Put a 2.3 into a 5.0 chassis?

vristang · Feb 23, 2022

Safe to say, this is now a project.

The Navigator should be out of the shop in a few days, maybe end of the week…
I have other transportation secured until then.

vristang · Feb 24, 2022

So, projects have fitment issues…. Here’s one…
The stock 2.3 engine mount on the passenger side has a lip on the bottom of the mounting/contact plate.
The pic shows it…

Pretty sure I can just hack the lip off of the mount, but I’ll put a call in to Team Z tomorrow…
This K-member would drop a 351w about an inch if I remember right.
Should make for an unusual combo…

Monkeybutt2000 · Feb 26, 2022

Yep,just zip it off there.

vristang · Feb 26, 2022

Thanks Monkeybutt.
Called team z yesterday, they weren’t aware of anyone one ever using this drop kmember with a 2.3, but couldn’t think of a reason it wouldn’t work…. So here I go!!!
Before and after of the engine mount. The driver side looks like it will drop right into place.
K-member is installed, and new control arms are hanging. Had to clearance the frame a bit with a grinder for clearance to the new k- member, then prime…

Don’t have the right spacer/washer to bolt the upright to the control arm, so stopped at that point.

Pulled the a/c pump bracket off the engine. Still need to pull the trans cooler lines.
Also managed to drain and pull the fuel tank today.

The coil over spring was purchased with a 351w in mind, so I want to check the spring rate for a 2.3 application…
Decent for a days work…
Tomorrow I should have the 2.3 car sold, which will open funds up for a little parts shopping…

Just Add Boost · Feb 27, 2022

Man that thing has a ton of room between the K and the pan. Maybe because it is a drop K? Here is my 2.3 with a standard UPR V8 K. A half inch or so between K and pan.

vristang · Feb 27, 2022

Well the pics are with the kmember still lose, but yes, there does seem to be plenty of room. Won’t be able to mock it up again until the engine goes into the car.

What engine mount are you using?

Just Add Boost · Feb 27, 2022

I used these and they work well. I have since modded them into a solid mount.

vristang · Feb 27, 2022

Sold the 2.3 LX rolling chassis today.

Only worked about half a day on the GT today, then went to pick up a 2.3 t5. Looks pretty good, and gears will be much more appropriate than trying to use the v8 t5.
Removed the tailpipe from the passenger side. The drivers side has more room due to the panhard bar, and the fuel lines will be on the passenger side.
May be able to reuse the v8 driver side tailpipe/muffler, but won’t know until I get the engine in the car.

Pulled the stock 5.0 fuel lines. Will list those for sale.

Started to get into the drivers side engine harness. The whole thing is a mess. Stereo and security system were all bundled together in places, and some of it was run in the outer fender…

Still need to start running braided fuel line too…

The aeromotive fuel tank…. Pics of the exhaust didn’t come out…

vristang · Mar 2, 2022

Progress has felt slow, even though I’m dumping hours into this car…
Major milestone last night though: All Part Removals are complete.
Nothing but cleanup and assembly left.

Engine harness was a pita to remove, as the alarm system and MSD was bundled up in it, and I had routed things through the fender well years ago.
Harness and msd ignition were last removals though.

I still need to route my alternator wire back to drivers side, for the 2.3 engine.

Suspension progress was on hold for harness removal. Now I can move forward with suspension assembly.

I would like to hide all the non-engine wiring in the engine bay, but if it will take too much time, I’ll have to pass…

Current engine bay pics, outer aprons had to come out on both sides. Yes, I plan to clean the car as soon as I can roll it again, lol.

vristang · Mar 5, 2022

Slow progress…

Rerouted the airbag harness, from passenger engine bay, to under the dash, then down driver side engine bay. Made an extension harness about 8ft long.
Easy, but took forever, lol.

I moved the alarm siren from engine bay to the driver side fender. Never liked where the installer originally put it, under the MAF.

Bolted the spindle/upright to the a-arm. Went to install the coil over and can’t find the spring compressor…. Will check the parts stores tomorrow morning…

I found that the slider cam in my stock 89 Mustang uses more lobe lift, and lower rocker ratio… while the ranger roller cam setup used lower lobe lift, with a higher rocker ratio on the roller body.
So, I’ll be running the slider cam, with roller rocker.
A little more valve lift should help out…

Also, started getting the ranger header ready for install.

Still a ton of work to do on the fuel system, but plan to get started on that tomorrow, after I get the wheels back on the front end.

First pic is the airbag extension, which repurposed stock connectors from spare engine harnesses…

vristang · Mar 10, 2022

The fuel tank took several days to get in, but it is installed!!!
A few pics on the bench, then one from behind the car.
I was worried it would have been more visible, but it really can’t be seen unless laying on the ground.
I need to pick up a 180 AN-8 fitting for better hose routing. The second pic shows how a 180 fitting will route the hose better.

vristang · Mar 11, 2022

Been meaning to get this written down...

T5 Trans, from a 1984 SVO Mustang w/ Hurst shifter (confirmed with the ID tag)
1 - 4.03
2 - 2.37
3 - 1.49
4 - 1.0
5 - 0.86
Rev - 3.76

8.8 Limited Slip (Eaton), with 3.27 ratio gears.
Tire diameter is almost exactly 25"

Cruising at 70mph should be around 2,650rpm. I will be looking into swapping out 5th at some point, as I literally spend 1-1.5hrs a day running 70mph...

vristang · Mar 11, 2022

Just jotting down some more notes while I'm thinking about it...

Suspension Coils from Team-Z
Part number 14-150

These were purchased with a 351w installation in mind.
I found these weights listed online, forget where...
351w - 510Lb
2.3 - 418Lb
2.3t - 450Lb

I plan to run these springs, and see how it rides. Might be swapping them out later though...

vristang · Mar 11, 2022

Friday Fun Day!
Roughed out the fuel line route, and secured them in the passenger fender well, so that the fender apron could go back in.
Still have some slack on each side of the fender to move things around for final positioning.
The Amazon spring compressor came in today, and worked like a charm.
Both coil overs are installed. Mocked the wheel in place to confirm the 17x9 clears the spring, and all is well.

Noobz347 · Mar 12, 2022

vristang said:
Been meaning to get this written down...

T5 Trans, from a 1984 SVO Mustang w/ Hurst shifter (confirmed with the ID tag)
1 - 4.03
2 - 2.37
3 - 1.49
4 - 1.0
5 - 0.86
Rev - 3.76

8.8 Limited Slip (Eaton), with 3.27 ratio gears.
Tire diameter is almost exactly 25"

Cruising at 70mph should be around 2,650rpm. I will be looking into swapping out 5th at some point, as I literally spend 1-1.5hrs a day running 70mph...

I have a question in this regard...

What gear ratios [can] you get if you tear one down and install what you like? Does anybody know if there are specific limitations?

vristang · Mar 12, 2022

Noobz347 said:
I have a question in this regard...

What gear ratios [can] you get if you tear one down and install what you like? Does anybody know if there are specific limitations?

I thought it was common. Astro performance comes to mind as being the provider for gear swaps, but seems they are no longer around.
Swapping a gear ratio may not be an option?
I want to say there was a .6* ratio available, but that’s a 15yr old memory…
Don’t recall if the other gear ratios had to change with it?
I’ll have to do more searching later, unless someone knows?

Wayne Waldrep · Mar 12, 2022

vristang · Mar 12, 2022

0.68, my memory isn’t completely shot!

vristang · Mar 12, 2022

Today was 1 step back to get 2 steps forward.
This morning I noticed one of the bolts between the coil over and upright wasn’t sitting flat. Could get 0.010 shim to shank under the head…. After staring at it for a while, it needed a shim.
Upright is 0.769”
Coil over tabs are spaced 0.819 to 0.830

Found a fender washer at about 0.040” thick, oversized the hole, and everything sucked up just fine.

All suspension is installed, torqued, and ready for wheels to go on…
(Pic was before torque)

vristang · Mar 13, 2022

Long day today…
Finished securing the fuel line, from firewall to tank. Kind of hack work, but it should hold.
Finally wired power to the fuel pump.
Move on to engine prep…
Installed ranger header, plugging egr with a penny
Installed stock 2.3 TB. Will need to sort out adapting 5.0 cable to the tab later, but should be manageable
Replaced gasket on the water pump and resealed t-stat housing.
Installed valve cover after replacing the sliders with rollers
Cap/rotor and re-ran existing plug wires.

Major headache for the day was the alternator. I have one of the old school Powermaster units, based on the 3g body I think. It doesn’t clear the mounting bracket, so tomorrow I get to do some grinding…

Put a 2.3 into a 5.0 chassis?

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Monkeybutt2000

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Wayne Waldrep

Before I post a pic, do you have one of yours?

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Put a 2.3 into a 5.0 chassis?

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