Max Engine Block Size for a '99 Mustang

All,

I have just bought a '99 3.8L Mustang & was wanting to do an engine upgrade. What is the largest engine block the engine compartment can fit...4.6L, 5.0L,...5.8L??? Didn't the '95-96 Mustang offer a 5.8L engine?

Thanks in advance, Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Krob
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the 460 will fit!

the limited production 95 Cobra R had a 5.8 351W,and it's the 'only' Mustang that had a factory installed 351 after 1973.

Reply to
winze

Jeff,

Displacement (internal/cubic inch) or dimensions (external/physical size of the engine)?

Either way you can pretty go as large as you want -- 5.4, 427, 428,

429, 460, whatever, they can all fit.

Only the 300 '95 Cobra R models came with a 5.8.

All the rest came with either the 5.0 or the 4.6, except for the 2000 R model. It came with a 5.4. Patrick '93 Cobra '83 LTD

Reply to
Patrick

Thanks guys,

I should have clarified...I was refering to physical size. I want the biggest engine without getting into cutting/modifying the engine compartment. My biggest concern was about the side clearence for the exhaust headers & engine mount locations to the frame. Also, if you put too much 'iron' in the front, do you need to beef up the suspension to prevent "squat"?

I presume once you get so big you would need a larger radiator and to relocate the electric radiator fan to the front side...things like that. Can I keep things like the P/S, A/C & the same alternator (sp?)?

I guess space & mount points are my biggest questions.

Thanks again, Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Krob

"Jeff Krob" wrote

Your original intent was clear. You said block "size" not displacement. Made sense to me. And yes you can fit a gigantic block up front. That little 4.6 is as big as a 460 because of all the "stuff" that has accumulated onto the tops of these motors over the last 25 years. :) but to make that 460 legal, you'd have to add all that "stuff" to it also making it even bigger. That is unless you live somewhere that doesn't care about emissions.

For Example. I owned an '83 Crapmaro Z-28 T-top, IROC'd out with the hood and the spoiler, then a dash of pretty cool paint. Well the POS 305 (crappiest V8 design the General ever came up with) bit the dust and the only handy block ready to go was a small block 400 in a '78 Caprice Wagon. Let's just say the combo of the light F-body with the stump pulling motor kicked ass, and in rural MO, nobody cared as long as it passed state safety inspection. When I moved to Denver, I wasn't allowed to register the vehicle because of emissions regs here. The SB400 didn't have ANY of the emissions stuff that should've been on an '83 Crapmaro. The tech's at the emissions place opened the hood, took one look at the sticker showing the emissions equipment, then looked at the motor and shut the hood. "Nope" They wouldn't even test it even though it would have passed. Make sure you're following the state regs or your screwed. I ended up selling the car to someone who lived in the Styx cause I didn't want to screw with getting all the "correct" smog equipment. PITA.

Reply to
Scott Williams

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