1990 super coupe 5.0 ho swap

tbirdracing

Registered User
i have a 1990 thunderbird super coupe i toke out the 3.8 engine and i am trying to put in a 5.0 ho but i cant find no info on how to do it right im trying to have a 8 second car i know its possible to do just trying to get some of the basics to start off with all i could find was from cool cats but there builds are for 88 cugars/tbirds can anyone help me :confused:
 
If you want an 8 second car, and don't know how to swap a 5.0 in, you better get ready to write some big checks! Getting one of these to run 8s is no easy task, and if trying to keep it street legal, that has never been done yet.
 
If you want an 8 second car, and don't know how to swap a 5.0 in, you better get ready to write some big checks! Getting one of these to run 8s is no easy task, and if trying to keep it street legal, that has never been done yet.

Ya, I'm hoping he meant 8s in the 1/8th. That takes 1000+hp to run in the 8s in the 1/4th doesn't it?
 
Ya, I'm hoping he meant 8s in the 1/8th. That takes 1000+hp to run in the 8s in the 1/4th doesn't it?

http://cochise.uia.net/pkelley2/eight-to-quarter.htm

8 sec 1/8th allegedly equals 12.48sec quarter mile.
12.48sec quarter mile in a 3150LB car (best case scenario if he guts his car -- I know this from my 5.0 car) = 320RWHP * 1.2 for drivetrain loss = 384HP.

Doable on a budget with a stock 302 block.

Going for the worst case scenario....
8 sec quarter mile with a 3688LB car = 1,423.67RWHP * 1.2 for drivetrain loss = 1707.6HP
http://www.wallaceracing.com/et-hp-mph.php

I'm not sure even the fancy aftermarket blocks from DART can sustain that kind of power.
Pass the doobie.
-g

PS. I plugged Dave's numbers into the calculator out of curiosity and they state that a 4150LB car running 10.04 requires 800HP. Since Dave's car makes a max HP of 727RWHP, that represents a 10% overestimate on the part of this simple calculator. Even derating my estimate above, getting to 8 sec represents a LOT of dreaming on the OPs part.
 
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PS. I plugged Dave's numbers into the calculator out of curiosity and they state that a 4150LB car running 10.04 requires 800HP. Since Dave's car makes a max HP of 727RWHP, that represents a 10% overestimate on the part of this simple calculator. Even derating my estimate above, getting to 8 sec represents a LOT of dreaming on the OPs part.

Not that it really matters but since we are bench racing, mine was making closer to 775 rwhp on the track through a non locking AOD which is real close to 1000 HP at the crank. With good traction it should have been capable of running 9.8s. New motor is stronger so I think it could go another two tenths quicker, in a perfect world.

David
 
you want to make an 8 sec car? and start with a 5.0? your going to have ALOOOOOOOOT of work todo just to get that motor to swap into the sc and run correctly. and then chances are all the stuff that makes it a "super" oupe will be lost and you might as well just use a v8 Tbird to start with. No offense but why choose fords turdest of an engine to build? why not get another v6 sc or a 4.6 or a 32v 4.6..? but a 5.0? ok, the parts are cheap but you need todo sooooooo much to make that motor decent and even then that money put into a 3.8 sc or 4.6 2v or 4v would net you sooooo much better power gains..
just my 2 cents..
and i had a built 5.0 mn12, THEY SUCK ! full gt40 intake sytem,bigger mafs and injectors,built trans,ignition,exhaust..maby other stuff..was maby MABY a low 15 second car....lol

 
you want to make an 8 sec car? and start with a 5.0? your going to have ALOOOOOOOOT of work todo just to get that motor to swap into the sc and run correctly. and then chances are all the stuff that makes it a "super" oupe will be lost and you might as well just use a v8 Tbird to start with. No offense but why choose fords turdest of an engine to build? why not get another v6 sc or a 4.6 or a 32v 4.6..? but a 5.0? ok, the parts are cheap but you need todo sooooooo much to make that motor decent and even then that money put into a 3.8 sc or 4.6 2v or 4v would net you sooooo much better power gains..
just my 2 cents..
and i had a built 5.0 mn12, THEY SUCK ! full gt40 intake sytem,bigger mafs and injectors,built trans,ignition,exhaust..maby other stuff..was maby MABY a low 15 second car....lol

Not real sure but I think Neibert's fast car is a five liter. Lots of 302s that are fast.
 
Whole lot easier to get power out of a 5.0 than a 4.6 2v n/a. If going power adder it really doesn't matter what you start with. Especially if shooting for 8aec 1/4's.
 
I don't think the 5.0's are a turd, they are better than the 4.6L for performance purposes. The bone stock 5.0 in my LX runs 11.65 in the 1/4 on pump gas. It's turbocharged, but the engine itself is completely stock, never even had a valve cover off yet.
 
Not real sure but I think Neibert's fast car is a five liter. Lots of 302s that are fast.

It's based on a 5.0 HO motor, but it's all aftermarket stuff from intake to oil pan and uses a neutral balanced forged stroker crank that increases displacement to 347 CI. Power output is currently limited by turbo size and fuel system, motor will easily handle 1500 HP.

New motor installed.jpg


New motor 02.JPG


New motor 01.jpg


New motor 00.jpg


David
 
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I don't think the 5.0's are a turd, they are better than the 4.6L for performance purposes. The bone stock 5.0 in my LX runs 11.65 in the 1/4 on pump gas. It's turbocharged, but the engine itself is completely stock, never even had a valve cover off yet.

Speaking of custom turbocharger setups.... :D
 
the stock 5.0 engine are turds,I THINK..shur they are easy to upgarde but i can guarantee that for every mod you do to a 5.0 if done to a 4.6 2v or 4v it will net you the same hp amount or more..shur the 5.0 parts are cheaper because you can find sooo many used parts but ive personally seen a semi built 4.6 mustang with a single turbo YES PESONALLY seen it stomp a lambo, the stang was a 3k base car with maby 4-5k of parts on it that he and i put on our selves within 2 months..so 2 months of building(part time at that) and 8,000 you can make a lambo killer.now if he had done all that work to a 4v mark8 motor or cobra motor, oh my.
p.s...stock internals and just pi cams and massivly ported pi heads...was a pretty simple build
 
the stock 5.0 engine are turds,I THINK..shur they are easy to upgarde but i can guarantee that for every mod you do to a 5.0 if done to a 4.6 2v or 4v it will net you the same hp amount or more..shur the 5.0 parts are cheaper because you can find sooo many used parts but ive personally seen a semi built 4.6 mustang with a single turbo YES PESONALLY seen it stomp a lambo, the stang was a 3k base car with maby 4-5k of parts on it that he and i put on our selves within 2 months..so 2 months of building(part time at that) and 8,000 you can make a lambo killer.now if he had done all that work to a 4v mark8 motor or cobra motor, oh my.
p.s...stock internals and just pi cams and massivly ported pi heads...was a pretty simple build

It isn't as simple as all that. Both motors respond differently to different mods. Heads, cam, and intake on a 5.0 can get you 350rwhp. The same mods on a 4.6 will not only cost double, but only net you just over 300rwhp. On the flip side, the mod motors respond very well to boost, and a supercharged or turbo setup on a stock PI 4.6 will always outperform the same setup on a stock 5.0. Either way though, in order to get into the 8's is going to require major upgrades to either one, so it really doesn't matter what you choose at that point.
 
It isn't as simple as all that. Both motors respond differently to different mods. Heads, cam, and intake on a 5.0 can get you 350rwhp. The same mods on a 4.6 will not only cost double, but only net you just over 300rwhp. On the flip side, the mod motors respond very well to boost, and a supercharged or turbo setup on a stock PI 4.6 will always outperform the same setup on a stock 5.0. Either way though, in order to get into the 8's is going to require major upgrades to either one, so it really doesn't matter what you choose at that point.

You are vastly under estimating the 5.0 Mike. My 331 with AFR 165's, small custom spec cam, and a stock ported Cobra intake put 320 down on a load bearing dyno(equates to about 350 on a dyno jet). And that was at only 5300 rpm. Add bigger heads and a bigger cam with an aftermarket intake and 400 at the wheels is very reAlistic. It all boils down to the combo not what engine it is. That being said the 4.6 is limited by displacement and cylinder head in 2v form. I was never impressed with the 4v either. My buddy ran 8.9's in the 1/8 in his bolt on Mustang with street tires. And it took us forever to get it there.
 
You are vastly under estimating the 5.0 Mike. My 331 with AFR 165's, small custom spec cam, and a stock ported Cobra intake put 320 down on a load bearing dyno(equates to about 350 on a dyno jet). And that was at only 5300 rpm. Add bigger heads and a bigger cam with an aftermarket intake and 400 at the wheels is very reAlistic. It all boils down to the combo not what engine it is. That being said the 4.6 is limited by displacement and cylinder head in 2v form. I was never impressed with the 4v either. My buddy ran 8.9's in the 1/8 in his bolt on Mustang with street tires. And it took us forever to get it there.

I wasn't underestimating it, just being conservative. I know 400rwhp is possible on a 5.0, but it takes some work. 350rwhp is doable with literally just a top end swap and a tune, as you yourself found out, and without sacrificing drivability or reliability!
 
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