We have a long time customer at our shop who wants to to swap his inline 6 with a V8. While not an extremely difficult task, there isn't much time for major fabrications and so on, as our regular work must still take place throughout the day. What I'm looking for is any info on correct brackets, mounts, etc. An entire description of the swap (in detail) would be great or possibly some manufacturers who specialize in this. A kit would be nice as well, but I'm still searching. We just want it to go as smoothly as possible. (Although it's never the case!)
Any info will be appreciated, and yes, I told him to go buy a v8 Mustang:)
This is not a difficult undertaking, just a bit expensive. There's quite a bit more to it than just the engine swap itself...
The entire front end, structure and suspension, is the weak link in old Mustangs. This is actually where much of the work in this swap takes place.
One thing that is too often forgotten... put in new front springs, perches, and insulators. Those 6-cyl springs (esp. if orig.) will -not- hold the V8's weight properly. The tires will collide with the fenders, or it will bottom out.
You'll need 5-lug spindles, too, so replace all the other stuff that naturally goes along with that (tie rods, ball joints, brake hoses, shocks, etc.) You'll also need a V8 swaybar, links, etc. to make sure the thing handles correctly.
Get an export brace like this one
formatting link
to help the old shock towers support the weight. Very often, old V8 Mustangs will have shock towers that have leaned in toward the motor. Six-bangers didn't tend to have this problem; my export brace plopped right in on this swap.
The fuel line must also be re-routed for a V8 application, otherwise it will run right next to the exhaust. If I had a digital camera I'd show you how mine is run...
Another major consideration is the rear end. An 8" rear is needed at minimum. Most of them came with 7 1/4" units, not reliably strong enough even for a 289 2bbl.
It's not rocket science, but it takes a lot of other work to accomplish.
There have been many tech articles detailing this from Mustang & Fords magazine, among others. mustangandfords.com
Depending upon his budget, and what the other, more educated members of this board include or add to this list, this may be the better option.
The thing is, it can be difficult to find 67s that have cowls front ends that have not rusted past the point of no return (depending upon where you live, and look, of course), so if he has one, the cost and hassle of this may well be worth it.
Lastly, there are a good number of things that can be done to sixes to increase HP. They tend to handle a bit better due to the weight difference. And you avoid all these swaps.
Not a problem. I'm glad my input was helpful. Best of luck to you. I am going to work on the car tomorrow a bit, and will try to remember other stuff while I'm looking at it...
One thing... with manual steering, it makes the muscular effort a bit more, but this setting improves the overall tracking of the front end. Set it to 1 degree positive caster. The factory spec, I believe, is
-0.5 deg. Trust me, it does make a difference. No adverse effects after three years. Just less squirrly handl>>Brian wrote:
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.