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Topic: Stock 5.0 in 86 tbird want to beef it up. (Read 13177 times) previous topic - next topic

Stock 5.0 in 86 tbird want to beef it up.

Hey guys! New to the forums. After much searching it has brought me here. I need a group of experts to recommend the best way to get this SO 5.0 to get some umph! I don't have tons of money to spend so I need to know the best route to make this car make me sit back in my seat. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Stock 5.0 in 86 tbird want to beef it up.

Reply #2 –
X2. If i ever get to blowing a motor on any of my cars, ill drop an h.o. in. I got all the parts, just been to lazy and don't wanna tear apart my car till it does.

A t-5 makes a world of difference in how the car drives as well. I used a 3.8 sn-95 t-5 that i got off craigslist for $150.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com
 

Stock 5.0 in 86 tbird want to beef it up.

Reply #4 –
Another question. Do i go with iron or aluminium heads?

Some people are saying that the gt40s have piston clearance issues. Will they still work with a stock mustang HO cam?

Stock 5.0 in 86 tbird want to beef it up.

Reply #5 –
Do a search for "piston relief, cam, gt40" or something like that as I know this has been beat to death here.

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

Stock 5.0 in 86 tbird want to beef it up.

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Aerocoupe;448330
Do a search for "piston relief, cam, gt40" or something like that as I know this has been beat to death here.

Darren

It is beat to death all over the internet. Lol
If i go with an E7 and a stock HO cam i am safe?

Stock 5.0 in 86 tbird want to beef it up.

Reply #7 –
Quote from: darkknight87;448332
It is beat to death all over the internet. Lol
If i go with an E7 and a stock HO cam i am safe?

E7 are Junk, basically on next to bottom rung of a 15-20 step ladder...

Get you a set of Trick Flow 170 heads, a E cam or Stage 1 Trick Flow if you want a bit more rump da rump, valve clearance is a NON issue... You'll have to do a mass air conversion with either cam...

Stock 5.0 in 86 tbird want to beef it up.

Reply #8 –
I say go with 3.55's or 3.73 rear to get some seat-in-pants ummph for now, and start saving for an engine swap.  When I did heads, cam, and intake on my 80,000 mile 302 it blew up the following year.. just my experience and :2c:
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

Stock 5.0 in 86 tbird want to beef it up.

Reply #9 –
^Right!?

I've been putting together my 5.0 with P heads, E cam, CObra intake, etc.

It's a used engine, about 64,000 on it...yeah, if I had it to do over again, I'd have torn the block clean down, sent it in for cleaning, etc. Still, there was no ring ridge and it had excellent compression so that's why I didn't do a rebuild.

If it lasts 6 months, or 6 years, I'm not out anything as what I spent thus far would've been spent anyway even if the engine was completely gone through.

I've got several sets of E7s.....I'm keeping them for when s prices go up again. :D
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

Stock 5.0 in 86 tbird want to beef it up.

Reply #10 –
Quote from: Bob;448336
I say go with 3.55's or 3.73 rear to get some seat-in-pants ummph for now, and start saving for an engine swap.  When I did heads, cam, and intake on my 80,000 mile 302 it blew up the following year.. just my experience and :2c:
That was a broken crank, right?? Assuming there wasn't a crack that was found during the rebuild, would have happened anyway... Just a fact of the stock 50 oz imbalance cranks...

My 5.0 also died of crank failure but was the thrust bearing that failed, common on boosted/N2O engines... Still it ran for around four years with the crank sliding back and forth till finally a head gasket blew...

Stock 5.0 in 86 tbird want to beef it up.

Reply #11 –
To the op, how much power do you want out of your car? What is your usage requirements? An h.o. swap is a 75hp bolt on with only a little bit of leg work.

My recommendations, do a stock h.o. swap first, and see if you need more power. Any other swap will cost a ton more money and require a bunch of modifications for little gain compared to the h.o. swap.

Gt40 heads will probably not clear without notching the pistions.a better cam on stock e7's probably won't clear without notching the pistions, there is only one aftermarket head i know of that should clear without notching the pistions.

If ya want a bit better then completely stock setup, grab a ford explorer intake and troll around craigslist and local mustang sites or the corral for used or cheap exhaust bits. Even with the stock aod, you might have to move/modify/change your shifter/linkage with anything except stock mustang/mark7 stuff.

The h.o. upgrade is the basis for most aftermarket upgrades. It will open a ton of doors, but you have to remember, anything ment for a mustang (and most aftermarket performance parts as a whole) will require modifications and/or fabrication in order to work properly on your particular car.

There is not much difference between a cleanly swapped factory job, and a hacked together sketchy ride.
Quote from: jcassity
I honestly dont think you could exceed the cost of a new car buy installing new *stock* parts everywhere in your coug our tbird. Its just plain impossible. You could revamp the entire drivetrain/engine/suspenstion and still come out ahead.
Hooligans! 
1988 Crown Vic wagon. 120K California car. Wifes grocery getter. (junked)
1987 Ford Thunderbird LX. 5.0. s.o., sn-95 t-5 and an f-150 clutch. Driven daily and going strong.
1986 cougar.
lilsammywasapunkrocker@yahoo.com

Stock 5.0 in 86 tbird want to beef it up.

Reply #12 –
Quote from: TurboCoupe50;448343
That was a broken crank, right?? Assuming there wasn't a crack that was found during the rebuild, would have happened anyway... Just a fact of the stock 50 oz imbalance cranks...

My 5.0 also died of crank failure but was the thrust bearing that failed, common on boosted/N2O engines... Still it ran for around four years with the crank sliding back and forth till finally a head gasket blew...


I think it was from me beating the piss out of it for 10 years and than almost doubling the horsepower and beating it worse lol
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

Stock 5.0 in 86 tbird want to beef it up.

Reply #13 –
Quote from: Haystack;448344
To the op, how much power do you want out of your car? What is your usage requirements? An h.o. swap is a 75hp bolt on with only a little bit of leg work.

My recommendations, do a stock h.o. swap first, and see if you need more power. Any other swap will cost a ton more money and require a bunch of modifications for little gain compared to the h.o. swap.

Gt40 heads will probably not clear without notching the pistions.a better cam on stock e7's probably won't clear without notching the pistions, there is only one aftermarket head i know of that should clear without notching the pistions.

If ya want a bit better then completely stock setup, grab a ford explorer intake and troll around craigslist and local mustang sites or the corral for used or cheap exhaust bits. Even with the stock aod, you might have to move/modify/change your shifter/linkage with anything except stock mustang/mark7 stuff.

The h.o. upgrade is the basis for most aftermarket upgrades. It will open a ton of doors, but you have to remember, anything ment for a mustang (and most aftermarket performance parts as a whole) will require modifications and/or fabrication in order to work properly on your particular car.

There is not much difference between a cleanly swapped factory job, and a hacked together sketchy ride.

I am looking for the cheapest and most simple upgrade for this car. I do not have experience with this block as it is my first time owning one. I guess you could say I want to convert it to HO without any hassles of working on the lower half of the engine.

Stock 5.0 in 86 tbird want to beef it up.

Reply #14 –
To convert it to an HO you will have to change the cams and if you are going to change the cam then you might as well install a new timing chain.  I would call Ed Curtis at FTI and order one of his timing chain sets as they are really good for the $$$.  Take your time with this and plan the conversion so you spend your money once.

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp