5.0 swap
 

so a friend of mine is doing an LS1 swap, and i've seen countless other LS/350/305 swaps, does anyone know of any for 5.0 (mustang) swaps?? it makes a little more sense since Mazda is a product of ford, and 5.0's sound so bad ass...AND their a hell of alot cheaper then an LS1. if it's possible (which i'm sure it has to be) then i think this is the route i'm going to take in my 91.

does anyone have any information on this? has anyone done this? are there any kits for this swap? where can i find mounts and other misc parts? any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks alot.

yeah, thanks, i was going to search for it, but just got home from a 16 hour shift am ready for bed and didnt feel like looking around for an hour...thanks for simplifying it for me.

check into v8rx7forum.com

I hear its not as good a swap, not as much support from others, and I believe clearance problems
with the hood.

Doing a 5.0 swap that does not require a stock intake manifold or hood mods is not as easy as an LS1 swap. It does make a unique (and badass) FC though.

-one 306 ford powered 7 owner's opinion

I bought the kit from Granny's. It was a very easy swap. I even passed smog and safety. The hood will have to be modified.

The 5.0 is a perfect match for the car.with aluminum heads and intake manifold its not that heavy up front and parts are so damn cheap. Traction is another story, I launch in second at 1500 rpm and the tires still break free. whatever you do have fun and dont give up.

sweet, thanks alot for the help and support, i'm redoing my miata over the winter and this spring the 5.0 madness will commence. i was looking into the granny's kit, which specific kit do u recommend from them? will the basic kit get the motor into the car and running or will a need a better kit?

http://www.freewebs.com/adesso/mounts.htm

This will get you mounts for the 5.0 for a grand total of $20 to fabricate. With a Fox mustang oil pan it clears the steering rack so there is no modification to the crossmember or rack mounts, thus no geometry changes.

This is how the engine mounted in my car...

http://www.supercars.net/pitlane/pics/484414b.jpg

http://www.supercars.net/pitlane/pics/22444b.jpg

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cvetters3/rx7e.jpg

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cvetters3/rx7f.jpg

I have said this here before - modifying the hood is a very, very minor part of the whole project. I spent many weeks doing my conversion, and about one day on the hood modification, which is welded steel. Some people have just used a fiberglass scoop fastened with pop rivets and it looked acceptable to me.

If you are going to run a carb, the Wieand Stealth intake manifold is pretty low.

I'd go with a 5.0 from a Griffith.(rover v8) It's aluminum block and heads for weight considerations, 60deg V for lots of room in the engine bay, it makes the power, but mosty importantly for me, the sound is par excellence among V8's.

To each their own tho...

Finding the 5.0 version of the Rover engine here in the US is very hard and very expensive. The 3.5 and 4.2 liter variants are easier to come by, but they don't make as much power. Still, that 315 lb weight is a real plus... IIRC, they are a 90 degree v8 just like the Ford, and as you can see by my engine bay pic, there is a TON of room around the engine with the Ford (which weighs more than the Rover lump by about 100 lbs, but is dimensionally smaller)

A company in the UK called tower view racing makes crate engines incl the griff 500 lump. I've already got the block so for me it's only head work, pistons, cam and a crank I might need.

To me it's well worth it... I'd trade 30hp just for the growl and especially the snap crackle pop. The clips below are my rv8 lump.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9QuZKwCF74
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AD3tKgenvk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=679Qq63QOEs

[edit] I guess it is a 90deg? I figured 60deg since the valve covers are level and not angled like a ford or chev lump.

BTW merc, how much did the handling change?

In my case, it got better. I had built it as an autocrosser while still in rotary form, and the only thing I had to change for the swap was to go with a different shape front swaybar (to clear the front sump of the oil pan). Since I figured it would tend to want to power oversteer easier, I made the front swaybar slightly larger to balance out that tendency, which worked. It was extremely neutral, and actually more predictable than it had been before the swap, easy to place into any cornering attitude and hold it there, or adjust as you went through the corner.

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/adesso/rex3.wmv

And yeah, the Rover's a 90 degree V8. I have the same engine in my Range Rover. I'm also helping my buddy swap the 3.5 liter variant into his MGB right now (where the 3.5 liter V8 weighs less than the stock 4 cyl...). The valve cover tops are flat, but you can see where the heads are angled...

The v8 sounds nice. :) I'd I hadn't already put in a new motor into my FC I'd consider the swap for sure. You're right too, nice turn-in. I guess the added weight over the steering tires helps more grip than slip.

[edit] P.S. V8 in an mgb... :D I'd like to see pics or vids of that when it's done.

There was only 150 lbs added overall, most of it going rearward (2720lbs total, 49/51 F/R distribution)

We're using the factory MGB GT V8 mounts, as it's really just duplicating what the factory did in the '70s. Basically duplicating this car:

http://www.britishv8.org/MG/DaveWellings.htm

Nice car if you like british. (which i do)

If you're just making a replica, that's cool, but if mods are in the question, (and price is not) the head and cam from a 4.3BV would be nice with some cosworth pistons and a Mark Adams chip. (if EFI)

The MGB is going to be carbed, as the engine is a built up carbed Buick/Rover composite, putting out about 280 hp as sits (more than adequate for this application). I'd love to do the EFI setup, but he doesn't want to spend on it, or on the added wiring. Not my car, so whatever...

That's 5 more HP than my wedge! :( Maybe I should consider a carb. I'd definately get reliability from dumping all that LUCAS electronic crap.

Q: Why do brits like warm beer?
A: LUCAS makes their refridgerators.

ok...so i was dead-set on a 5.0 swap, but today a friend told me he has a chevy 350 small block crate engine (shortblock, needs trans, accessories, and a carb) and he told me he'd take 150 for it because he wants to get rid of it...so yeah, the new question is mustang 5.0 or chevy 350...i know i could search all day and find tons of stuff, but i want OPINIONS.

this is the 5.0 swap forum, so i'm sure most of you will be biased on the 5.0 swap, but like i said, i want some opinions. thanks in advance.

I'd still go rover. You can make 400+ hp ez, save 100+ lbs and put rice krispies out of business.... but I confess, I'm biased.

I have both, it is about weight vs power, SBC has more potential to make big power but SBF is light and still makes solid power with aluminum accessories (heads, rocker, flywheel, hi torque starter etc) it can weigh the same as a 12a with a/c and p/s

The SBC has the distributor in the back, which might make it a bit trickier to get the engine right up against the firewall. Then again, getting the Ford 5.0 right up against the firewall and low enough to use real intakes requires a modified oil pan and some creative hammering on the chassis.