Purchased a 87 turbocoupe (5.0)

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Purchased a 87 turbocoupe (5.0)

January 20, 2012, 08:54:07 PM

Hi, I'm new, been reading the forum for a few days searching some answers I had and what not, and i guess its time to post.

I just picked up a 1987 turbocoupe, the car is stripped down to basics (besides interior) and has a 5.0, its carbed (electric fuel pump), performer intake, aod trans, stock tc rearend with stock 3.73 gears.
Anyway, I went to see this car and the guy selling it told me it had a 5.0 HO from a 90 mustang, the car was "very fast" but it has a carb issue and he's tired fooling with it bla bla bla. so i test drove the car, seemed good and agreed the carb is the issue and purchased it.

so i get home fix the carb issue by turning the pressure down on the fuel regulator from 12 psi to 6 and playing with the air/fuel screws. runs good now. drove it around the block... not fast. so then i checked into this engine and discovered it has E6 heads, well looks like i jumped the gun and screwed myself. I purchased this car for daily driving and to race it at the track a few times a month. the plan was to put gt40 heads on it a tfs1 cam and spray it a lill. so now that that i know its not a HO what could be done to get some power out of it? looking for around a 12 - 13 second car. is this a lost cause for the engine since it has flat top pistons?

thanks

Purchased a 87 turbocoupe (5.0)

Reply #1 – January 21, 2012, 11:29:08 AM

Welcome!!!

Assuming the short block is OK, TFS heads are the way to go, no valve reliefs needed unless you went with fairly long duration cam... I run the Stage-1 TFS cam on a '86 HO short block(those also have flat tops), with Cobra intake, 65mm throttle body, BBK 1515 shorties, full 2.5" exhaust, 2600 stall, 3.73 etc, has run 13.11@105(car is full weight, tips scales at 3750 incl me)... With a 75shot it went 12.23@112... Been procrastinating on dropping a 331 in, probably go carbed when I do...

BTW, possibly you have a '86 HO, or maybe someone popped the orig heads on a HO short block??? If it has the HO firing order of 13726548, that may well be the case...

Purchased a 87 turbocoupe (5.0)

Reply #2 – January 21, 2012, 08:54:24 PM

ok cool! I need to look into them tfs heads. Are you running with those heads or just the tfs1 cam? and I will check the firing order tomorrow. Do you run with an AOD?

Purchased a 87 turbocoupe (5.0)

Reply #3 – January 21, 2012, 11:00:34 PM

Yep I have the TFS heads & AOD...

Purchased a 87 turbocoupe (5.0)

Reply #4 – January 22, 2012, 12:09:42 AM

Just because it has e6 heads doesn't mean its not a forged bottom end

Purchased a 87 turbocoupe (5.0)

Reply #5 – January 22, 2012, 12:10:56 AM

Does it have the Ho firing order

Purchased a 87 turbocoupe (5.0)

Reply #6 – January 22, 2012, 06:51:46 PM

it has the 15426378 lo-po firing order. so no forged pistons I'm assuming, also took a orthoscope into the plug hole and yes, for sure no valve reliefs. So I can still use the tfs heads, and tfs1 cam, but what about nitrous? TurboCoupe50, is your aod stock, besides converter?

Thanks

Purchased a 87 turbocoupe (5.0)

Reply #7 – January 22, 2012, 10:06:29 PM

A stock AOD won't live behind a hot 5.0, mine has a hardened input shaft(I broke the orig first time at the track), and Trans-Go Shift Kit... Otherwise it's a stock 3.8 Super Coupe trans that's never been rebuilt... After approx 700 strip passes it's getting a bit tired, but will scratch stock tires on the 1st to 2nd shift(well it would before I blew the head gasket)...

You can probably run a bit of juice but I'd keep it small on SO pistons, maybe a 50Hp shot...

Purchased a 87 turbocoupe (5.0)

Reply #8 – January 23, 2012, 12:09:31 AM

Any good sources for hardened input shafts and converters? also, is it necessary to rebuild the trans when doing this upgrade? Thanks for all the info

Purchased a 87 turbocoupe (5.0)

Reply #9 – January 23, 2012, 03:58:16 PM

I would rebuild the trans. The GT40P head combo in my car lunched 2nd and 3rd gear on the stock AOD. I had my AOD rebuilt by TSI in Addison, IL. They did the trans for Anderson Ford Motorsports 9 second AOD Mustang and their shop car is a blown 9 second AOD Mustang. The trans I have should be good for 700 hp, I doubt it'll ever see that much power though so it should last a good long time.