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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-

1992 5.0 Lx Auto Build Need Help/opinions!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Stonerboys
  • Start date Start date Aug 20, 2015

Stonerboys

Member
Dec 29, 2008
70
0
6
Johnstown, Pa
Aug 20, 2015
#1
  • Aug 20, 2015
  • #1
Hey guys my first car was a 92 5.0 Lx which I bought on my 16th birthday and still have. Now that I'm 23 and done with school and have a little change in my pocket I want to build the car up because as much as I love it the car seems to be a complete turd compared to the other fox 5.0 5 speeds that run around. I need some opinions/ help on building a budget street brawler out of my car. My car had 77k on it when I bought it and its currently sitting at 91k right now.

Now that the background stuff is over with here's what I'm working with: My car was a bone stock 77k mile 92 5.0 lx auto that still had the factory exhaust, smog pump, all of that pollution garbage on it. Over the years I've manage to rack up some parts for it that I haven't gotten around to putting on.

The car stock when I first got it was running low 16's when I first got it which was god awful embarrassing. After a set of 3.73's in it and a BBK fenderwell CAI I knocked it down to a best ET of 15.7 leaving at 2k rpms.- Still not happy.

I've managed to snag a good deal on a Pro Products typhoon/sve (not %100 sure and neither was the guy I bought it from) upper and lower intake, and 70mm throttle body. I also managed to put on a set of BBK equal length shorty headers, UPR catless x-pipe, and flowmaster 40's but have not made it to the track yet because the 3.73's I had put it howl so they must not of been put in right and I don't want to scatter the rear end. But just this little ibt of work really seemed to wake the car up!

My main goal is to beat of the local chevy guys up here in western Pa that talk on me and my fords. I want to beat my a couple of my friend's PPE tuned duramax's that run low 14's- high 13's right now, a cobalt ss turbo running high 13's a couple mazda speed 3's/6's in the 13's and if possible two of my buddys 6.4 power stokes running low 13's (id be ok hanging with these ford guys though haha)

Here's what I have to work with/my plan:
I currently have a set of 3 bar GT40 heads (not P heads) off of an early 97 explorer, an e 303 cam, 3.73's, bbk equal length shorties, upr catless x pipe, 70 mm throttle body. I also planned on getting a bigger MAF sensor, underdrive pullies, deleting the smog pump, egr delete (how do you do that by the way?!) and getting a BAMA chip from American muscle and maybe a shift kit for the tranny. With this combo of parts would mid-low 13's be possible? I was also throwing around the idea of buying a short block and getting it bored .30 over with this combo of parts on top of it too or do you think that's no worth it? All I really want is a fun, reliable street car that'll shut the above mentioned vehicles up but at the same time not grenade or mess up the stock motor/tranny/ car and not break the bank. I'm not scared of speed either I drive my dads 10.90 408 stroker 89 lx at the track all of the time, I'm just tired of being the laughing stock and being disappointed with my car haha. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks!
 

A5literMan

At least it is lumpy...
5 Year Member
Jul 30, 2011
4,674
2,343
194
Illinois
Aug 20, 2015
#2
  • Aug 20, 2015
  • #2
New torque converter,good valve body and a trans cooler.
DO NOT buy a BAMA chip!!!! They are garbage and waste of money!
Add frame connectors,rear controll arms(maximum Motorsports,UPR,or TeamZ),a set of good drag radials,and with the gt40 heads,cam,intake,exhaust,gears,etc you already have, you should be high to mid 13's. If you really want to add power then order a Vortech blower/turbo kit/and-or nitrous and it'll easily run 12's(or faster). Also your motor has relatively low mileage and you do not need to build another shortblock.
 
Reactions: squeak93

7upstang91

10 Year Member
May 30, 2008
936
124
74
Florida
Aug 21, 2015
#3
  • Aug 21, 2015
  • #3
A new short block is pointless with all those mods wouldn't be worth it. . Secondly, don't go with a Bama tune. Thirdly, suspension, tires with a new converter will help tons.
 
Reactions: squeak93

squeak93

15 Year Member
Jun 2, 2005
2,277
368
164
Joplin, Missouri
Aug 21, 2015
#4
  • Aug 21, 2015
  • #4
All of the above. Do yourself a favor and use a lock up converter with a one piece input shaft. Non lock up is great if it's a track only car, but SUCKS on the interstate or at speed.
 

mikestang63

SN Certified Technician
Aug 27, 2012
11,606
8,859
214
In the garage
Aug 21, 2015
#5
  • Aug 21, 2015
  • #5
looks like you are throwing together a bunch of mismatched parts- expect to get subpar results.

Dont get an alphabet cam. Go with either a TFS1 or Comp cams cam. Typhoon intake is a cheap chinese made copy of an edelbrock that are know for casting flash and terrible port flow. You are better off using an Explorer intake- you want to make sure it has an EGR provision. Do the heads have EGR ports? You will need to match the valve springs to the cam you get. For MAF I would recommend a PRO M and also a matching set of injectors- go at least 24# but I would go 30# to have room to grow. BAMA chip is garbage and a waste of money. Do not delete the EGR unless you get a tune to remove the CEL- and for most people there is no reason to delete it. If you already removed the cats there is no reason to run a smog pump/ Remove it, the TAD and TAB sensors and hoses and plug the vacuum lines,. remove the thermactor tubes when you swap heads, . Put a new double roller timing chain and gears and a Pioneer balancer.

For the transmission, a Silverfox valve body and either an Edge, TCI, or Dirty Dog torque converter.

First thing is to have the rear end looked at as most likely the pinion depth wasn;t set right. You;ve probably wasted the gears by now, so expect to need a new FMS gear set and bearings. Do the axle bearing and seals while you are at it.
 
Reactions: 89LX4NOW

Stonerboys

Member
Dec 29, 2008
70
0
6
Johnstown, Pa
Aug 24, 2015
#6
  • Aug 24, 2015
  • #6
Thanks guys that's what I was hoping to hear. My main concern right now is to get the rear end redone so I can get to enjoy it these last few weeks before it gets put away for the winter- yeah mike I guess that's what happens when you have a chevy guy put gears in and he set it using chevy backlash which I specifically told him not to do but he insisted that's how he puts together all of his rear ends and has never had a problem with them...should of known better but I already got another set with the install kit as well so we'll try it all over again. It's going to be my winter project and I plan on buying more parts over the winter & with my income tax return. Mike the parts I have are what I'm going to use I'm not starting over again I have school loans to pay back and bills haha. Do you have any recommendations for the springs for those heads because I know the stock springs in them are junk. Also what length belt do I need to run after eliminating the smog pump? I had a diagram on my old laptop with all of that info but that computer took a on me so its dead and that info is long gone. Also I remember hearing something about the gt 40 heads that you have to plug something in the back of them...maybe after deleting the smog pump?? I wasn't planning on deleting the EGR system I just didn't know if you gained any HP from it or not. Thanks again guys!
 

A5literMan

At least it is lumpy...
5 Year Member
Jul 30, 2011
4,674
2,343
194
Illinois
Aug 25, 2015
#7
  • Aug 25, 2015
  • #7
Alex springs are highly recommended. Tfs has some also. As far as belt goes I believe it's an 84.5"
 

FoxMustangLvr

I love my Pimp
SN Certified Technician
Oct 14, 2012
4,968
3,514
204
Spokane, Wa
Aug 25, 2015
#8
  • Aug 25, 2015
  • #8
Stonerboys said:
Thanks guys that's what I was hoping to hear. My main concern right now is to get the rear end redone so I can get to enjoy it these last few weeks before it gets put away for the winter- yeah mike I guess that's what happens when you have a chevy guy put gears in and he set it using chevy backlash which I specifically told him not to do but he insisted that's how he puts together all of his rear ends and has never had a problem with them...should of known better but I already got another set with the install kit as well so we'll try it all over again. It's going to be my winter project and I plan on buying more parts over the winter & with my income tax return. Mike the parts I have are what I'm going to use I'm not starting over again I have school loans to pay back and bills haha. Do you have any recommendations for the springs for those heads because I know the stock springs in them are junk. Also what length belt do I need to run after eliminating the smog pump? I had a diagram on my old laptop with all of that info but that computer took a **** on me so its dead and that info is long gone. Also I remember hearing something about the gt 40 heads that you have to plug something in the back of them...maybe after deleting the smog pump?? I wasn't planning on deleting the EGR system I just didn't know if you gained any HP from it or not. Thanks again guys!
Click to expand...

-See my build thread for a picture of how to modify the thermactor pipe to plug off the holes in the back of the heads when removing the air pump, TAD & TAB. I just did this over last weekend.
Progress Thread - My " I Just Had To Do It" 90 Lx Hatch Thread | Page 30 | Mustang Forums at StangNet

Alex springs and 84.5" belt is a safe start.
 

revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.
20+ Year Stangneter
Jun 14, 2004
9,301
1,643
214
Acworth, GA
Aug 29, 2015
#9
  • Aug 29, 2015
  • #9
I'm so sorry to here like all of that. I'm just going to put it right up front, and say that you have the biggest basket of garbage parts you could possibly assemble. Non P heads aren't even worth the effort of installation. I have a set of those here that you can have for free. They have a broken off bolt in them and it's not even worth extracting the bolt. A Chinese intake and a letter cam to boot. The good thing is that your engine is low mileage. Do a converter and a trans pack on the transmission. Take all the rest of that crap and go find a sucker that will pay cash for it. Save your money for a Trick Flow top end kit, and an NOS 5115 Nitrous kit. That will get you solid 12s, if not in the 11s for the least amount of money.

Kurt
 
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