89 or 94 3.8 sc motor

i heard there was something different about the rods in the newer 3.8 sc motors. If the difference better or does it matte on wish to have.

I ask because I have a 89 xr7 that I rebuilt the motor and ported the heads and intake and have the 4.2 headgaskets and arp rod bolts and it is not bored but I put all premiem parts in it as for bearing and rings. this has stock cam

The 94 motor has been bored .40 over and completly rebuit with stock cam. The heads were supposibly ported as well as the intake port matched but he used standard gaskets and rod bolts.

I have to get rid of one car and before I do I just want to make a good decision here on keeping the bette motor.

94 has 95,000 and rbuilt 1,500 miles ago and the 89 rebuilt 1,200 miles ago with 70,000 and the crank .10 under.

What would you all do. I am leaning towards my 89 since I know for sure what all was done.

Any thought would be appriciated.

hepcat75

94

Has more power. Between the overbore and the better blower, it'll probably make more HP.

3.8 motor

yeah the newer one did make more horse power but that was because of the new undated blower but the cam was smaller. Yeah true about the .40 over but that does weeken the walls and later on i will be putting in a decent cam.

Another thing to consider is the 94 is on its last overbore so if something screws up one of the walls its either a new block or sleeving the worn block. Just something else to think about.

I say keep the 89 and sell the 94 motor to me... my '95 is about to go out and I need a long block. (c:

Jake

motors

Thanks guys I have given alot of thought to this because I have to exhange both motors from vehicle to vehicle and sell the xr7. I don't have room for both but I want to keep the best one wish seems to my 89 but the crank was made in 3/89 is this for sure a forged crank being it is made so early in the year.

If your engine was built in 89 I'd say thats late into production.
Reason I say that is all 4 of my Fords engines have build dates the year previous to the year of the car.
Example: My 90 SC's engine has a build date of 9/89
My 2000 SVT's engine has a build date of 10/99
My 84 GT's engine has a build date of 10/83
My 94 Ranger's engine has a build date of 11/93
See the pattern?

Duracast crank is what i am worried about since the door sticker says 3/89 If the motor has this crank then I will go with the 94 motor because later on I will be putting in a nice cam.

From what I'd understand...

If your vehicle was built 3/89 then it probably didn't hit the lot until august or september 1989. As you know, it is common practice to purchase a vehicle ahead of it's model year by about 4-6 months. I would think that when mn12 Supercoupes first hit dealer lots it was probably Fall of 1988. Since duracast cranks were only installed on a small batch of first run SC's, I don't think that your 89 would have one. Also from what I have read, ford's reason for ditching the duracast crank was due to supply issues and not durabiltiy ones. The Forged cranks came in more favorably in the bottom line when they ran into supply problems.

ow ya

That's what I want to here I am definitely will put the 89 motor in my 94 sc. I think it has more power in the higher rpm's anyway.

Thanks guys for the replies.

hepcat75

duracast crank?

when did they stop using the duracast crank and go to forged? My 90 SC was built 6/90, and i have an engine from a parts car that was built in 91, forget the month cuz the car is gone but i know it was late 91........ also is there any difference between the engines for an automatic car and a 5 speed car?

when did they stop using the duracast crank and go to forged? My 90 SC was built 6/90, and i have an engine from a parts car that was built in 91,You have a forged crank dont worry about it. Like was said earlier only very few 89's if any at all left the factory with duracast cranks.