sickboy

hello all, ive recently picked up an 85 GS in very nice condition other than its dead 12a. my original intentions with the car were to drop in a 87 TII motor and associated bits that i have lying around the house here for it.

now my focus seems to have shifted a bit.............im considering dropping a 302 into the FB. i already own a 90 TII with a T60-1, haltech, big FMIC, 1600cc injectors and all the associated **** that makes it go. and after having owned 6 RX-7s @ 20 years of age im kinda ready for something different.

im considerin the 302 because the harsh reality of it all is, that it will be more reliable and faster per the money i put into it. at the same time, i have an 87 TII motor, downpipe, midpipe, intake, and fuel pump already to go in the car. which i would think would be more than enough for a solid 12 second car, judging by what myself and others have previously done with those same parts in heavier FC's.

then again, a pretty much stock 302 with a 125 shot should be good for solid 11s, even spinning like mad. im kinda curious what eveyone else here thinks. and i dont want to see a stupid *** flame war about dropping a piston motor in a rotary car. just curious to here from people who've done either swap.........as im still very much considering going ahead with the TII parts swap since ive already got the stuff to do it pretty much.

Felix Wankel

Use a small block Chevy. I have an extra 87 Sport body shell sitting outside that I'm going to V8 once I get my damn car back together.

sickboy

i thought about going the SBC route, but the ford motor is lighter, and offers lower placement in the chassis. it also offers far more room to the sides of the motor for things suchs as shorty headers.........turbos and the like.

also i have a 95 mustang GT that has been totaled from the rear that i can pick up from a guy cheap . its complete car with 100k on the body/motor for 700$

Felix Wankel

95's are 4.6 SOHC though aren't they?

gamble302

94-95 still had the 302, 96 and up has the 281 though. hey you wouldnt happen to want to get rid of the spindles on that car would you?

Kerry

Come on in, the water's fine. I've found the crowd here to be quite a bit more helpful and less judgemental than in other places. But whatever you do, if you're in the lounge, don't use the characters "V" and "8" in the same sentance. Those guys are rabid.
I have a 302/T5 in my 82. If you want something different for a change, go for it. It's a match made in heaven. My car weighs in at 2738 lbs, 53.4% front / 46.6% rear. I figure I added 100 lbs, and kept distribution the same. With air conditioning. I'm using a GSL-SE diff with 3.63 gears. Don't know 1/4 mile time, I'm not a racer. This is my daily driver. A lot of work, but worth the effort. It affected handling less than I expected, I can sometimes notice a little extra weight on speed bumps, that's it. If you're gonna build a drag car, go with an SBC, they're a lot cheaper to build. For going around corners, I agree with your choice of SBF.
But then, on the other hand, if you've already got the T2 stuff, it would sure be a lot cheaper and easier.

Just let me know if you want any more info or specifics.

Kerry

sickboy

how exctly is the SBC swap that much easier. just curious. i'll be using one of the grannys speed shop kits if i do the swap. im also curious what has to be done to get the shifter to come out of the stock hole using a 302 mated with a T5. an for cost effectiveness id figue the 302 would be fine for me seeing as how i have a complete car/tranny etc available to me for little more than the going rate on a used T5 trans

at any rate, im open to any and all input on the subject, including anyone whos done the TII swaps

Kerry

Oops, I meant that it's easier/cheaper to build a chevy motor. Swap would be about the same. Granny's kit put the shifter through the original hole, but slightly farther forward than the original. The earlier cars had the hole farther forward, probably too far for the T5.

Kerry

mar3

iTrader: (8)

I just thought I'd toss my two cents in ...if you're going to go the Ford 302 route and you've got the means to go the Grannyspeedshop route, why not get a stroker crank or shortblock assembly good for 347-351 cid? These motors regularly spit out 500+ horsepower with a decent build. Most of the people having done the swap seem to agree that the extra weight penalty comes to appx 150 lbs. Basically the same as having one your small buddies riding on the hood. It seems to me you'd really want to beef up your front spring pressures with a quality high pressure rate progressive spring. I'm sure the GSS site has it covered but I haven't visited their site in quite a while. Post the times when you get the beast on the strip for real numbers.

sickboy

ok cool,i knew that the SBC was a good bit cheaper to build than the ford, but as i said eariler i like it better for the space its put in, and its placement in the bay. i thought i had read something on grannys site that you may have to modify the shifter hole, or the shifter itself to make a T5 attatched to ford come up through th stock local. that was the only snagi was looking forward to.

ive also been told that some of the mustang T5s were longer than others. do you know which one i need to have to not have to hack up the interior.

thanks again

Kerry

I used a '91 engine and tranny, I don't know if other years are different lengths.

Kerry

sickboy

what difficulties do i need to look forward to as far as the swap is concerned. ive done several motor removal/installations and none of that is a problem for me. just wondering if anything in specific is a bitch to do. also, are you running a carb or EFI setup

thanks

Kerry

For now I've got a carb, eventually I'll put the EFI on it. Biggest hassles were radiator and clutch activation. Getting a larger radiator mounted, sealed (air), and plumbed was a bear. If you can afford it, I'd recommend using Granny's radiator and filler panels. I haven't seen them, but if I had to to it all over again, I'd buy his. I was also not able to beat his set-up for clutch hydraulics. I bought the same stuff he sells from Summit (or Jeg's, can't remember), saved maybe $20. I see he now has diff flange adaptors. EXCELLENT! Well worth the money! Ground clearance under the oil pan and bellhousing sucks. I shortened the pan by one inch, sawed 3/4 inch off the bottom of the bellhousing. It's acceptable now.
Engine swaps are much more involved than remove & replace jobs, I'm not sure if that's what you meant. Expect to get hung up on everything you try to do. Allow PLENTY of time. I spent 6 months on mine, but I work slow, and I'm kinda picky. If this is your first swap, it's a good one to start with, because the engine is so well suited to the chassis. Factory Mustang headers will work, but they're pretty close to the firewall and the steering box. There are no ball-busting problems, just the normal "How'm I gonna do this?" stuff.

Kerry

sickboy

cool, im in no major rush to try and get this accomplished. hell i havent even decided what motor im putting in the car yet. so ill be taking my time with it once i get started.