Got one of my crazy ideas, And went looking into a possible Roller Lifter
swap for the T-Bird while i have the intake mani off.
So after some research it looks like a any 94-98 or so 232/3.8 hydr roller lifters will fit, But im unsure of the oil holes lining up... any ideas on that?
Then i could get some of these:
(http://www.allfordmustangs.com/techarticles/images/mustang94-98_v6_f5.jpg)
To line them up.
And use some 94-98 pushrods to make up for a probable length difference.
Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions? And anyone know about the holes lining up in the housings on the block?
You have to change the cam as well.
You cannot use roller lifters on a flat tappet cam.
Ah yea, Thanks.
Need to figure out what will fit now, I assume a 94-98 232/3.8 'stang roller cam would work. Am i wrong?
And not sure how the springs will handle the swap...
Also, Will i be needing to use a retainer plate?
Well now its looking like i wont be doing this any time soon, But something i would like to do eventually.
Humm, I'm wondering if the mid/late 80's-90's V8 hydr roller lifters would fit (are possibly the same)?
I did a search on oreillyauto.com compairing an 88sport with a 96 v6 mustang and the part numbers matched for the roller lifters. here are two different brands available, sealed power HT2205 and Melling JB2205
I dunno about 3.8s but the 5.0 blocks were modified for the roller lifters, cannot use factory roller lifters in a non-roller block... No doubt there are aftermarket $$$, lifters that would work... Why bother?? kinda like polishing a turd...
owch and owch... :flame::hick:
I've got a bad lobe on my camshaft.
This would be a Junkyard swap, Could be done for less than $50 this route (only reason i'm considering it right now).
How were the blocks modified for them? Do you know?
I do know that a "Rail" will need to be installed in the top of the block, But this only requires drilling and tapping 2 very small screws to hold down the plate (i assume this inst going to be a problem).
Otherwise as far as i can tell, If i can find a donor car i can just swap over:
roller camshaft x1
dog bones x6
rail x1
shorter roller pushrods x12
and possibly the springs.
Heres a list of potential stock 3.8's running the roller setup:
*94-04 3.8 Mustangs
*90-97 V6 Thunderbird Base & SC
*89-97 3.8 Cougars
95-03 3.8 V6 Windstar
89-94 3.8 Continentals
89-95 3.8 Taurus'
89-95 3.8 Sables
(Asterisked ones are my best bet.)
The lifter bores on roller blocks are longer (deeper), to accomodate the longer roller lifter. Trying to fit a roller lifter into a non-roller block MIGHT work for a short time, but the lifter will wobble and beat itself to death.
I say MIGHT work because the oiling holes would probably not line up anyway (they'd be higher up on a roller block, so putting roller lifters in a non-roller block would have the oil passages in the lifter too high)
:punchballs:
I was going by this pic:
(http://www.myrideisme.com/Blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/figure1-1.gif)
But now i assume thats a retrofit roller.
Need a pic of stock roller next to stock flat.
All in all sounds like this will end up in fail, Unless i spend big $$$ on retrofit lifters. :mad:
Thanks guys.
**If you look up stock rollers for 89 up 3.8's on oreilly's~they say they fit 85 and up t-birds, cougars and stangs?
Whats the difference between an 84 and 85 block...
Also found this:
http://www.enginebuildermag.com/Article/2393/rebuilding_the_ford_38l_engine.aspx
Doesnt mention any lifter guide changes, Does bring up that a cam chain tensioner was added though.
Its just going to come down to a side by side/test fit at this rate.
Well the stock camshaft isn't a direct swap, And they don't appear to make a roller cam for 88 and under 3.8's, So...
Looks like a no go. :(
Had some thoughts and looked around on O'Reilly's site.
Stock 84-87 3.8 Ford/s Camshaft:
(http://i4.ebayimg.com/06/i/001/37/2d/cce6_1_sbl.JPG)
(http://shop.oreillyauto.com/product_images/img/cle/2291793.jpg)
Stock 78-88 3.8 Buick/s Camshaft:
(http://shop.oreillyauto.com/product_images/img/cle/2291731.jpg)
(http://shop.oreillyauto.com/product_images/img/cle/2292268.jpg)
I'm sure it still wont work, But kind of interesting... And Buick has a larger V6 aftermarket (Obviously :hick:).
They do have a roller version of the 3.8 Cam.
it was GM's idea as was the 302 in the first place.
The first 302 was in FORD HD trucks in 1956... No it wasn't the same 302/5.0 most of us know, but they were still ahead of Chevy that only offered a 302 '67-'69...
Oh and BTW...the larger V6 Buick was a 4.1 liter or 252ci It was factory and used through early 80's. They can be found in the junkyard. You may have seen one as they were the V6 buicks with a 4 barrel Rochester Q-Jet carb.
You weren't thinking a Buick cam would work did you?