Progress Thread Getting it back on the road - 1989 Mustang Cobra

Hello Team,

I bought my first foxbody mustang last summer and I thought it would be wise to start a progress threat so that I don’t get to far off the rails with anything. I am new to this site and the foxbody world so please bear with me . I’m from Saskatchewan Canada and need to occupy myself with something during the winter months so I thought this would be a good project.

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The car is a 1989 Cobra, 5.0L with 5 speed manual with 262,000kms (162,000miles). It looks like it had a few upgrades over the years such as cold air intake, aftermarket exhaust, sub frame connectors of some sort and a repaint. I knew when I bought the car that it had some engine issues. The only info I was given was that it “Ran like sh*t the last time I drove it” so I bought it preparing for the worst lol.

A month ago, I decided to tear into it and pull the motor and trans. I was greeted with a nice-looking hole in the side of the pan.

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When I removed the oil pan, I found a bit of the rotating assembly laying in the bottom. I’m guessing that the oil pump shaft likely failed? Cylinders 1 & 2 were completely destroyed, and the others were on there way out.

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I thought these 302’s were fairly indestructible? So because the block was toast, I was on the hunt for a new engine.

The only thing I could find near me was a 5.0 out of a 95 mustang with a 176,000kms on it. I did some brief research prior to buying it and I gathered that the 89 & 95 long blocks were the same?? Someone can confirm that. So the plan is to install the intake and front drive assembly off the 89 engine onto the 95 and swap it in. I am hoping that the stock 89 computer will run the new motor without any tuning needed.

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If I’m already way in left field on this, let me know lol. I’ve taken the 95 down to short block form to clean it up and put it back together. The timing chain seemed quite loose so I have purchased a new comp cams timing chain and gears to install. I seriously debated installing a new cam but from everything I have read, it looks like it doesn’t gain you any horsepower and spending $700 for the sound wasn’t worth it for me.


So that pretty well brings it up to current. I’ll probably be asking lots of simple questions as the project progresses. I would really appreciate any advice given. Thanks
 
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Welcome to the forum. Must be pretty rare to find a good mustang body up there.
 
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