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Replacement 3.8 engine?

  • Thread starter Thread starter LSrader
  • Start date Start date Apr 26, 2011
L

LSrader

New Member
Apr 26, 2011
1
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Apr 26, 2011
#1
  • Apr 26, 2011
  • #1
I'm new to the forum, and kind of new to these late model Mustangs, especially V6's. I'm from the old school, my stuff has always been pretty much 60's and early 70's muscle cars with V8's, carbs and distributors.

My son has a 1998 Mustang with a 3.8L V6 with automatic transmission, and I'm pretty sure it has thrown a rod or broken a piston. He is in college 240 miles away and has my pickup while I'm fixing his car. I thought I had an engine for it in Albuquerque, where he is at college, but it is an '02 engine and I was told that there were a lot of differences that would take quite a bit of work to change so it could be used in the '98.

What I need to know is what years and models have engines that will work in my son's car? I've also been told that a 4.0L V6 will work. I can use the intake, exhaust headers and front accessory drive components from his old engine but I don't want to get into a bunch of complicated stuff to have to change over. I appreciate any insight you folks could give me on this!
 

MustangLX-5.0

Founding Member
Dec 2, 2000
856
7
38
Lehigh Acres Fla.
Apr 28, 2011
#2
  • Apr 28, 2011
  • #2
The 4.0 is a totally different engine. I'm sure it can be used, but not without modifications to the engine mounts , and you'd also need the 4.0's wire harness and computer.. and then how to connect it to the gauge cluster? yeah..... so it's not a simple straight swap.

Any 3.8 V6 engine from a 1994 - 1998 Mustang will work. The 1999 - 2004 Mustangs have totally different intake and cylinder heads thus they will use a different PCM (Computer). Are you sure it has thrown a rod or whatnot? It may be missing horribly bad from a blown head gasket, which is very common on 94 - 98 V6's .
 

Kevin Sawatsky

New Member
Jun 26, 2012
1
0
1
Jun 26, 2012
#3
  • Jun 26, 2012
  • #3
MustangLX-5.0 said:
Are you sure it has thrown a rod or whatnot? It may be missing horribly bad from a blown head gasket, which is very common on 94 - 98 V6's .
Click to expand...
My daughter's '97 overheated after the overflow hose popped off and now is knocking/missing but no longer overheating. What should I do to check to see if it is the head gasket before panicking and looking for a replacement motor?
 

Gearbanger 101

Straight Outta Locash
20+ Year Stangneter
Aug 10, 2002
9,457
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Ontario, Canada
Jun 26, 2012
#4
  • Jun 26, 2012
  • #4
I would look into head gasket first. The 3.8L Essex V6 was famous for eating them.
 
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