Has anyone attempted to swap in a newer year engine and transmission swap? I havent come across a thread yet so thought I'd ask.
Requiring the computer out of the sonar vehicle? I'm looking to purchase a 73 with a 6cyl and am thinking of ideas for it. I have a 93 351w in my garage I can build and find a tranny or possibly find a wrecked f150 with a 5.0 and tranny. Just trying to explore options.
There are a few swaps, somewhere. Without a scoop, I don't see any 5.0/5.8 truck intake fitting under the hood, also MK-VII & truck trans are slightly longer than car versions. The '88-'92 MK-VII have same engine as Mustang of same year. Best (readily available) engine would be the Explorer 5.0, these have GT40(p) heads and good Cobra type intake. BUT all those are OBD-II that has more complicated wiring, PATS(security system), electronic 4R70W trans, etc. Easiest would be a '87/'93 Mustang donor but these days are all but unobtainium, probably junk if you did find a engine. Next choice(and likely best of earlier vehicles) is the '91-'93 T-Bird/Cougar or maybe '94/'95 Mustang. All these are OBD-I and except for '94/'95 Stang use the non electronic AOD transmission. Easiest way is go carb on the formerly EFI engine and use AOD, or even C4 if you have one(what's in my Comet). Roller cams require a steel gear on dist(or at least something compatible other than cast iron). Also be careful as balance on these engines is different than early models. There is no boss on driver side of block to accept factory clutch linkage or the column auto. Mustang houses do sell a bolt on bracket to make these systems doable.
Manual transmissions are easy if you go hydraulic clutch. Just gotta make sure the firewall reinforcement plate is large enough and thick enough (if it's a daily driver) to keep the firewall steel from flexing every time you push in the clutch pedal.
All 5.0 blocks I've seen from '86 up were roller cam ready, the hold down for lifter spyder may or may not be machined. The '86-'91 Crown Vic, Grand Marquis & Town Car(to '90) all had roller engines but used the wimpy E6SE heads(as did '86 GT & that includes the MK-VII). Can also lump the '86-'88 T-Bird & Cougar into full size group. Other than GT(200Hp), none of these engines were rated higher than 155Hp. Still in real world, probably 15-20 higher than a stock 2bbl Maverick/Comet engine. I believe the roller cam truck engines were rated at 180Hp, dunno about the non roller cammed versions. Except for Lightning, truck 5.8 were roller cam beginning with '94 models, these are only 351 to have roller.
Some of the Mark VII's had the HO motor with E7 heads. I had an 88 that did. Ditto for the later Cougar and T-Bird 5.0's. The 93 Cougar had the Cobra roller cam in it as I recall. Don't discount the E6 Heads, they made less HP, but made more bottom end torque. The 94-up truck/van 5.0's had the same cam that was later used in the Explorer/Mountaineer 5.0 (F4TE cam) this cam is just a step below the HO cam in specs on the intake side.
Correct, from what I found the HO Lincoln engines had E6 heads in '86 & '87. There were also non HO version MK-VII. I believe had to be a LSC to have the HO engine. The engine I swapped into my T-Bird was a Lincoln '86 HO that had E6 & flat top pistons, without valve reliefs. Was rebuilt with orig pistons and inst into T-Bird with a set of Trick Flow heads & Stage -1 cam. For a 3750 lb car(with me) was badass.