Hey all, I was wondering what would be involved in dropping a T2 engine in my S5 GXLroller. Has stock wiring harness and ECU, would those need to be swapped out for T2 ones? What about the engine and trans mounts, do they line up, or is fabrication needed?

Thanks!

 

This isn't an exhaustive list but should help get you started. The engine itself does bolt in same as factory. I would not utilize the factory T2 ECU (You can, but I wouldn't really call it worth it).

Here is what you'll need at a bare minimum:
ECU and Wiring Harness (Either OEM or Standalone)
Turbo 2 Transmission (and it's associated mounts)
Turbo 2 Transmission to NA Differential Driveshaft (Or a Turbo 2 rear end)

 

you can use the NA harness, it has VDI and the 6PI solenoid instead of the Knock sensor and boost solenoid, but you can change the 2 connectors.

the T2 ecu and AFM need to be used, although unless the car is completely stock anything else is better.

engine goes right in, uses all the same mounts, oil and water hoses. the exhaust is different in front of the main cat

 

How much power can the stock NA rear end handle when doing a Turbo II swap ?

 

it depends on your right foot. it should be ok for near stock power 180-220hp, if you are not doing drag launches

the sarcastic answer is that its fine, its really rare anyone actually finishes a turbo swap enough to drive it...

 

Ouch. Ttruth be told I've seen a lot more threads over the years of people going to do a turbo swap (myself included as I've threatened for years) than ones of completed turbo swaps.

 

Sounds like I need a Turbo II rear end then.

 

I PMd Aaron about this once, he said that even 300hp should be fine on the stock NA rear-end if you aren't launching it. I think driftxsequence had similar results in his thread, but I'd have to look back and see.

The real weak spot is going to be the NA transmission and clutch. I've heard of people breaking them while still NA if you're rough with them, though mine saw some abuse and seems no worse for wear.

At this point TII transmissions and rear-ends aren't cheap or plentiful. If I were OP I would try and get away with the NA drivetrain until maybe 220hp, then go to the TII transmission. And then drive it till the diff breaks and go 8.8 since it makes more sense in the long run.

 

i'm doing an REW swap on a Convertible, and its got the stock rear end in it, and i asked, shouldn't you change it, and my friend said

"if it breaks, i'll upgrade"

and that seems to be the lazy mans way to do it, chances are it won't break and then we never need to do it at all

 

Well that's exactly it, I think. The limits of the NA transmission are known to be quite low. If you don't prepare to replace it you're going to be in trouble when it breaks. Hence the TII transmission waiting in my shed for the day it is needed.

The fact that the limitations of the NA diff are unknown tell me they're much higher.

 

IMO that depends. Does your current rear end have an LSD? If so I would just run it until it broke and save for the Ronin 8.8 swap for when that day comes. If not then swapping to the TII rear gets you an LSD and more LSD options but then the next question is what your long-term power goals are? I've heard on here that 500whp is about the limit on the TII rear so if you plan to make more than that skipping the TII for the 8.8 may be the best option. It also gives you more choices for gear ratios than the TII rear ever will. If you think you'll ever have any desire for something other than the 4.1 then Like WondrousBread said the 8.8 may be the most logical choice.

 

Found it!

"Yeah that was on the BNR stage 3. boost was 14 PSI (~200 KPA with occasional spikes to 210 KPA). I'm not sure what tires they were. They were slicks on a set of FD wheels 26x8.5x16 I think? I ended up grenade-ing the rear end on my last run. I decided to drop the clutch at 7k instead of the 6500 I had done earlier."

And there's a video in the following post of the car doing a 12 second 1/4 mile. I don't know exactly how much power he was making but BNR Stage 3 at 14psi tells me that 300hp is a conservative estimate.

 

On down a little further in the thread are pictures of when the rear was taken apart. It was the spider gears in the open diff that broke. From what you can see of the ring and pinion it still looks ok.

 

As long as you arent doing any high revving clutch drop launches, a N/A diff held fine. I did many many launches in my turbo GTUs back when I still had it, and the stock 4.3 Diff was still in it. I had over 320hp and do constant 12.86-12.9 seconds in the 1/4 mile with 1.9-2.0 60 foot time with Dunlop DZ2 back then. Lots of clutch slipping.
after over 100 launches, I let my friend take it down the track.....hes a honda guy so first thing he did was a clutch drop...and the driver axel stubs snapped.....and never again I let anybody else launch my car at the track lol Atleast he bought me a TII Diff
I honestly think it can handle up to 400HP...maybe

 

I am still running NA drivetrain (S5 NA trans exedy stage 1 NA clutch and s4 LSD rear end) on 10psi boost. I do NOT abuse the car or drag launch. Eventually I’ll get heavy footed and the trans will say “no more”

I have however started accumulating parts for the drivetrain swap. So far I have the TII trans only, still need Slave cylinder, starter, clutch, pressure plate, flywheel , custom driveshaft OR TII drive shaft and rear end+ axles ect..

if you can’t find a 4 port engine you can always turbo a 6 port. Any of this takes work, pick your target and start somewhere

Most importantly, have fun !

-M

 

Started this thread a few months ago and wasn't really expecting engagement in 2022 haha. But as an update:

I am using a T2 engine and an NA rear end for now. The engine I sourced came with a T2 trans as well, so Im setting that aside for when I eventually blow the trans/diff sky high and need to find a turbo drivetrain. The engine is currently in pieces on my workbench because the front rotor had no compression. Currently in the parts buying phase and the most intimidating part of the swap is wiring. Ive only ever worked on aircooled, carbureted VWs and Porsches, so the jump to turbo fuel injection is daunting. But im really excited to get this engine in the car!

 

I have the Turbo II engine and transmission already and missed out on a Turbo II rear end as the seller didn't want to part out the car. My goal is 350rwhp for street, track days and AutoX but I cant get a concrete answer if the NA diff will hold up. The Ford 8.8 swap seems overkill and more expensive but is more readily available.

 

You might be fine, but I'd probably start planning around an upgrade just in case. If there's one thing we know for sure it's that your driving habits have a far bigger impact on the life of the drivetrain than your actual power output. I'm guessing if you aren't launching it very hard you might be okay.

It also impacts how you enjoy the car. I don't like worrying constantly that some part of my car will break while I'm out and about. Not likely with my nearly stock NA engine though.

It IS more expensive, but when you consider that you can buy the swap kit new and Explorer diffs trivially, it's more a matter of availability. I haven't seen a TII diff and axles for sale near me for awhile, last set near me sold for like $600 or something.

If you have access to the TII parts and you don't want to run more than 500hp (which seems to be the area in which TII axles start to break when launching), it's a good choice.

If you want a more available, cheaper (both to buy and to rebuild), stronger, and more customizable setup, the 8.8 is a good choice.

Price out the rebuild parts for even an NA diff and you'll see what I mean. Let alone if you want some uncommon gear ratio.

 

It's expensive but here is part of the beauty of the 8.8 swap. Plentiful gear ratios and LSDs
2003 FORD EXPLORER Ring and Pinion Gears Differential & Rear-End Components Transmission & Drivetrain Parts & Accessories | Summit Racing
2003 FORD EXPLORER Differential Carriers Transmission & Drivetrain Parts & Accessories | Summit Racing

 

Mazda 929 axles work with the t2 rear end and are thicker than t2, just slightly shorter, and still available new through part stores. Search my threads about this.

but yes t2 parts are ridiculously hard to find. I learned to start hoarding t2 parts years ago so I should be set for a while.