Engine opinions, please

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A supercharged 3.8L from a '91 Thunderbird SC, only 4k miles since it was rebuilt.

So, anyone think it is worth $500?

Reply to
Garth Almgren
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Garth Almgren opined in news: snipped-for-privacy@uni-berlin.de:

For your 83? If all the Harness comes with it, sure. What about the trans?

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

Yep. Among other things, my V6 has been making some really bad noises lately, some kind of rattling knock during acceleration under load, it's going through a *lot* of oil, and it's having cooling problems again. Not wonderful signs, IM(and my dad's)O.

I'm taking it in to my local mechanic for professional diagnosis later this week and not driving it until then, but I figured I'd start investigating now in case of a worst-case scenario.

Looks like it's got harnesses, sensors, the computer, and "everything from under the hood" including the fuse box.

What about the trans?

Not included, but I was hoping to find a T-5 somewhere around here. I doubt my C-5 would last long behind a stronger engine than the current one, and I'd *definitely* want an overdrive if the engine requires premium. :)

It'd be a lot of work, that's for sure, with lots of studying up needed on my part. Maybe more trouble than it's worth, but it's fun to look at the options. I've always thought it'd be neat to do a more unusual swap, not your average "toss in a 5.x" job.

Reply to
Garth Almgren

Well, you're straying from the beaten path and you have admitted to limited automotive knowledge..... Not wishing anyone bad luck but this sounds like a recipe for disaster.

If this is a "toy" car, go for it. If this is going to be your daily transprtation, I can only recommend sticking with a stock configuration where diagnostic and service information is readily available.

I was young once, myself. There are ever so many times that I wish some old fart would have given me that kind of advice....

Reply to
Jim Warman

Garth Almgren opined in news: snipped-for-privacy@uni-berlin.de:

I've done the equivalent ... Put an 88 TC system complete into an 85 2.3 Carbed car.

You need to check clearances for the strut towers, etc and i'm not sure about the engine mounts...and oil pan - the mounts probably wont line up ... also that's sort of a "Rev B" PCM module.. if it was for an Automatic Trans, it may not work quite right since it wont see the tran controls and VSS, though you can add the VSS

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Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

Jim Warman opined in news:z7Dmd.164077$df2.9686@edtnps89:

Really? Would you have taken it? Would you have learned as much? I'm an old fart.

:)

Though, Garth, If you dont have much experience in this, might i suggest you look around locally for a nice SC with a shot engine?... If there is one, you can pick it up for under 1000.

That's the way to cut your teeth on this. And that SC will give you as much kick as the mustang and handle a helluva lot better.

Adn it's a dream of a road car as well.

THEN rod up the 83.

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

Yea Jim... but would we have LISTENED when we were young? I don't know about you, but I would have been even more determined to make it happen.

Reply to
SVTKate

Heh.

Actually, I don't have the hearing (or, in this case, seeing) problems that seem to affect so many youth these days. :)

Reply to
Garth Almgren

Well, not *that* limited, and I definitely wouldn't dive into this kind of thing blind, without doing some serious researching and planning.

That's why it's called wishful thinking! :)

That's probably the route I'll end up going, if the mechanic's diagnosis warrants replacement. Besides, if I end up going stock or near-stock, I'll probably just let the mechanic handle it.

Heh. Us young farts have to start *somewhere*... ;)

Reply to
Garth Almgren

Yep... Lots of questions to be answered first. Thanks for the link!

Reply to
Garth Almgren

Garth Almgren

Think about doing that Super coupe transplant instead... believe me, if you can find one with a shot engine in your area it'd be well worth it.

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

When I was young was a long time ago..... back then high performance was a budding art. Nobody had achieved a 150 mph quarter mile.240 Gordie was in grade school. NHRA hadn't yet imposed their fuel ban. Funny cars weren't even dreamt of. Altereds ruled. There were no computers to diagnose a run foot by foot. There were no 60 foot beams.... The world was a very different place. There was no internet and there was no RAMFM.

If I had advice, would have I listened..... yep... depending, but most everyone I knew was working on the same page I was. The world was very different from when I was young...... very, VERY different.

Today.... there is so much knowledge.. right there for the asking. There is no need to re-invent the wheel. You youngsters haven't experienced the formative years and seen the cost. We lost many favourite drivers to experimentation.... real world variety rather than computer modeling. I can't make you see where I came from because you didn't experience it. All I can say is that you guys have it easy.....

Reply to
Jim Warman

DAmn! you must be OLD!!!!

I mean... I remember that... but it wasnt till the mid-sixties that anyone I knew had enough money to try to build cars... and then, like you said, if you werent "IN" with someone, you had to work it out on your own..

Lived very near to George Montgomery... but a trip to his shop to try to get some knowledge was like a trip to OZ... except he wasn't talking.

Results: engines built to 12:1 ratios and dont run worth crap. Buddy's custom vette sit and idles with headers glowing cherry red. Comment on timing advance and he replies..."Well it wont start if I advance it any farther"

Remember the guys sticking those huge side by side log manifolds on 302's and

327's!

I on the other hand, spen tmost of my income on beer and girls.

Jim Warman opined in news:BfVpd.209063$9b.84211@edtnps84:

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

The first motor I played with was the 272 in a $25 car that I bought many, many years ago (google ford y block). Go back and look at a lot of those old drag racing pics again..... a lot of folks mistake a flathead Ford with Ardun heads for a 392 chrysler (side note... the ArDun heads were the creation of the father of the Corvette - Zora Arkus Duntov, hisself.... failing that some may remember Duntov Cams).

As for old... let's just say I've made my fair share of very expensive mstakes - and then some.

A lot of hot rodding, when I was young, consisted of engine swaps to gain displacement. Back when hotrod magazine was printed on pulp paper the size of readers digest, a featured car was a "Fordillac". IIRC it was a '59 with a big cube Caddy engine. When the reporter asked "why a Caddy...", the reply was "because the Olds motor blew up...". And that makes us explain that Each division of GM used to engineer their own motors unlike the corporate motors we have seen for so many years. The Chevy 350 was ever so different from the Buick 350 that was nowhere near like the Olds 350 that had nothing in common with the Pontiac 350.

All of the high performance goodies we all take for granted now just didnt exist back when I was getting my feet wet. Indeed, most of these companies were built by people pretty close to the same age as me. The difference is that, while I was engaged in recreational pharmacology, they were busy doing some real good sh*t.

Reply to
Jim Warman

Ah, yes...Y-Block (owned two) and aftermaket/homebuilt external top-oiler system..

Lived on farm and somewhere have a pic of 8 55-57 Chevy's parked in the lot.. when all my buds came to play...

Jim Warman opined in news:pygqd.14974$VL6.2371@clgrps13:

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

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