1987 5.0 Thunderbird Motor HO or Non-HO?

93gtmustang · Nov 10, 2008

I just found out (from the owner before the person I purchased this car from) that the motor in the 87 Mustang that I recently
purchased came out of a 1987 Thunderbird. I'm slowly picking away at this project and trying to decide what to do.

Where the 1987 5.0 motors in Thunderbirds HO or Non-HO?

Would the the balancers be compatible between 5.0 Mustang motors
and 5.0 Thunderbird motors?

Different firing order? This motor has an HO firing order.

Plugs that came in it are Motorcraft ASF42P.

87 Thunderbird plugs come up AWSF44C on the Motorcraft site.

Thanks for the help!

WHT306 · Nov 10, 2008

I HAD AN 88 T-BIRD WITH 5.0 AND IT WAS NOT AN HO ENGINE.

kendoo130 · Nov 10, 2008

NON HO 5.0

Balancers are the same

Different firing order

Not sure about the plugs

FoxChasis · Nov 10, 2008

Thunderbird/Cougar had H.O only three years: '91-'93

'86-'88 T/C 5.0L had E6SE cylinder heads, which called for AWSF44C.

ASF plugs will not fit E6SE heads. Then you say the engine has a H.O. firing order. Sounds like maybe the previous owner doesn't know what they're talking about.

Get the "serial number" (last eight of a VIN) off the top-rear of the block, behind where the intake manifold bolts to the block, and I can tell you what it was from. I'm not talking about the "casting number" down by the starter.

Vinnietbird · Nov 10, 2008

It could be that the previous owner installed the H.O cam into the T-Bird engine,but that would also call for the Mustang computer,and 19# injectors.OR,perhaps he had the year of the Thunderbird wrong and the engine was from a later year Bird.

warriorpluto · Nov 10, 2008

if its not i would feel kind of played. time for a 351

hotcobra03 · Nov 10, 2008

Maybe he was off lsc had ho and police had 5.8ho

93gtmustang · Nov 11, 2008

It's hard to get in back behind the intake. It's pretty tight. Does the intake have to come off to find the vin number? Does someone have a pic on where exactly to look. I tried sliding a mirror in there and I couldn't see any numbers.
Thanks

I_AM_CANADIAN · Nov 11, 2008

Why is this so important to you? It obviously runs on the HO firing order. I would bet that it probably is an HO. But what if it wasn't? What is that going to change?

93gtmustang · Nov 11, 2008

I_AM_CANADIAN said:
Why is this so important to you? It obviously runs on the HO firing order. I would bet that it probably is an HO. But what if it wasn't? What is that going to change?

Well , I just want to know what engine I have in this 87, for a starting point.
Then I will know what I'm up against.
I have the opportunity to get my old motor back from a friend that I sold it to, which came out of my 93. My old motor was from a 91 mustang. If the motor in my 87 is not worth working with, I may just buy my old motor back and put it.
Thanks

I_AM_CANADIAN · Nov 11, 2008

93gtmustang said:
Well , I just want to know what engine I have in this 87, for a starting point.
Then I will know what I'm up against.
I have the opportunity to get my old motor back from a friend that I sold it to, which came out of my 93. My old motor was from a 91 mustang. If the motor in my 87 is not worth working with, I may just buy my old motor back and put it.
Thanks

So why wouldn't the '87 non-HO NOT be worth working with?

lang williams · Nov 11, 2008

Did the non HO motors have forged pistons? I'd want to know if I were gonna spray it or add boost.

93gtmustang · Nov 12, 2008

I_AM_CANADIAN said:
So why wouldn't the '87 non-HO NOT be worth working with?

I got this information from another site.

10th Generation (1987-1988): "Even More Aerodynamic Birds" not much changed underneath the car as the Fox platform chassis carried through essentially unmodified. The base 3.8-liter V6 now had fuel injection and made 120 hp while the optional 5.0-liter V8 continued to offer 150 hp. Thanks to the fitment of an intercooler, the Turbo Coupe's 2.3-liter four now ripped out 190 hp and was significantly more refined to drive. Sales of the '87 Thunderbird were solid at 128,135 units.,.,.,.,heres another site i found about swapping the ho for your non ho
COOL*CATS ::*Tech Center: Advanced: High Output 5.0 Transplant

I_AM_CANADIAN · Nov 12, 2008

93gtmustang said:
I got this information from another site.

10th Generation (1987-1988): "Even More Aerodynamic Birds" not much changed underneath the car as the Fox platform chassis carried through essentially unmodified. The base 3.8-liter V6 now had fuel injection and made 120 hp while the optional 5.0-liter V8 continued to offer 150 hp. Thanks to the fitment of an intercooler, the Turbo Coupe's 2.3-liter four now ripped out 190 hp and was significantly more refined to drive. Sales of the '87 Thunderbird were solid at 128,135 units.,.,.,.,heres another site i found about swapping the ho for your non ho
COOL*CATS ::*Tech Center: Advanced: High Output 5.0 Transplant

The 5.0 found in the thunderbird differs from the HO 5.0 (hp wise) mainly because of the E5TE cylinder head. This I did not know. I assumed they all shared the same E7TE head.

1987 5.0 Thunderbird Motor HO or Non-HO?

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