408 in a 5.0

there are a few people on here that have one....i think....but a short block is just the block, a long block has the rotating assembly, and a complete block...well you get the picture

ECU5.0 said:

but a short block is just the block, a long block has the rotating assembly, and a complete block...well you get the picture

Click to expand...

I thought short block = block w/rotating assy, long block = short block plus heads, complete = long block plus valve covers, intake, etc

There seems to be a lot of no one answering questions that I am positive someone knows the answer to on here.

What you will need:

Bigger heads, lower intake, headers, distributor, 351w block, for starters. This is assuming you are going to use an older block.

You may need a different hood, depending on what heigth you have and intake choice.

What kind of car will this be going into? You can make power with a blown 331/347 on pump gas with the same amount of power. It all depends on what you want and how much you have to spend. Basically, you can get 500hp with something other than a 408. As for what parts youd need, liek duece said: a nice set of heads like a minimal of afr 205s or vic jrs, intake and carb or whichever route you choose and most importantly how wild of a cam you want. Theres going to be a whole laundry list of parts that you'll need. So, be a bit more specific and youll get a better answer

Short block is the block with the the rotating assembly, long block slaps heads on top of that.
I have a 408 in my 93 and love it. The thing about a 408 producing 500hp, is that it can do it easily NA and with pump gas. Im running 10:1 and 91-93 octane gas in my car. Then you will always have the option of putting on nitrous, turbo, or supercharger if you ever want 700hp.
That is 500FWHP, so if you figure it out thats around 400-425RWHP, which is still impresive, but leaves you a lot of room for ad ons later down the road.

Give us a link to the motor, or tell us what does it come with for compression, heads, cam, intake, etc....

banditmwp said:

I thought short block = block w/rotating assy, long block = short block plus heads, complete = long block plus valve covers, intake, etc

Click to expand...

yeah youre right...it was late and i got confused

I'm not going to be picky or precise because that would take too much typing, but here is a good list to think about. Obviously, the 408 is a 351w so your swap is going to be a 351 swap. Know that a 351 requires its own lower intake, distributor, headers, oil pan, harmonic balancer,and flywheel, but shares the front accesories, cam, heads, valve covers, throttle body and stuff, timing chain. Really, the smallest head I would run on a 408 would be the AFR 185's. Because the 408 is so large, it really needs a lot of runner size to feed it especially if you want those 500 horses. A really good choice for head would be the AFR 205, or 225 if youll be doing a lot of racing. The 205 may seem large but your 408 will use all of it and still provide drivability. Its a pretty direct swap, and your old tranny combo will bolt right up to it. The things you need to worry about as far as clearance goes is the header area will be a little tighter and of course the hood clearance. you can either get a hood, or they make dropped mounts which can get that thing to clear as long as you dont use a phenolic spacer in the intake. Everybody makes the pans, and pickups, and everything else for those engines to fit into your mustang. Also, if you want a roller block look for the F4TE casting because it was a standard roller from the factory and can use all your roller parts from your current engine. If the roller isnt important to you, then dont worry about it. As far as the fuel system goes it will mandate a larger fuel pump, but the rest is up to your research. I can give you ideas but only you know what kind of driving youll be doing or if your going to use a power adder. Bare minimum would be a 75mm throttle body and 30 pound injectors. Looking at your current mods, I would say the car is fairly ready. Get an MSD distributor and itll plug right into your current ignition just fine. I'd use 42 pounders if your going to use that supercharger, and reuse your upper intake, get a new lower, and port it. This will save you money if you need to. As for weight, if you currently have iron heads, then dont worry, because its all equivalent if you use aluminum heads on the 408. Front weight shouldnt change much.This is just a start but its really no different that installing a 302 except you have to consider feeding the extra cubes. Hope this helps some.

I've been slowly working a 408 into my 95. If I was starting over, I'd be putting in a blown 342. Probably turbo instead of SC if the budget allowed. Not to worry though...I've got an 88 Notch that's just begging for a 342.

And here's another thought: do you really need 500hp on the street? it sounds like you're just building a cruise around town car. A well built N/A 347 will get you 400+ to the wheels. Try to find somebody local that's making insane power and see if they'll give you a ride. Unless you've got some motivation to make over 500hp, I'd just go with an N/A 347. That'd be the best bang with the least amount of hassle.

I guess a big factor in all of this is: Are you doing all the work? or will you be dropping the car at a shop and picking it up finished?

If you're really interested in having a 408, E-mail me and I'd be glad to share everything I've learned along the way.

good luck,
Jared