How's this for a start?

RichM

Registered User
After 190,000 miles my head gaskets finally went.
So it's time for a new motor. I have already ordered the following from SCP and will order a new longblock from ford (cheapest and fastest way to get back on the road) as soon as the old motor and tranny are out.
  • BHJ Harmonic Balancer
  • Solid Rubber engine mounts
  • Magnum Power Big Bore top
  • 73mm C&L MAF
  • 2 1/2 downtubes with cats
  • 2 1/2 - 3 - 2 1/2 SCP cat back
  • Already have the mid lenght headers (but never installed, no time)
  • 190 Lph fuel pump
  • 38# injectors
  • Short Throw Ripper shifter
  • SPEC stage I clutch
  • Magnecor wire set
  • Magnuson S-port, I had installed back in 1996. or at least that is what I remember them calling it.

Going to stay stock with the Throttle body for now and the 94 style intake plenum till I can scrape some more money together. I am also staying with a stock longblock, since it is the fastest way back on the road, riding the motorcycle to work in 30 degree weather sucks.

Anyone else set up like this?
If so what kind of performance are you getting?

RichM
 
I would not recommend the Ford Long Block because there have been some people on here who have had nothing but problems with them. If I were you, I would send back all of those parts and build yourself a stout bottom end clean up the heads and then you will have a motor that can handle all the cam,head, and performance work that you do to it. There is no point in doing the work twice.
 
Yep they sure do. Somone on hear bought one of those. He had to replace it about every 6000 miles for rod knocks. And as soon as he reached a total of 36,000 miles they told him too bad, see ya later.
 
What you said don't make any since.

If they were only making it to 6000 miles then and getting replaced how did he ever make it to 36'000 if they were wasted at 6000 I don't get it.


Ford offers 1yr 12month warrenty on their rebuilt motors these run about 2000 dollars. or you can ALSO GET A BRAND NEW MOTOR THAT MEETS FACTORY NEW SPECS FOR 6000 dollars with a 3yr 3600 mile warrenty or you can go with motorcraft and pay 1/2 as much for the same thing.


Try not to let 1badapple spoil the whole damn bunch. you got to start some where and if you don't have motor building experience it will cost more to have someone build you a motor and if somethoing goes wrong then you don't have a warrenty.

There are many other maufactures that offer longblocks with warrentys.
 
I would just like to add that there is a difference between a rebuild

and a freshen up. The freshen up comes around 100,000 miles and consists of all new bearings and gaskets and rings and the little things like timing chain tensioner. This is done to a motor that has no damage to it . This is a way to make your motor last for forever.


A total rebuild is what gets done when there is physical damage to the motor . Such as blown head gaskets and worn rings and cylinders. Usually costs more to do than it is worth and is never as good as motor that meets factory specs.

What I would do is find a cheap used motor that is still good and meets factory specs and then do a freshen up on it. when I say good I mean you could drive it right now. It has good compression good head gaskets and is not knocking. A used motor with any of the symptoms I just mentioned is more than likely gonna need a total rebuild. GOOD LUCK.
 
The warranty does not reset with each new engine. The miles carry over. 3 years or a total of 36,000 miles. so if the first engine goes in 5,000 miles and then you get another one and it last for 10,000 miles and then it goes, then you only have 21,000 miles left on your warranty. So once the "CAR" has a total of 36,000 miles on it, (no matter how many engines were put in) then you warranty is over.
 
Depending on the State

There has to be some sort of lemon law to cover that. That is plain bs to charge someone $6k and tell them to get bent. If it is an inferrior product, that person should be given all there money back. Small claims court may be set at claim limits of aprox $2500 - $3k, so you may have to go to Superior court (Usually $100 more in filing fees) but I think after 3 - 5 engines a judge would agree that there is an inferior product there and would rule in favor of warrantee not the warantor and maybe even damages ontop of the engine itself. Check your state laws as they may differ from the warranty itself. Try attorney general web site in your state as they should list information on this type of thing.
 
You know what opinions are like... Here's mine anyway. If you can go with the Ford rebuilt long block. Go with it. Mine (short) and another friend in town (long) went with the Ford reman & they are just fine for the next 3 years! He drives his everyday all day and has about 10k on since the placement earlier this year. He also had the Ford reman trans at the same time. No problems and he whoops it. I don't have many miles on mine but I threw over 350 rwhp at the bottom end & it is fine so far. I don't expect it to stay that way. Or at least I'm trying real hard to have it prove me wrong, but I'm also comfortable with the warranty. ... Again, everyone has one, opinion that is.

Anthony
 
Yikes.
I didn't intend to start a flame "police action" here. I wanted opinions on the "accessories".

The reasons I am going with the reman long block;
  1. I need the car back, winter is coming, I don't have a backup car, just a motorcycle.
  2. Recently got hit on said motorcycle and got my back messed up. I need the car back fast, trust me herniated discs are no fun on a sport bike.
  3. It is faster than sending the heads and block and etc out for machining.
  4. It is cheaper than sending everything out for machining.
  5. The warranty didn't hurt the decision factor any.
  6. I'm getting the long block for a "bit" less than $2K (lets leave it at that.)
    [/list=1]

    Don't get me wrong, I would love to get the heads ported and everything matched and balanced. But realistically it isn't going to happen this time around. I don't have the money to sink into repairing the SC AND get a beater car.

    So to get back on subject, please.
    What are the boards opinions of the aftermarket stuff that's will be going on the SC? What kind of performance boost, if any, would I be looking at?
 
Go with an overdrive pulley, other than that, all looks well.:)

Oh yeah, you might need a chip or a tuner if you are upgrading to bigger injectors.
 
I don't really think you need the BHJ dampner with a stock remanufactured engine. The long block should already include a dampner.

Everthing else looks okay, but you will need some new O2 sensors with long leads to work with the headers and you may also need a custom chip or an adjustable regulator to get the 38# injectors to work right. With the same pump and MAF you listed, mine would bogg off the line unless the static fuel pressure was raised to about 43 psi.

Since I've also had bad luck with adjustable regulators, I would suggest trying them at stock pressure and if there is a problem use a chip to fix it.

David
 
Motorcraft is the only long block available from Ford Motor Co. They don't have "new long blocks" for $6000. The only thing "new" from Ford are short blocks. I get long blocks for $1500 short blocks for about the same (since they're new not reman'd) (I work at a Ford Dealer, unfortunately items that big I can't "share the discount")


The reman'd long blocks have a 3yr/36mi warranty not 1/12. The 1/12 would be if your dealer rebuilt it and the reason it's 3000 is they charge you 21 hrs in labor or more. And from what I've been told you can get extended warranties on the Motorcraft Engines and Tranny's for a couple hundred more up to 75 or 100,000 miles.
 
thanks, I neglected to list the O2 sensors but they should also be on the way. I also leglected to list the gaskets and plugs, etc. I didn't think they would matter much to adding performance, just maintaining it.

Bill at SCP said the MAF would be calibrated for the 38#'s, hopefully well enough to stay in the computers automatic adjustment range.

Hmm, but it is starting to sound like I will need a custom chip or an EEC tuner. Bummer.

I am fairly sure the long block or "engine assembly" doesn't come with a harmonic balancer. If it does I will just have a backup in case it fails.

I know for a fact I can't use my stock one:
img_0194.jpg
 
Well Rookie

I was told by ford that I had a choice of a new longblock for 5000
or a remanufactured longblock for 1800. I was told there is a warehouse Ohio with brand new longblocks sitting in crates wating to be sold. The difference between new and reman are with new everything meets the original specifications BRAND NEW. With a remanufactured it more than likely has oversized bearings and has had the cylinders bored and the heads remilled.
YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR ...... Believe what ever you want.
 
Well considering I'm a master certified parts manager and counterperson for ford I should know what parts ford has.

Provide me with a part number and I'd be happy to agree with you but as far as my resources tell me all that's available are remanufactured units from ford/motorcraft.
 
How 'bout a new radiator and hoses for that new engine? That is usually overlooked..;)

edit...Ddo a search for """Look what I picked up" and see what someone bought on EBay. It is a long block from ford on a crate with ALL components already installed (SC, SC Top, Valve covers, plugs, wires, water pump, egr, you name it) Is that a "Long Block" parts man? No pun, just forgot to look at your name before I hit edit..
 
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Well then you should know ford offers FRPP

Crate Motors. I saw pictures of a new motor fresh out of the crate on this very web site a few weeks ago. Dude it is just a part number I believe ford still offers new parts for the super coupe. My buddy who works at napa has the info on it I try to get that for you. There is also a ford dealer in texas who sells FRPP he told me he still had a few . This was two years ago when I was doing research on it so things might have changed since then. I would find it hard to believe in this day and age that there isn't sombody out makeing brand new SC motors. You know ford has engine building plants in MEXICO. They are called Mexican blocks. When all is said an done you my be right. I do know this that when I called a ford dealer IN OHIO he told me he could have me a new motor tomorrow. If i wanted it he would have the warehouse send it over tomorrow. That was 2 yrs ago though. I will let you know.
 
Oh dam! That balancer has realy lost the battle against time. I glad I caught mine at 192,000 before it would have gone.
 
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