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Topic: Pretty sure....... (Read 16758 times) previous topic - next topic

Pretty sure.......

I need a new short block.

Car gets hot and gauge shows a loss of oil pressure.  I had fixed all of the gauge issues last year.  Now when it gets hot I open the hood, blip the throttle body, and I can ever so slightly hear a little noise from the bottom end on deceleration.....


WONDERFUL.....  :mad:
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

Pretty sure.......

Reply #1
oh balls....
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
***** Project "EVOLUTION" 1987 Cougar LS  & 1985 Cougar Convertible *****
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5.0 HO 306 roller block, machined GT-40P heads, Wiseco dished forged pistons, Eagle forged floating I-beam connecting rods, Lunati pushrods, ARP bolts, Scorpion aluminum 1.6 rockers, Comp Cams Magnum 266HR, Explorer intake, 65mm TB, MAF Conversion, 19# injectors, Ford Racing stainless P-headers, 2-1/2" cat-less exhaust w/ Flowtech Afterburner lers , SC AOD with 2800 BDR torque converter, 3.73 T-Lok rear, CHE rear control arms, full 2-1/2" frame w/1" jacking rails & seat supports, Rear disk brakes, Turbine wheels, All original interior w/ floor shift upgrade .......
Pretty much every panel on my 87 is new, rebuilt, or re constructed. :D
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Pretty sure.......

Reply #2
I noticed some upper end knock, I think, the other day.  I said screw it and keep driving it.  I only notice it after it idles for a few minutes. 

Good luck with yours.  What is the specs, mileage etc....
Mike

Pretty sure.......

Reply #3
Crank and pistons have about 40k miles on them.  Done back in 2000.... New bearings as well....  Stock bottom end stuff.

Putting my hand on the fender I can feel it. 



$1,500 and someone can take the car.  I'm shaging DONE.
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

Pretty sure.......

Reply #4
Jesus tap-dancing Christ. :(
I don't know what to say. That just sucks.
I've been reading about the manner in which 302 blocks split under high horsepower/bad tune/stress and the "loss of oil pressure" comment made me think about that. But you think this is a rotating assembly issue? I was pretty sure that thing was dialed in real nice. Some will claim "Oh yaaa I've seen one split at 300 horsepower!" Maybe if it was DEAD lean all the time but 1hp/cu inch just isn't that much stress.
1987 20th Anniversary Cougar, 302 "5.0" GT-40 heads (F3ZE '93 Cobra) and TMoss Ported H.O. intake, H.O. camshaft
2.5" Duals, no cats, Flowmaster 40s, Richmond 3.73s w/ Trac-Lok, maxed out Baumann shift kit, 3000 RPM Dirty Dog non-lock TC
Aside from the Mustang crinkle headers, still looks like it's only 150 HP...
1988 Black XR7 Trick Flow top end, Tremec 3550
1988 Black XR7 Procharger P600B intercooled, Edelbrock Performer non-RPM heads, GT40 intake AOD, 13 PSI @5000 RPM. 93 octane

Pretty sure.......

Reply #5
95% sure it's rod knock.  100% sure it's bottom end.  Passenger side.  Sounds like the #3.....

The kick in the ass is it has ZERO loss in power....  The idle is all over the place now too was idling at 1600 in the driveway.  I disconnected the IAC and it did nothing.  Just sat there (with no knock) until I shut it off and restarted it.  Got the idle to come down to 750 and you can just barely hear it.  With the hood closed it's inaudible.
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

Pretty sure.......

Reply #6
$200 plus shipping and ill give ya the block I've had new on the stand forever. Bought a car with a bad motor, threw a new block in it and the trans only had 1 gear. 20 miles or so on it with some junk used stuff attached.

Bought another car for the trans and tries to blow the motor and it never happened.
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

Pretty sure.......

Reply #7
Swap the engine. You know it isn't hard, and you got 15 years from that one. I swapped mine not long ago. it took us 6 hours to install it, which included taking the cam and heads from the old engine along with the intake.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Pretty sure.......

Reply #8
I got 15 years, but less than 40K.....

Stacks, got pics of the block?  Any idea the mileage on it?  What's it out of?

I'm at a crossroads.  The last 5 years have been much more down time then drive time with this car.
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

Pretty sure.......

Reply #9
New to me block from a friend pending......

Roller block 306, Eagle rotating assembly.....Price was right. 

The fun should start sometime this week.  Time to start working OT.
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

Pretty sure.......

Reply #10
I have a bare block that *appears* freshly honed, no idea on its previous history but if you met me halfway or thereabouts I'd just give it to ya. I got it as part of a parts grab-bag deal and it's been sitting inside for 3 years. I don't NEED the  thing and the exterior has light surface rust. All of the innards look great. Then all you'd have to do is get it checked out and good to go?

Cursed or not, that's your car man :)
AND, and, 1500 would be a smoking deal for someone but that would be terrible. That thing's totally rust free right? No subframe issues? I know I've seen pics of the interior, it's black and sinister, all of the mods you've set up...you just can't find these cars like that. Don't let her go you'll be kicking yourself, and you know it.
1987 20th Anniversary Cougar, 302 "5.0" GT-40 heads (F3ZE '93 Cobra) and TMoss Ported H.O. intake, H.O. camshaft
2.5" Duals, no cats, Flowmaster 40s, Richmond 3.73s w/ Trac-Lok, maxed out Baumann shift kit, 3000 RPM Dirty Dog non-lock TC
Aside from the Mustang crinkle headers, still looks like it's only 150 HP...
1988 Black XR7 Trick Flow top end, Tremec 3550
1988 Black XR7 Procharger P600B intercooled, Edelbrock Performer non-RPM heads, GT40 intake AOD, 13 PSI @5000 RPM. 93 octane

Pretty sure.......

Reply #11
Right side frame rail has a hole smaller than a dime that's been there for 3 years and hasn't grown.  I had one spot below the rear window after this winter that I sanded, painted, and blended.  Gotta redo the clear on it.  It's a wee bit hazy.  Underside of the car is clean.

Nothing's set in stone yet.  Offer's still up for the car.  I really should just concentrate on one toy at his point....
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

Pretty sure.......

Reply #12
Yeah you should swap the drivetrain from that Giant Turd into the Cougar!!! :D  (no offense on the Mustang though. If you love it, run with it.)

Hey tastes change and people change. But you'll never lose your hankering for these cars. They're a true disease, you're stuck with it!
If I didn't JUST buy another BLACK COUGAR I'd come and get the  thing LOL.
1987 20th Anniversary Cougar, 302 "5.0" GT-40 heads (F3ZE '93 Cobra) and TMoss Ported H.O. intake, H.O. camshaft
2.5" Duals, no cats, Flowmaster 40s, Richmond 3.73s w/ Trac-Lok, maxed out Baumann shift kit, 3000 RPM Dirty Dog non-lock TC
Aside from the Mustang crinkle headers, still looks like it's only 150 HP...
1988 Black XR7 Trick Flow top end, Tremec 3550
1988 Black XR7 Procharger P600B intercooled, Edelbrock Performer non-RPM heads, GT40 intake AOD, 13 PSI @5000 RPM. 93 octane

Pretty sure.......

Reply #13
The Mustang is faster, but it doesn't have that........SOUL...... it doesn't FEEL alive.  It's close, but only after putting a ton of work into it.  The Cougar is intuitive.  An extension of myself if you will what with everything I've done to it.  Even the LSC has a hankering of that feeling in stock form. 


Somewhere before 2000 auto manufacturers lost that.  The car as a machine is overall a much better piece of equipment than what was the average offering 30 years ago.  I'd LOVE to take my wife's 2012 Focus SE with it's 160 hp 2.0l engine and take it to the dragstrip against the Mark VII; both in totally stock form with fresh tune ups.  I think the extra 2 gears and less weight would put them pretty close. 

I can pretty much guarantee that the Focus would smoke any STOCK fox body Cougar/Tbird.  It pulled 143 hp on a friend's dyno.  That translates to less than an 11% drivetrain loss....


Still doesn't mean it's more fun to drive.  FWIW -- I've driven the old 3rd gen Camaros that were around when the fox platform was in full swing.  They don't hold a candle to our cars.  THey still have more character than most new stuff.
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

Pretty sure.......

Reply #14
Maybe it's the imperfections that make older stuff more fun, more "organic". The more precise the machine gets, the more machine-like it is, and less something that you can "relate to" if that makes any sense. Now that's not to say that an '87 Toyota Camry is going to be a really enjoyable car, surely it's steering is also not as tight and its panel gaps not like what we see built now. The Audi A5 is a pretty good seller, for the set that its aimed at. Not everyone is buying one, but its a luxury car. The big two-door cruiser ain't dead yet. Someone just needs to make one worthwhile, and that one happens to be, very much so.

I'd love to take one in 20 years and drop a big block in it or something :hick:
1987 20th Anniversary Cougar, 302 "5.0" GT-40 heads (F3ZE '93 Cobra) and TMoss Ported H.O. intake, H.O. camshaft
2.5" Duals, no cats, Flowmaster 40s, Richmond 3.73s w/ Trac-Lok, maxed out Baumann shift kit, 3000 RPM Dirty Dog non-lock TC
Aside from the Mustang crinkle headers, still looks like it's only 150 HP...
1988 Black XR7 Trick Flow top end, Tremec 3550
1988 Black XR7 Procharger P600B intercooled, Edelbrock Performer non-RPM heads, GT40 intake AOD, 13 PSI @5000 RPM. 93 octane