Ok, while I'm prepping (and saving money) for my major Maverick, Galaxie and Chevelle projects this winter and next spring, I'm going to start a budget street car "for fun" project I've been wanting to do for awhile. I've got a solid, straight 88 T-Bird with a sickly V-6 and AOD that I'm wanting to do a V-8, 5-speed swap on. The V-8 will be a mild-to-moderate built carbed motor (the standard 4bbl. aluminum intake, cam and headers set-up) and I'm needing to know what all I'm going to need to install a T-5....especially if/when it comes to the hydraulic clutch set up...were all manual trans Fox bodies hydraulic clutch?, or was there a mechanical clutch set up available? I don't mind going the hydraulic route, just have no experience with them, so I'm wondering what all I'll need to convert an auto Fox to the 5-speed. I don't happen to have any 5-speed Turbo coupe parts cars laying around, so I'll need to know all the parts/wiring/brakets etc. I'll need for the swap....most everything is available on ebay or the salvage yards.....just very rarely all together in one place/purchase....so I'll have to make sure I gather everything I'll need for the swap before jumping into it. Thanks for any help
my friend has a fox body '82 cougar. originally a 200 I6/c4 car. he swapped in a 302/t5 with a cable clutch and used all off the shelf fox body parts to get it in. little to no custom fabrication as far as i know, probably some cutting though
4 cylinder and v8 K members are the same, the 6 cylinder breeds require changing them over to the 4/8 cylinder models. I learned this when studying up on my mustang. As far as hydraulic vs mechanical clutches... My car was a 4 cylinder 4 speed and it wasn't hydraulic. Im not positive on all of them, but I think they were all manual setups.
While this true for your '80 Mustang, it is not true for his '88 Thunderbird. The 6 cylinder that would come in a '80 Mustang was a 200 I6, which did require a different K member. The 6 cylinder in his '88 Thunderbird is a 3.8L V6, and uses the same K member as the 4 cylinder and V8.
Ahh, I misread his post. I thought he said I-6. Guess it's a habit from reading on the mustang board.
So, basically, I can go hydraulic, or cable, right? Cable seems it would be simpler/easier.....is there any advantage to hydraulic?
I don't know from a racing standpoint but I haven't ever heard many bad things about cable operated setups. Hydraulic ones I've always heard the "Dang it, its leaking!"
I'd say most, if not all fox body cars had cable clutches. I've never seen one with hydraulic. My '80 Capri has a cable clutch, as does my uncle's '89 5.0 LX, and my dad's '95 GT.
Yea, I mentioned that earlier... But Im assuming he COULD go hydraulic if he wanted 2, everythings possible. Id stay cable operated tho
Well, the reason I included the hydraulic choice was because I've found two auctions on ebay of people selling the hydraulic systems from their 87-88 T-Bird Turbo coupes, so, evidently, the TC's (or some of them) used them....since I'm working on an 88 'Bird, I took it into consideration, but given a choice, I'd rather go cable. I was bummed.....all set to bid on, buy, and go pick up a great deal on an 8.8 3:55 posi disc brake rearend I found on ebay....but just before clicking the "Buy It Now", I double checked Map Quest and found out the first time I mapped it, I put in the wrong state...and the rearend went from being 140 miles from me to 680! D'Oh!! Ah well.....one step forward, two steps back, right? LOL .
How dead set are you on a 8.8? I may be interested in selling you a set of Moser 5 lug axles, a 4.10 Richmond gear and a Ford Motorsports posi center section, but it's for a 7.5. This setup is way stronger than a factory 8.8 setup Im debating on selling the mustang, as I found something else Im wanting and it's a complete ready to go setup.
I have a 77 maverick with a 302 and a t5 out of my brothers 87 5.0, will the 5.0 mustang clutch pedal assy fit into my maverick? or what will fit?
