable ones as cheap as $200! But, after buying a decent 5.0engine and trans, and all the parts required to perform the swap, thecost factor is almost a push. There must be some other attrac- tion,right? Here's one you might not have thought about--level of abuse. Becausethey're so much fun to drive hard, 5.0s are driven hard--real hard. Andbecause of that, the torque boxes get torn up, the body flexes andsometimes cracks, and overall, the car just gets beat on. And that'sjust the chassis. It's really a crap shoot whether or not the engine ismortally wounded. Now think about the typical drivers of four- orsix-cylinder Mustangs. They ease away from stoplights, gently slow downfor corners, and never, ever do five-grand clutch drops. Essentially,they never do anything to stress the car. They're wimps, by and large,but that means the basic cars are usually sound (assuming they haven'tcrashed them). And even if they do drive these cars hard, an 88hp 2.3Lis unlikely to hurt the torque boxes or twist anything more sturdy thana cereal box. Doug Durham built 5.0 engines... Doug Durham built 5.0 engines for Blue Oval Racing and other clients.Behind his shop were various Fox-bodied Mustangs. Swapping a 5.0 into the space once occupied by a four- or six-cylinderis not a huge deal, but it requires some effort in obtaining all thecorrect parts, especially the little bits you wouldn't normally thinkof. In researching this story, we went to some experienced folks inTexas, including Doug Durham, who built 5.0 motors at Doug's Motors ineast Dallas, and Bill d'Happart, who does the swaps at Blue Oval Racingin Rowlett, Texas. Once you've found the four- or six-cylinder car, the next chore is tofind the engine, the trans, the 8.8 rearend, the 5.0 wiring harness, theMAP sensor, the computer, the vacuum canister, and a dozen other parts.Normally, the easiest way to do this is to buy a complete wrecked 5.0.Concerning the transmission, this story will show a five-speedapplication; if you want to use an automatic, it's much easier to startwith an automatic car so you don't have to deal with swapping the pedalsand such. As for the rearend, you don't have to get an 8.8 right away,but be aware that the four- and six-cylinder cars have the weak 7.5,which will not live long behind even a stock 5.0. Doug stocked several donor... Doug stocked several donor cars behind his shop, such as this red '80model four-cylinder. Its cost: $200! Computer Compatibility
| Model Year | Use | | '86-'88 | Any '86-'88 computer | | '89 | '89 computer only | | '90-'93 | Any '90-'93 computer |
Crossmember Guide for True Dual Exhaust
| Models | Engine | DH Crossmember? | | '79-'85 | All | No | | '86-'93 | V-8 | Yes | | '86 | Four-Cyl | No | | '87-'88 | Four-Cyl | Some | | '89-'93 | Four-Cyl | All |
The purpose of this story is to show how to install a 5.0 EFI engineinto a '79-'93, four-cylinder Mustang. It's not a step-by- step how-to,but rather shows what parts you'll need and how to find them. Good luck!  Likewise, Bill d'Happart stocked...  Likewise, Bill d'Happart stocked four- cylinders for future V-8conversions. Here's a pair of '88 LX coupes, one with a five-speed andthe other with an automatic. Both run. The blue LX at the top has a dentbehind the passenger door. It cost $500. Bill paid $725 for the blackfour-cylinder coupe, which was in better condition. It has air and thepaint will buff out fairly nice.  Bill harvested parts from...  Bill harvested parts from wrecked 5.0 Mustangs for his V-8 engine swaps.You can do the same thing and save multiple trips to the junkyard (andmoney) for the many parts needed. You might find a wrecked 5.0 with theengine intact for $1,500 to $2,000. If you already have a 5.0 engine,another possibility is to buy (for about a grand less) a wrecked 5.0without the engine.  Here's a look at the four-cylinder...  Here's a look at the four-cylinder engine bay of the black '88 LX coupe.The V-8 fits using the stock four-cylinder K-member and V-8 motormounts. Stock V-6s also share a K-member with the V-8, while in-linesixes do not. Suspension geometry is common, no matter the engine. Airconditioning parts won't swap from one engine to the next.  Bill harvested parts from...  Bill harvested parts from wrecked 5.0 Mustangs for his V-8 engine swaps.You can do the same thing and save multiple trips to the junkyard (andmoney) for the many parts needed. You might find a wrecked 5.0 with theengine intact for $1,500 to $2,000. If you already have a 5.0 engine,another possibility is to buy (for about a grand less) a wrecked 5.0without the engine.  With the passenger-side front...  With the passenger-side front fender removed, we can see two vacuumreservoirs mounted to the upper structure. Both V-8s and fours have thelarge bulb, which supplies vacuum for the heater and air conditioningrouting under the dash. The small canister is unique to the EFI V-8 andstores vacuum for engine functions.  The small canister has a vacuum...  The small canister has a vacuum hose that routes through the sidestructure of the Mustang and into the engine compartment. Notice it hasfour passages for vacuum. One line goes to the back of the intake, oneline goes to the EGR, and the other two lines route to the air pump.  One of the lines from the...  One of the lines from the vacuum canister goes to the EGR valve, shownhere. The EGR is a diaphragm that opens and closes to recirculate thegases it picks up from the exhaust crossover in the lower tank.  The four-cylinder throttle...  The four-cylinder throttle cable is too short for a V-8. You must usethe V-8 throttle cable and bracket.  One of the most difficult...  One of the most difficult parts to find is an EFI wiring harness, whichis composed of three separate segments. The underdash portion of theharness is common to the four-cylinder and the V-8. This top portioncomes out of the dash on the passenger side and is routed to thecomputer, the mass air meter, the coil, and the starter solenoid.  Coils are the same on four-cylinders...  Coils are the same on four-cylinders and V-8s for all model years. So,all you have to do here is unplug the four-cylinder harness and plug inthe V-8 harness.  The MAP (manifold air pressure)...  The MAP (manifold air pressure) sensor, mounted on the top and center ofthe firewall, is different from a four to a V-8 and must be changed.There are also two different V-8 MAP sensors, one for speed density fuelinjection ('86-'88, which uses a vacuum line) and one for mass-air fuelinjection ('89-'93). The two V-8 MAP sensors look almost identical.Using the incorrect MAP sensor will cause a bad surge and idle problems.  The V-8 also requires a unique...  The V-8 also requires a unique vacuum distributor. It distributes vacuumfor various functions, such as the brakes, air conditioning, and cruisecontrol.  Placed side by side, the vacuum...  Placed side by side, the vacuum distributor for the four-cylinder (left)is much smaller and of a different configuration than the one for theV-8.  The front segment of the wiring...  The front segment of the wiring harness ties into the headlights,parking lights, turn signals, the horn, and the alternator. On afour-cylinder, the alternator is on the driver side. On the V-8, thealternator is on the passenger side. Therefore, the four-cylinder frontharness is shorter and must be changed.  There are two different types...  There are two different types of V-8 wiring harnesses for thefuel-injected engine. The V-8 harness for '86-'89 EFI motors has a blackplug to the alternator (left). The V-8 harness for '90-'93 EFI motorshas a blue plug (right). Notice the terminals are also different inside.  The blue plug mates with a...  The blue plug mates with a blue alternator connection. Black goes withblack. If you plug black and blue together, the alternator won't chargethe battery.  A four-cylinder computer will...  A four-cylinder computer will not run a V-8. The V-8 computer has moreterminals than the four-cylinder computer.  The V-8 computer and the four-cylinder...  The V-8 computer and the four-cylinder computer plug into the wiringharness in the same location under the dash. The '86-'88 computersoperate speed density, fuel-injected motors. The '89-'93 computersoperate mass-air, fuel-injected motors. The '89 computer stands alonebecause in 1990, Ford went to an airbag.  Power-steering pumps on four-cylinders...  Power-steering pumps on four-cylinders feature a unique switch thatshuts off the air conditioning to retrieve horsepower for poweremergencies. Although the pumps are changed from the four-cylinder tothe V-8 because they have different mounts, the hose itself from thefour-cylinder usually stays in the engine bay. That's because removingit requires loosening the rack-and-pinion to unbolt the hose. Since thehoses are the same, you can avoid this extra work by using thefour-cylinder hose and then simply removing the switch and blocking thehole with pipe plug.  Or, you can change the four-cylinder...  Or, you can change the four-cylinder hose to a V-8 power-steering pumphose. Here's a hose from one of Bill's salvage 5.0 Mustangs.  A four-cylinder radiator is...  A four-cylinder radiator is a two-core, the same as for any otherengine. The four-cylinder, however, uses a different shroud and anelectric fan, while the V-8 uses a flex fan.  The five-speed clutch cable...  The five-speed clutch cable for a V-8 (top) and a four-cylinder (bottom)are the same length. The ends, where the cable hooks to the throw-outbearing fork, are different. If you use the four-cylinder cable on aV-8, the clutch will be so tight it will burn up. Bill d'Happart hasseen this first-hand when customers come to his shop with worn-outclutches--and he discovers they had a four-cylinder cable. It wouldn'trelease the clutch enough.  You must swap the four-cylinder's...  You must swap the four-cylinder's five-speed for one from a V-8. Thefour- cylinder five-speed (bottom) has a lower First gear, but that'snot the problem. The gears and teeth in the four-cylinder's five-speedare smaller, and in general parts inside are downsized. The V-8five-speed is stronger. Five-speeds for V-8s generally cost from $400 to$500 used. Note: A V-8 also requires a V-8 automatic, either an AOD or aC4. The four-cylinder automatic will not fit a V-8. Shifters are thesame between these transmissions.  Notice the input shaft on...  Notice the input shaft on the V-8 (left) is bigger in diameter. Forddoesn't even stock a pilot bearing to mate a four-cylinder input shaftto a V-8. Some backyard builders have installed four-cylinderfive-speeds behind V-8s, resulting in the shaft wiggling back and forthuntil it wears out the bearings in the transmission.  Driveshafts are interchangeable...  Driveshafts are interchangeable from one engine to the next, with theexception of the four-cylinder automatic that features smaller splines.To use it for a V-8 application, change to the bigger yoke. Thefour-cylinder driveshafts have an extra plate on the front, molded onwith rubber, for vibration damping.  The tach pointer on a four-cylinder...  The tach pointer on a four-cylinder will jump to an incorrect rpm aftera V-8 swap. So you have to pull the face and install a V-8 tach for acorrect reading.  The fuel lines, although the...  The fuel lines, although the same diameter, must be completely changedbecause the connections are different. This photo of a four-cylinderfuel line (left) and a V-8 fuel line (right) show the dramaticdifferences. Gasoline tanks are identical, as are the fuel pumps insidethe tanks.  The lower-rate four-cylinder...  The lower-rate four-cylinder springs will work on a V-8. Just leavingthem in place is an inexpensive way to lower the car. For the bestperformance, stock V-8 springs or an aftermarket set are the bestchoice.  The four-cylinder disc brake...  The four-cylinder disc brake rotors are smaller than the V-8 rotors. Formore stopping power, it's best to get the larger V-8 rotors andcalipers, which require the V-8 spindles as well.  The front sway bar is noticeably...  The front sway bar is noticeably larger on a V-8. Changing the stockfour-cylinder sway bar depends on the application. For drag racing, thesmaller bar actually provides better weight transfer to the back of thecar, which is good for straight-line performance. Bill says thefour-cylinder bars work fine for everyday street use. The builder whoplans to autocross should certainly upgrade his front bar.  The first year of the 8.8...  The first year of the 8.8 was 1986. The 8.8-inch rearend is an integralpart of any V-8 performance swap.  The brake lines on a four-cylinder...  The brake lines on a four-cylinder are on the passenger side. The V-8brake lines are on the driver side. If you leave the four-cylinder brakelines in your swap, the right-side exhaust is up against the hose forthe brake lines, which is dangerous. That's why it's mandatory toconvert to V-8 brake lines.  The 8.8 axle comes with quad...  The 8.8 axle comes with quad shocks, which mount to this bracket that isbolted to the frame. Four-cylinder cars will not have this bracket.Sometime during or after 1984, when quad shocks debuted, Ford begandrilling all frames, no matter the engine, for this bracket. Billadvises welding this bracket to frames that do not have the factoryholes punched.  Four-cylinders did not come...  Four-cylinders did not come with rear sway bars. It's a good idea to addone for more stability in the corners.  True dual exhaust with an...  True dual exhaust with an H-pipe requires a double-hump crossmember. Itcan be sourced from the '79-'93 Mustangs listed in the table on the first page of this story.
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