What to do?

black99lightnin

Registered User
My 89 Xr7 launced a rod yesterday(hole in oil pan). My questions are this:

1. Why not use a 3.8 from a 94+ mustang. Complete engines go for $500 from MPS?

2. How much is involved in swapping a 5.0 into this car, as the 91's used 5.0's? Complete motors are about $600.

3. If I decide to rebuild the damaged SC 3.8, why not do a stroker motor? And does anyone make a kit? I know of at least ten different companines doing strokers for 5.0's.

Although I have other choices to drive, the Cougar was a very comfortable car, so I would like to save it.
 
I doubt you'd want a Mustang 3.8 (94-98 anyway) they are only 140-145 hp.

5.0/302 would be a good swap if you want more power. In fact if you need, I have heads a crank, rods, and a cam from a 68 302 I have pistons but one is messed up. The heads are stock 58.2 cc Chambers (Beats the hell out of the 69cc stock 5.0). According to my father, the late 60s internals were blaced better don't know how accurate that is though. Forged rods and cast crank. Not sure on the cam and dont know where to find out (302 Cams are cheap anyway).

Rebuilding the 3.8SC is spendy (I'm in the middle of it). Strokers are generally overlooked because most (if not all) use a cast crank that can't take 12lbs of boost. 302 strokers are usually better.
 
I was thinking of using the bottom end of a 94+3.8 with my heads and charger. Is the crank that weak it wouldn't hold up at all?
 
You don't want to use any non SC 3.8 Bottom end. If it does hold up it wouldn't last long. The 94+ Mustang Bottom end is the same as the 8?+ TBird Bottom end. The SC crank is much more durable. I would either rebuild of go for a 302/5.0
 
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