V6 to V8 Conversion?

[cobain]

I have a stock 95 V6 5 speed. The current engine in it has a blown headgasket and is knocking pretty bad. Other than that the car is in pretty good shape. I have considered spending 2 or 3000 dollars on a new car, but I have thought that 2 or 3000 dollars put into my current car would be a lot better off than buying a used car and still having to fix it to my liking. Would it be worth it to spend the money on putting a v8 in it? What would be involved in doing so? I have heard of people doing it, but not exactly what is involved. I'm sure I will need to replace other parts also. I would really like to hear what you all have to think, especially from those who have gone through with a v6 to v8 conversion.

Thanks.

Also any links you all think I should read would be greatly appriciated.

edit: i forgot to mention that this motor has block sealer all in it and doing anything with it would just be a loss of money.

 

[Mach1Run]

I dont have anything handy but when I was considering doing the same to my 97 it seemed a better use of time and money to buy the v8. There was a bunch of stuff that had to be beefed up or replaced.

After debating and kicking the idea around a couple years I just went a head a traded in the 97 for a 01 GT. I miss my old car a bit and not having a car payment more but you'd still have to pry my v8 out of my cold dead hands to get me to give it up.

 

[merkur87]

It would probably depend on if your state has emissions testing, etc. Stay with fuel injection or use a carburetor? Carbs are simpler, but may not be possible. If you go with factory fuel injection, you need to make sure you get the wire harness, computer, etc. with the engine. The Ford fuel injection is actually pretty simple to wire up. There may be other things that need to be modified such as throttle cable, mounts, exhaust, etc., but I don't see any major problems with going to a V-8. I would do it in a heartbeat.

 

[DanM]

It's way more complicated, and will cost you way more than you think it will.

You'll have to rip into the frame some - new K-member to fit the V8. Your transmission will work, but your front suspension won't (you'll probably want new springs for the extra 200lbs you'll have up there with the V8, otherwise your stock springs will sit low, handle like ****, and quickly break your struts). You'll need exhaust work, have to mod the V8 system to work with yours somewhere along the way (or just buy a complete V8 exhaust). Umm, computer and wiring harness will be a bitch if you want FI, carb would be simpler, but then you get into the whole emissions issue.

If you can get a WHOLE donor car, then it might be doable, but to try to do it peacemeal, finding/buying parts as you go, will turn into something far more expensive and far more time consuming than I suspect you're after.

Cheaper and easier just to buy the V8.

That said...if you really like your car and want something unique, and have the time and money, go nuts. I'm going to try to stuff a carbed 351W into my V6 next year, because I'm sadistic.

 

[Ghostalker]

or you could mod it up and make a mustang hotrod out of it! (you know, direct everything) sure it would be odd as hell and never pass emisions as a street car, but hey, theres always payoffs right? (or there were in this part of CT, so many that they took away the rights of that inspection place, and gave it to many smaller shops around the county, wow im sure that helped...

 

[mustangman33]

You do not have to make any changes to the frame, kmember, suspension etc, it will all mount up without issues, I did my swap over 2 years ago and still using my stock suspension, I do need to upgrade it but thats like the last mod thats on the list, I put an 87 351w in my 95v6, carbed because I didnt wanna go thru the fi bs, and they say that you can pass emissions with a new engine and little carb, and cats of course, I dont run into that problem cause I dont drive the car, told them that the car is inop, wanna make a straight dragster, but thats me, if you wanna thow in a v8 go ahead, I suggest a 351w, 302s dont empress me to much, and you can get a whole lot more power out of a 351, for a v8 swap, you will need an v8 exhaust, 351w swap headers, a double hump oil pan, and bell housing. everything else will be interchangable, such as motor mounts, gauges, lights, etc., you should also go to the boneyard and what ever year motor you get, get all the brackets, the alt. will work, also I dont have power steering but all you have todo is get different fittings and that will work, and as for wiring I recently cleaned my engine bay, only using like 6 wires. oh yea, fuel, I just got a mallory fuel pressure regulator, and tapped into the fuel pump power wire, and a switch for fuel.

 

[98_stang_guy]

ive always like to dream of putting a carburated 351 in my car, it would be like no other car and would be faster than most cars. if i were to do an engine swap, i'd get an engine with a carb and get rid of the computer and make the car simple, like they were in the good ole days

 

[mustangman33]

exactly, i love the way my engine bay looks without all of those confusing wires, and another thing, if something goes wrong with your car, you can pin point the problem alot easier wit a carb, and you will still need your computer for lights and accessories, but thats it, and I like when people look under my hood and go wow, my buddy lost my picture phone, so cant post any new pics right now.

 

[DanM]

You do not have to make any changes to the frame, kmember, suspension etc, it will all mount up without issues, I did my swap over 2 years ago and still using my stock suspension, I do need to upgrade it but thats like the last mod thats on the list, I put an 87 351w in my 95v6, carbed because I didnt wanna go thru the fi bs, and they say that you can pass emissions with a new engine and little carb, and cats of course, I dont run into that problem cause I dont drive the car, told them that the car is inop, wanna make a straight dragster, but thats me, if you wanna thow in a v8 go ahead, I suggest a 351w, 302s dont empress me to much, and you can get a whole lot more power out of a 351, for a v8 swap, you will need an v8 exhaust, 351w swap headers, a double hump oil pan, and bell housing. everything else will be interchangable, such as motor mounts, gauges, lights, etc., you should also go to the boneyard and what ever year motor you get, get all the brackets, the alt. will work, also I dont have power steering but all you have todo is get different fittings and that will work, and as for wiring I recently cleaned my engine bay, only using like 6 wires. oh yea, fuel, I just got a mallory fuel pressure regulator, and tapped into the fuel pump power wire, and a switch for fuel.

I didn't say you HAD to replace the front suspension. Physically it will fit fine. I said you'll probably WANT to, because once you load it with 200 extra pounds, the driving dynamic just won't be right. It'll work, yes, and it'll still go, but it won't drive right (bumps will probably hit noticeably harder due to the springs being compressed slightly, like driving around with huge sandbags in your trunk). If you've been driving yours like that for 2 years, though, and you're okay with the way it feels, that's cool.

As to the K-member... are you positive on that? I was under the distinct impression that you needed a Kmember from a 94-95 V8 to make that fit.

You really should never re-use motor mounts. That's a pretty bad idea, especiall reusing old V6 motor mounts, and asking them to hold up a heavier V8 now.

I guess my point is that while you CAN do the swap cheaply, what you're left with is a cheap product, with overloaded front suspension, motor mounts that are on their way out, and an old 7.5" rear that will be shredded by 350lbft if you push it too much. If you don't drive it often, as you don't, that's probably okay. But if it's a daily driver and you want some decent reliability and drivability, I'll bet dollars to donuts that that will get old and tiresome reeeeal fast. Just my 0.02.

BTW, how much would you figure you put into the swap?

 

[mustangman33]

in all, I spent over 10,000 on my swap, and about a grand of that went to the swap, you are correct about the ride quailty, if I go over railroad tracks the car bottoms out, but that was about it, no other difference in the ride, those are things that you can change later, hell I just put over 10grand into engine alone in like 3 months, and also, my stock rear is still holding up, Ive been doggin it out lately and its still holding up with over 400 pounds of torqe, I know that I need more parts but get what you can when you can, I just purchased a new home and have a 5 month old, so money is real funny.

 

[ganador01]

I have a stock 95 V6 5 speed. The current engine in it has a blown headgasket and is knocking pretty bad. Other than that the car is in pretty good shape. I have considered spending 2 or 3000 dollars on a new car, but I have thought that 2 or 3000 dollars put into my current car would be a lot better off than buying a used car and still having to fix it to my liking. Would it be worth it to spend the money on putting a v8 in it? What would be involved in doing so? I have heard of people doing it, but not exactly what is involved. I'm sure I will need to replace other parts also. I would really like to hear what you all have to think, especially from those who have gone through with a v6 to v8 conversion.

Thanks.

Also any links you all think I should read would be greatly appriciated.

edit: i forgot to mention that this motor has block sealer all in it and doing anything with it would just be a loss of money.

I know 3 junkyards here that will sell a complete v6 mustang engine with everything (maybe other then a/c) for 500 bucks.

 

[mustangman33]

if thats what you wanna do, but my only problem with bone yard motors is you dont know what condition there in, with a couple more bucks you can buy yourself a rebuild kit, and build it like you wanna, and get more power out of it, or just fix your head gaskets, save up for a v8.