So I know about Gt40/P heads and intakes from Explorers/Mountaineers. I can do head work, and I know I'll have to change out the valve springs to run an HO cam.
Besides the injectors, heads, and cam, are there other differences between the standard 5.0 and the HO? Where would my money best be spent?
rear end
Roller lifters?
In reply to pres589:
Pretty sure HOs got rollers.
Fox Mustang engines (except for very late models) got forged pistons, hypereutectic in the Explorers. Not a big deal. Money would be best spent engine wise on a better set of heads, although your cheapest HP/$ will likely be nitrous.
ross2004 wrote: Fox Mustang engines (except for very late models) got forged pistons, hypereutectic in the Explorers. Not a big deal. Money would be best spent engine wise on a better set of heads, although your cheapest HP/$ will likely be nitrous.
I believe it was 87-92, and 93-98 or whatever had the hypereutectic pistons. Back in my day the best mods were intake, underdrive pulleys, 3.73s and subframe connectors. If we're motor specific I would say the previous + longtube headers and midpipe. Don't forget to bump up the timing.
If I were to maximize my dollar on a 5.0 I'd do the following, buying used as much as possible: convert to carb running a 600-650 DP with a Weiand Stealth intake, AFR 165's, trickflow stage 1 or 2 cam, long tubes, total timing 36* on 93 octane. That would get you over 300 HP to the wheels and take 50 lbs off the block for about $1,500-1,600.
ross2004 wrote: If I were to maximize my dollar on a 5.0 I'd do the following, buying used as much as possible: convert to carb running a 600-650 DP with a Weiand Stealth intake, AFR 165's, trickflow stage 1 or 2 cam, long tubes, total timing 36* on 93 octane. That would get you over 300 HP to the wheels and take 50 lbs off the block for about $1,500-1,600.
How do you figure when the AFR heads are $1700 alone? (new)I have yet to find a used set that did not come off someones drag car and been modified/thrashed to death and they still wanted 1k for them!
Started a separate thread to ask about Chinese cylinder heads as an option.
i helped build a 302 out of an 88 Marquis for a friend to put in his 89 Mustang.. he got a set of cheap hypereutectic flat top pistons pressed on the rods and we threw them in the block after running the hone up and down a few times.. the cam was the E303 from Ford, with the matching valve springs, and the heads were E7TE's from the junkyard that got a quickie touchup with valve grinding compound with a little home brewed porting work (gasket match and remove the EGR bumps) before being slammed together... it's a fun little motor in his 89 notchback with a T5 and 4:11 gears and rebuilt posi in the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe 8.8...
NOHOME wrote:ross2004 wrote: If I were to maximize my dollar on a 5.0 I'd do the following, buying used as much as possible: convert to carb running a 600-650 DP with a Weiand Stealth intake, AFR 165's, trickflow stage 1 or 2 cam, long tubes, total timing 36* on 93 octane. That would get you over 300 HP to the wheels and take 50 lbs off the block for about $1,500-1,600.How do you figure when the AFR heads are $1700 alone?
Here's my 30 second search http://forums.corral.net/forums/windsor-engine-parts/1615626-afr-165-outlaw-heads-1472-a.html
Why not pick up the complete 5.0 Mountaineer/Explorer motor add cam/springs and tune . . . . Should put you in the 260-300hp range all day for relatively low dollars. . . .
Strike_Zero wrote: Why not pick up the complete 5.0 Mountaineer/Explorer motor add cam/springs and tune . . . . Should put you in the 260-300hp range all day for relatively low dollars. . . .
Not a bad idea.
I was under the impression that everything got rollers around 85ish.
That wasn't explained very well in your first post. I think you're correct about '85 & on = roller.
I always wondered what a set of 1.7 ratio full roller rockers would do with either a Mustang GT cam or the Explorer cam. Last I checked Probe Industries sold a set that was self-aligning so no guide plates needed. Would still be smart to get a good set of springs at the same time.
explorer cam is junk. the stock mustang cam is .444" lift. the 1.72" rockers would change it to .477". not bad, except that rockers arent all that cheap.
btw. I am setting up a 5.0 to build next winter for my 95 gt. so far it looks to be stock bottom end with arp main and rod bolts. looking for a good used set of forged pistons. gt40p heads, minor cleanup. explorer intake, comp nx264hr cam and 1.6 rockers. I am planning on adding nitrous, not really for any reason other than I can. All in all it should be 260-280 whp before nitrous.
the experts, sbftech.com, hate the gt40p heads because they are so common but say they work well for a street build.
I refreshed the MGB's 5.0 on a challenge budget - 87 HO from a lincoln mk vii(HO's have a different firing order stock than a non-HO 5.0). Main difference is the forged pistons. Exhaust flow in the stock head is the big restriction. Super budget is home port the exhaust humps. You can find some deals on the corral for alloy heads - about all flow better. There were different injection systems lincoln vs mustang - speed density vs mass air flow. Blocks seem to wear well - mine had 119k and still had hone marks. Quite a few v8 mg guys use the comp cam - seems to work well - a titch better than the ford letter cams. IIRC the comp is close to the Ford E or F cam. X cam will work with a fly cut in the pistons. There are aftermarket cobra intakes for fairly cheap too (I always thought it would be interesting to use a cobra lower intake and 2 sets of bike ITBs - probably a better plan on paper than a good 70mm throttle body).
You do not need forged pistons on a 5.0 unless your going to use a power adder or turning it over 6000 rpm on a consistent basis. Since you mention that your looking at Nitrous if you can find a "good" used set for it. I would just look at '92 and older engines in the junk yard. I've found that many times the blocks are not worn out but some other failure has put that Mustang off the road permanently. I had a '93 Cobra Mustang that I road raced with a stock bottom end that made over 300 HP with just bolt on parts. Never had a problem with the bottom end that wasn't caused by something I did wrong to cause it.
I've seen a few explorer motors with nothing more then a HO cam and 1.7 rockers put down 300whp. All of these motors where t5 backed , in mustangs using 8.8's with 3.55 gears or higher.
We put 256 to the wheels at a rev limited 5800 rpm with a stock 96 Explorer (gt40s - not Ps)long block, an old Wolverine cam (same specs as the Crane 2030) Valve springs, performer intake, 600 vac Holley, and headers. It's a LeMons car so we didn't care about the numbers just a safe tune up. There's probably more in it.
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