92 A4LD to T5 swap questions and thoghts

Mar 15, 2011
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well as my first post, i thought it would be fitting to start a thread regarding the project im starting with my Mustang. its a 1992 2.3 LX, in Bimini Blue. shes been sitting for 2 years, and just got her started up today! i've wanted to do this swap for years, but never got around to it. i found a T5 and clutch from a 5.0 for $150. that leaves me needing a bellhousing, flywheel, pedals, driveshaft and master cylinder. what else am i forgetting? and if anyone has any of these for sale, let me know!
 
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rubber boots and shifter stuff for the console. You will need the correct flywheel clutch and pressure plate for a 2.3 and pilot bearing for it. The cables for the 2.3 to connect to the transmission (they are cable not hydraulic.


also remeber that the t-5 for the 5.0 is different than the ones for a 2.3, stronger and better, but have a different pilot bearing size.

Your best bet is to find a donor 2.3 car with the 5 speed in it - it will give you everything you need and for much cheaper than trying to piece it together, and in the end, you can install the auto in the donor car and make your money or most of it up by selling it. Having the donor car also allows you to see what needs to go where and there is always a small thing that will jump up and bite you if you don't have the donor car.
 
rubber boots and shifter stuff for the console. You will need the correct flywheel clutch and pressure plate for a 2.3 and pilot bearing for it. The cables for the 2.3 to connect to the transmission (they are cable not hydraulic.


also remeber that the t-5 for the 5.0 is different than the ones for a 2.3, stronger and better, but have a different pilot bearing size.

Your best bet is to find a donor 2.3 car with the 5 speed in it - it will give you everything you need and for much cheaper than trying to piece it together, and in the end, you can install the auto in the donor car and make your money or most of it up by selling it. Having the donor car also allows you to see what needs to go where and there is always a small thing that will jump up and bite you if you don't have the donor car.
ok, thanks. i knew it would be stronger, and i was looking forward to that. but i wasnt aware of the pilot bearing. is that easily replaced? and the clutch from the 5.0 wont work? i need tp replace the output shaft bearing on the tramsmission anyways. it currently has a vibration. and this just seems too good of a deal to pass on. if i were to get a whole donor car, i'd just end up getting the 87-88 TC and do the whole swap that i really want to do. but the deal i have worked so far on this is

$300

T5
clutch
Ford Short Throw Shifter
quadrant and firewall adjuster
driveshaft
 
so heres a parts list of what i think i'll need, minus the bellhousing, pedals and master/slave cyninder. and dumb question, but do i need both? im not sure if the clutch from the 5.0 will work, so i threw one in. if it will work, it'll save me a little more money. all these parts are on RockAuto Auto Parts

clutch kit: $85 Part # 90242
flywheel: $45 Part # 50703
clutch cable: $25 Part # 0930645
output shaft bearing: $15 # 25877A

im a recruiter in the guard, and driving my 2000 5.4 F150 all over the state is just getting very expensive. the car had been sitting for 2 years and started right up. but before i parked her, i had some slight transmission issues that magically vanished. so im not confident enough to drive this all over until i get something new in there
 
Not sure but fairly confident the clutch wont work as the pressure plate bolts to the flywheel and i think flywheels are different from 2.3 to 5.0.

All fox body mustangs have cable clutches - so there is no master / slave cylinder to deal with.

as for the T-5 - below is a nice link to determine what is in the T5, but you need to know what the T5 came out of (year and motor)


T5 Identification



someone makes the correct bushing to put in the 2.3 flywheel to accept the 5.0 input shaft.
 
Not sure but fairly confident the clutch wont work as the pressure plate bolts to the flywheel and i think flywheels are different from 2.3 to 5.0.

All fox body mustangs have cable clutches - so there is no master / slave cylinder to deal with.

as for the T-5 - below is a nice link to determine what is in the T5, but you need to know what the T5 came out of (year and motor)


T5 Identification



someone makes the correct bushing to put in the 2.3 flywheel to accept the 5.0 input shaft.
i know it came out of a 5.0, i'll find out which year. i'll have to do some searching to find that bushing i suppose. but i believe the rest of the parts i posted are correct.
 
hmm, was also doing a little reading about the gear spacings. i know the 5.0 T5's are stronger, but i wonder if i'll tear apart my rear-end with the different gear ratios....

anyone else done this swap?
 
most 2.3's are not strong enough to tear the rear end out of the stock axle (unless you built a nasty one). I have not done a T-5 swap, but I did put an 8.8 in my 93 2.3 5 speed mustang - mainly because i picked the axle up for 80 bucks and it had the 2.71 ratio. Thinking most of my driving is highway driving, so thinking ultra overdrive for me. only problem is that while it is nice - the RPM's at 70 in 5th are 1500 RPM - the idea gas mileage RPM is 2500, so I cruise at 75 MPH at 2500 RPM in 4th and get my 28 to 30. I put the 140 speedo in my mustang and I know that to get to 2500 in 5th I'm doing around 95 MPH.
 
you should be fine on the gear.


remember - i still run my stock 2.3 transmission and an 8.8 with 2.71 gear versus the original 3.55 the 2.3 came in. it would be similiar to the combination on a 5.0 t-5 to a stock 2.3 rear end. 1st gear isn't too bad in my car - it aint no tire burner off the line - but then again - most of my time is highway.
 
you should be fine on the gear.


remember - i still run my stock 2.3 transmission and an 8.8 with 2.71 gear versus the original 3.55 the 2.3 came in. it would be similiar to the combination on a 5.0 t-5 to a stock 2.3 rear end. 1st gear isn't too bad in my car - it aint no tire burner off the line - but then again - most of my time is highway.

hmm, i suppose thats close. im still just very worried about the gear ratios and spacing. im gonna do a little more research. i REALLY want to do this swap, its a great deal. but am just wary
 
you can always have a machine shop drill the 2.3 bushing out to the diameter of the 5.0 shaft....


and while it is a little dog off the line - mine isn't too bad - in fact a buddy that has a 95 5.0 5 speed drove mine the other week and was impressed with the acceleration that my 2.3 had. but then again...i got the ranger header and hollowed the cats and removed the intake restriction...
 
you can always have a machine shop drill the 2.3 bushing out to the diameter of the 5.0 shaft....


and while it is a little dog off the line - mine isn't too bad - in fact a buddy that has a 95 5.0 5 speed drove mine the other week and was impressed with the acceleration that my 2.3 had. but then again...i got the ranger header and hollowed the cats and removed the intake restriction...

yeah, ive been debating what i want to do to mine. i've always wanted to turbo it, but idk how long that is away. i found a set of forged pistons i may grab, and do a quick re-ring and freshen up the top end. then do a quick hi-flow cat and muffler exhaust. did the Ranger header bolt right up, and did it add a worthy amount on improvement? and what intake restriction?
 
I say the Ranger header makes a noticable difference in the power department - some dont agree, but then again if you look at it you can tell it flows better than the cast iorn one, and it's over 20 pounds lighter. You won't notice as much of a boost with the cats in place, but it will help. I don't have dyno numbers, but to me it feels like a 10 to 15 horsepower gain. The mini stock racers that are required to run OEM parts all use this over the cast manifold - so there has to be some preformance gain or they wouldn't bother with it.

The ford ranger header is a bolt in replacement (with 2 exceptions). It will bolt right up to your engine with no problems and it's output to the exhaust pipe is in the same place, so you don't have to move or bend your pipe any, and the pipe flange is the same. But I've found the best way to get it in is to catch all the bolts to the engine and the exhaust pipe flange, have them all loose but screwed in a few solid turns - then tighten up the engine bolts first then the exhaust flange.

You need the 93 or 94 Ranger header - as the 95 to 97 Ranger header is identical except it does not have the O2 bung in it - they relocated it to the exhaust pipe. 93 and 94 have the O2 bung and are harder to find. You can use the later headers if you weld in the pipe, but that defeats the drop in deal.

The only 2 issues with the Ranger header are minor ones:

1.: The EGR tube - your stock Mustang one will not work - it won't bolt up to the Ranger's threads and it is located in a different place - but I usually cap of the EGR at the header and at the intake - but leave the sensor at the intake plugged in. you can cut the pipe in the middle or about 12 inches from the intake mount, take it off the engine, then take a hammer and flatten the last 6" of the tube flat, then take some vice grips and fold it over in the flattened area - this seals the tube and re-install it. I painted mine black - it kinda hides in the back. You can get a cap piece for the header at Home Depot or Lowes in the pipe section for about a buck - or do the same thing with that section. If you need EGR to work - you can cut the Mustang pipe somewhere in the middle and the same for the ranger pipe and get a small piece of hose and join them.

2.: the only other issue that you might have is the O2 sensor. The ranger header's bung is directly on the bottom - if your O2 sensor's wire pig tail is short, it'll be a tight fit to plug it in - you can extend the wires if needed, and most of the time it isn't an issue - only had one short O2 sensor wire and that was in my 88 vert. Had to adjust the wiring harness down some to get it to work. I then eventually got a new sensor and it had longer wires. Most of the pigtails I've seen are long enough that this isn't a problem.

As for the intake restriction. Between your Mass air and the throttle body is the air tube. right in the middle of it is what they call an air muffler. you can remove the entire pipe and undo the hose on both ends of this. look inside - there is 2 plastic pieces that are shoved inside the shell - one from each end. These interior pieces neck the air passage down to about the size of a quarter at one point.

You have a two choices - you can make your own pipe from the mass air to intake, or you can get a screwdriver and pry out the inner plastic pieces. It takes a little effort to get it started out, and once you get one side out you can usually get a broom handle or something to force the other out. Then simply bolt the two hoses back up to the outer muffler shell and enjoy a restriction free passage that looks stock to the outside.
 
I forgot to mention, after doing either or both of those mods, unplug the battery for 10 minutes to kill the computer's memory. It will relearn itself with new settings that will take advantage of the mods. It may take the computer a day or so to smooth out the idle and such, so don't be discouraged at first - it does gett better - usually after 5 or 6 stops and starts.

Other thing about the Ranger conversion - if your state is anal about aftermarket exhaust - the Ranger's header is stamped with the part number and the ford logo on the #3 tube - so it's easy to tell them it's OEM.
 
thanks for the help! i'll be doing the intake mod asap, and will start looking for the ranger header. i think i'll grab some exhaust pipe, a high flow cat and muffler and do it all at once. probably once i drop a T5 in. i think i'll end up leaving this thing N/A for awhile. and focus on suspension and freshening up the paint and tint while i gather parts. and grab some lowering springs as well. heres a pic before i parked her, she needs a bath now :rlaugh:

IMG_0320.jpg

IMG_0322.jpg
 
looks fairly clean.

another good upgrade to do is the 3G alternator - give you 130 amps and over 100 at idle - very nice and fairly easy mod especially if you have a stereo in the car.

she only has 55k miles, and i do have a component system and HU. i need to pick up a 10" and amp. not a fan of massive dual 12" "im a 17 year old punk and like to blare my bass" style. just need a little bass to even out the high's of the tweeter system