3.8 engine mods

Topic: 3.8 engine mods (Read 2441 times) previous topic - next topic

3.8 engine mods

April 18, 2006, 02:04:35 AM

I recently got a 87 LS Cat with the 3.8 motor and was just wanting to get any input on a few mods (I've decided to have a little fun with this car, it's not going to be a daily driver but will get good miles).

Headers, Mustang 3.8 headers a good idea for this?

Exhaust, 2.5inch?

1.6:1 rockers for Mustang work on this 3.8?

I have not seen any alternate throttle bodies, anyone know of one?

I don't want to run just a KN airfilter, they got a cold air intake system for these?

any other ideas would be helpful, I'm wanting to get this up to around 200-220hp for starters.

3.8 engine mods

Reply #1 – April 18, 2006, 08:09:46 AM

personaly if i were to modify a 3.8 id use the 88 and up version, yours wount have any TB's because its cfi. the 88 changed over to sefi. i know its not what you want to hear, but the ho is 225hp and you can bolt it up to your transmission. the junkyard swap can be done fairly cheaply, i might just save up for that. or,... just start collecting parts for the swap, then do it in a month or so. im not sure if the headers will work with your Y-pipe, and i dont think your setup has any kind of cold air intake, besides that tube from your air filter, that goes through your fender.

3.8 engine mods

Reply #2 – April 18, 2006, 10:24:29 AM

if you got an SEFI intake setup couldnt it be possible to use the cold air intake off a 5.0 with SEFI? Personally if youre going to do alot of work on it you might possibly consider just swapping in a 5.0 others on the board will more then likely disagree and end up saying the 3.8 is a perfectly fine engine. The way I see it if youre going to build a bigger house why not start with a bigger foundation? If you want to keep the 3.8 you could try getting the heads and intake ported out to flow better. I've heard of someone on the board not sure who and cant remember right off had but they ported part of their intake and said it made a deffinate improvement over stock. Also with the SEFI V6 setup I would think you could put larger fuel injectors in it to get more fuel into it. if you get it ported you may need the added fuel anyway. Im sure you could find a larger then stock cam somewhere that would work in this application. Also if youre going to get it flowing that much horsepower you may want to think about just swapping in an entire mustang dual exhaust system Hpipe and the cat back system. That should free up a little more actual size I think would depend on how much horsepower you actually end up with. I think if you get to big on the exhaust on a stock engine its going to bog it down and actually hurt it more then it helps. also if youre tearing it down anyway you could get the block bored a little and make it a larger V6.
I have no clue on this part maybe some of the other guys do but it might be possible to increase the rod length on it as well. Bore it out and increase the length of the rod and you sort of would have a V6 stroker. Thats about all I can think of right off the top of my head for the V6

3.8 engine mods

Reply #3 – April 18, 2006, 11:46:36 AM

http://moranav6racing.com/products.html

IMO, Tom Morana is the only guy that understands the 3.8L's potential.

3.8 engine mods

Reply #4 – April 18, 2006, 12:04:33 PM

oh wow killer site deffinately a good source of parts for the 3.8 as well as information it looks like not sure Im still stuck in the parts section :D

Parts interchange

Reply #5 – April 18, 2006, 01:54:23 PM

SBF rockers will not work on 3.8L V6. I used 94 'stang headers on my 3.8L ('83 T'Bird). IMO 2.5" exhaust is too large, 2 to 2.25' is fine, (do not know if computer could richen it enough for big exhaust). After many mods and money, I just went the V8 route. Should have done it 2 years ago! Best with V6 was a 16.2 ET, fourth run on V8 was 13.95 ET, with a mild 5.0L V8. Either way have fun, Fred

3.8 engine mods

Reply #6 – April 18, 2006, 02:53:38 PM

Where as I am one of the guys on this board that actually likes the 3.8 I would not do anything to a CFI Car. If you wanted to upgrade to a MPI setup (sorry guys its not actually SEFI, its a batch system) You would have to change eveything.

The heads are different because the injectors go through them instead of the manifold. The intake of course is different. The wiring harness would have to be changed as well. That wouldn't be to hard at all. Just find one out of an 88. The timing cover and water pump would have to be changed to 88 up specs as would all of the front accessory drive components. There is just as much involved in a MPI swap as there is in a 5.0 swap.

Another thing, 1.6 rocker arms would be a downgrade. Stock 3.8 rockers are like 1.7 or 1.8.

3.8 engine mods

Reply #7 – April 18, 2006, 03:12:13 PM

I think 'removal' was the best one I've heard of to date.

3.8 engine mods

Reply #8 – April 19, 2006, 10:50:42 PM

Well from personal experince I say get rid of the CFI 3.8 and switch to the 88 MPI setup. I've driven both of them and the CFI version sucks ass. Either that or step and and be a man and put a 460 in it. Then you would be playing with power.

3.8 engine mods

Reply #9 – April 19, 2006, 10:51:55 PM

3.8L V6 rocker arms are 1.73 ratio. I tried to cross reference them to 351 Cleveland rockers but could not get a firm answer. Only cams available are regrinds and the smaller base circle cams, can cause lifter noise. Hopping a 3.8L up is possible but expensive, more so that a warmed up 5.0L V8. Have fun, I did for 2+ years but wanted more power than a carbed V6 could produce. Fred

3.8 engine mods

Reply #10 – April 20, 2006, 12:22:40 AM

Oh yeah I forgot you could go all out with your 3.8L get one out of a newer bird with the supercharger. Then you've got it all power and the gas mileage. That is as long as you can keep your foot out of it.

Check me out

Reply #11 – April 20, 2006, 12:50:48 PM

Hello! Check out my page for what I did to the Three-Eight.

http://www.cardomain.com/id/chris1987lx

C.

3.8 engine mods

Reply #12 – April 20, 2006, 03:44:42 PM

What i would personally do, it mess with everything other than the engine.

Grab yourself a spare rear, preferably an 8.8, put a traction lock in it, and some 3.73 rear gears.

Get a nice transmission cooler, and maybe throw a shift kit in it.

Put a nice electric fan in the car with an adjustable controller.

Throw a 180* thermostat in it.

Advance the timing to 12-14*

Stock mustang headers (3.8L), and a fox body mustang h-pipe (stock) work well on a 3.8L car, the h-pipe fit is tight and will fight you, because the headers dont line up exactly perfectly, but it does work. Then use either a stock mustang catback, or a stock replacement with whatever lers you want.

As for throttle bodies, you do have some choices. Go to the junkyard, and find yourself a 5.0 CFI Crown Vic, or Grand Marquis, and grab the CFI, yank it apart, and swap your 3.8L injectors onto the throttle body. While its apart, i know you see the big bronze can on the top of the CFI, pop the black plug out, stick an allen wrench down there, and give that screw about a half of a turn. That brings your base pressure up about 2psi, which should help with the rest of the mods done.

Something i did with mine, which didnt do squat but make some neat noise, is i got a K&N filter from a friend with a camaro, it was an 88 TBI car, blocked off all of the vacume lines going to the air cleaner, and flipped the lid with the K&N installed, so it exposed the K&N more. It didnt do much for power, but you could hear the CFI sucking pretty loudly.

The reason i say dont mess with the engine much, is because everything else you do lays down the ground work for if you swap another engine, itll benefit your 3.8L, but if you drop a 5.0 in for example, youll still have a bunch of goodies in the car already, that will be great for a 5.0.

3.8 engine mods

Reply #13 – April 20, 2006, 03:56:57 PM

The stock ratio on the 3.8 V6 rockers is 1.72:1 Morana Racing makes roller rockers for the 3.8 in stock ratio and 1.8 as well.

3.8 engine mods

Reply #14 – April 20, 2006, 04:43:59 PM

Just one good look at the prices on Morana v6 racing and that should be enough to stray you away from moding it at all.