Would anyone know how the Ford 5.0 would handle a small turbo?

Almost ready to test fit the 5.0/ADO package into my project. The engine will have a Holley two barrel on it for testing and sorting everything out, but I would kind of like to use up my random turbo parts on it if the engine would take it.

It's a sort of low mileage '84 Mustang 5.0. Ran great in the car, no weird noises and good oil and cylinder pressure. Just a small solid little engine and I have the four barrel/turbo set-up from an early Buick V6 to use on it. Also have a small Edelbrock four barrel, a rebuilt Holley two barrel, and a two barrel carb-to-turbo manifold. If the four barrel is too much, I have the two barrel set-up option.

Got most/all of the parts needed, just no knowledge at all.

Would the basic bone stock Ford 5.0 accept a small turbo without big problems/trouble happening later?

I'm new to this and could use some help/info/etc.

Thanks—

As long as you kept boost fairly low, yes. Keep in mind that the 302 only has 4 head bolts per cylinder, which makes them prone to squeezing head gaskets out under boost/nitrous/high compression. Also, the 302 block is pretty wimpy and splits right down the middle at the ~450hp mark. You are likely going to want to run the 4-barrel and a 4-barrel intake manifold.

Sure. The blocks are ready for around 500hp prior to breaking in half. Doesn't really matter where the power comes from but a 5.0 + a turbo is a great combination.

One turbo? I'm hoping they can handle two since I just ordered some twin turbo headers. But yeah, they can handle a bit of boost depending on the build and tune. Im planning on adding a main stud girdle to my build with the hope it holds together a bit longer.

The 84 5.0 was no monster motor in standard form.

I've seen one handle 2 fairly big turbos just fine.... probably wasn't a factory block...

It was a bracket racer. It was hilariously dramatic for that application too, and I don't know how successful it really was for that purpose. It put on a good show though.

It made all kinds of whistles and​ puffs while staging, then launched kind of soft, but by the 60' mark it was all spoiled up, and if it had traction, it looked like the star ship Enterprise going straight to warp 10.

I wouldn't bother with a main stud girdle as that helps keep the engine together at high rpms, it doesn't strengthen the block but helps spread the load. On a turbo that won't/shouldn't see high rpms it's not going to help.

spitfirebill wrote: The 84 5.0 was no monster motor in standard form.

That's true. I think a lot of you are thinking of the later Fox Mustang 5.0s with forged pistons and such. You can boost the hell out of those, I knew a good dozen folks with Vortech superchargers on them back in the day. They broke transmissions and rear ends drag racing, but not engines, unless you count some popped head gaskets.

IIRC, the '84 engine still had cast pistons.

Do it. Engines are cheap.

Seriously.

monitor egts and afr. Don't go lean or hot....

"The 84 5.0 was no monster motor in standard form."

An understatement with regards to my little engine. It's the '85 engine with the CFI against the AOD trans. Something like 185 hp when new. Even though it really does run great, I'm still betting that any number of those ponies left the barn by now.

It's going into an MGA with a 3.09 rear end. Fiberglass fenders, hood, and rocker panels. Aluminum doors and trunk lid with the remainder of the sheet metal drilled or cut away. Doubt that it's gonna weigh all that much when done. It'll just be a babied around town ride, but should have a considerably high top end speed. The available on-line calculators put the top speed in excess of 200 MPH with the drive-line and tires and rear end that I'm using. Hoping that the turbo will help in the mid-range.

Just recently found some images on-line of a dry lakes MGA racer and am kinda looking at the aero on that car as a guide for my project but I'll have to really search around for more images of high speed cars when the time comes.

The later factory roller blocks are actually the ones famous for splitting at about 450 internet horsepower. Moderate levels of boost will be fine just dont run it lean.

Are there many tuning/reflash options for the EEC ECU or is it basically a full ECU replacement situation?

I've seen TwEECer, which appears to be a chip emulator, but it doesn't say it supports my car ('88 Town Car, it was free so I don't want to Spend Money, but it could do with some nitrous now that I've put General Grabber AT2s on it).