I found a 1997 Mercury Mountaineer with a 5.0 at the junkyard, and I'm pretty sure that it's got gt-40 or gt-40p heads. Is there a way to tell which ones by the VIN? It's 4M2DU52P9VUJ52088. Also, 100 bucks per head sounds fair, right? Any other good parts I should get from it? Thanks.
Offer $100 for the pair. Fox headers are a real pain with the P heads. One side hits the engine mount. Intake Manifolds flow almost as much as the Cobras. Cam is not as good. MAF is good, throttle
$100 per head is a fair price...they typically go for $175-$250. I'm 99.9% sure they are the "P" heads, but to be certain look on the passenger side cylinder head between the #1 spark plug and the head bolt towards the front of the vehicle..."P" heads will have a "GTP" cast in that location. Whereas the iron GT-40's will simply have a "GT" cast diagonally in that location. If they are high-mileage or you have to pull'em yourself, I would try to negotiate down to $150...but $200 for the pair is fair if they don't want to budge.
Good luck,
Don
97 should be the non P head. P heads came about with the new style lift gate and grill design. Grab the heads, intake, t/b and swap away. Ford Motor Sports headers for P heads in a fox are about $250, and they are stainless. Not a bad price at all.
coolness. i can't wait to get my 88 cat road-worthy again. i is soooo excited! -pees self-
If it's a GT40P head then yes you need the FMS stainless headers. They are nice but they do hit the driver's side mount. I had to put a slight ding in one of the header tubes and grind down the top of the mount a bit. I'm running GT40P heads and I like 'em.
'97 was the first year for the "P" heads...some very early production model '97's may have slipped through with the cobra style GT-40's though.
That subject is still in high debate. There is no definitive answer that I have found.
I pulled non P heads off of a 97 Mountaineer and IIRC I checked the door tag and the truck was built in 97 not 96. There were no 96 Mountaineer's, it was a 97... And it had Non P heads.
They may look similar but the 97 and 98 Explorers and Mountaineers have many differences. Front end, liftgate, radio style and harness, hell even the sway bar is attached differently on a 98 than a 97. From what I've read, and not from Mustang guys on Mustang forums ;) is the P heads may be on 97 models with a late 97 build date.
Can you spot a GT40 engine over a GT40P engine just by popping the hood? I can. You don't have to look at the heads.
I can. A GT40P engine has an external EGR passage while the GT40 engine has internal.
You don't NEED the FMS headers. BBK and Mac shorties work if you use 90* spark plug boots.
No conflict with the driver's side mount with the BBK and Mac? Do any of these three have more clearance around the mount than the others?
I suppose there is no difinitive answer as to when they switched to the "P" heads. I pulled a set of "P" heads from a '97 Exploder...seems like they were all over the place in '97. I thought, for certain, that '97 was the year they changed over to the "P" heads...guess I was wrong.
No problem with the MM and my 1 5/8" shortie BBKs... One tube did slightly rub the steering shaft on hard right turns, but that problem seems to have fixed itself...
I was reading last night that they switched to the P heads for lower emissions. They reconfigured the combustion chamber and moved the plugs, reconfigured the exhaust port to flow just as much with a smaller valve.
I thought they hit the engine mounts. Oh well I learned something new. The FMS ones will allow you to use the 135* (stock style) boots though.
Well, I got the heads today. They're Ps, and they look to be in great condition. I hope I never, ever have to pull heads on an Explorer/Mountaineer again. The headers were a total PITA to work around when it came time to get the lower head bolts out.
Tbird232ci, do you happen to know the part number for the 90 degree boot plug wires?
Just so you know GT40P and GT40 iron heads use the same spark plugs. Makes finding plugs easier (just say you need plugs for a 93 Cobra ;) ).
Many companies make 90* plug wires for 5.0s. Check summit. I think MSD makes 9mm wires with a 90* boot.
Why not say you need plugs for an Explorer? Seems easy enough.
Some good info on the GT40P heads.
http://stangpro.com/html/articles/gt40p_files/gt40p1.htm
That information is "old hat" to me...but thanks anyway.
(http://a916.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/94/l_5f803ac04dc22922f5a6d29f3377a9db.jpg)
I just had to get a look at the things to come. i'm not so sure about the red, but then again, whatever.
Sorry, I misread your post. I thought you wrote you didn't know "why" not "when" they switched. I thought it was an odd statement. My bad.
the front side of the head is stamped with a P if they were a P
ive often wondered how much better my 289 heads are to the gt's. with 1.45/1.94 valves, ported and shaved .030, studed with 1.6 rollers, they gotta be a decent set.
Yeah, it'll happen. I'm still not sold on them being better than the original iron gt-40's and I probably never will...but that's just me. I understand about velocity and all that...I just wonder what the test standards were for that flow bench test...you can test the same heads different ways and end up with different results one way or the other.
It's ashame...Ford had all the hardware to pump out 280-300hp 5.0's, but instead went to the lack-luster mod-motor in '96. Can't win'em all, I suppose. The one thing I did find interesting is how little room there is for port work before hitting a water jacket...I wonder if the original iron GT-40's had the same water jacket above the exhaust port?
-Don
"P" headers are available from MAC, or used to be. They are less of a pain to install and clear better than the FMS versions. BTW they are 50 dollars cheaper. Of course they are not stainless or coated. "P" heads are the best flowing factory windsor small block head available. Kinda like the Vortec for the Chevrolet. These heads will calm detonation issues to a point due to the cumbustion chamber design and plug location. 340 hp is easy w/ "P" heads an "E" cam, roller rockers, and the explorer intake manifold. a 5 speed will put that combo at a 12.50 quarter with a 3.73 gear and 25 mpg. Best street combo for the buck, Good score. That is definately the cheapest way to go to have a badass 5.0 for low bucks. Strip that Explorer to the ground. BTW if you want a cool ranger, the explorer 8.8 rearend will bolt right in and has rear disk brakes. get the wiring harness and all and swap it in a Ranger with a T-5. 12.0's is easy.
Because the Advance auto by me didn't have Autolite plugs for a 5.0 Explorer but the did for a 93 Mustang Cobra :hick:
ok so the p heads have straight heads and the regualr gt40s have angled plugs? anything other I could use to tell if the motor im looking at has gt40's on it or not? I already looked at it and said id buy, and all i remeber is the plugs were on an angle, and the guy said when he bought the motor the heads had already been put on the motor, they dont match, the block was painted blue adn the heads are rusted. Port shape or anything to distinguse between E7's and gt40's?
I think the GT40's have 3 little raised bars on the front of the head stamped onto it.E-7's don't.The E-7 and GT40 heads both have angled plugs.I'll almost bet that the GT40 heads were taken off and replaced with something else.
motor is an 89 van motor, so it had the truck intake, and would have been e7 heads no?
like Vinnie said, there should be 3 vertical bars on the front of the head facing the radiator. gt40p's have 4 lines.
I dont remember what the looked like that well
gonna have to check next time i go see it
Passenger side of the block look at the lower front corner of the head. If it's a GT40 head it will say GT a GT40P head will say GTP. Also the front of the head has 3 bars for GT40, 4 bars for GT40P.
sounds good
hopeing to pick it up today!! Im praying for gt40 heads and a decent cam
yup 3 bars for the gt40's
pic may help some disregaured the silver:rollin: