Serious modifications for 3.8?

[bhuff30]

My brother in law has a 95 mustang that will be retired from daily duty pretty soon, and he wanted to play around with it. He's not the most mechanically inclined, but I can help him along the way.

I've seen quite a few 99+ mustang 3.8s in the junk yard and I know they got a nice power boost compared to the early 3.8. Is it common to swap the heads and intake from the 99+ cars into the earlier 3.8? Take the cam too? Any writeup to describe the process? Or is it better just to swap the whole engine?

Next, I was thinking home-brew turbo setup. I remember seeing a home built turbo setup on a 3.8 before, and it was described in great detail. As I recall, it used a holset turbo (HX35?), front mount intercooler and was making some serious power on the cheap. Anyone have links or descriptions of home-built 3.8 turbo setups?

Speaking of which, how much power can a stock 3.8 bottom end handle?

What about the super-coupe short block? It has forged pistons as I recall. Possible to swap that in, and how much power can it support?

Well, that's all the questions I have for now. Just trying to get an idea about which projects are doable. I'm no stranger to modifications or turbos, as you can see from my signature... just not that familiar with the 3.8, so I'm trying to gather ideas.

 

[justasix04]

Been there...trying to get out.

hey..new guy here. I have been threw hell and highwater with my 99 3.8.
The reason they newer ones make more power is due to the split port intake setup. i have a vortech on mine. with stock bottom end i was running 11 psi and it dynoed at 300/300. it was a fun little ride. untill the bottom end gave out and it ate the 3 pistons on the drive side. so i would say around 250-275 is the whp limit which is what i have heard before. Now i have weisco forged low comp. pistons with supercoupe rods and internally ballanced motor and i swaped to a 410 gear along with tons of other stuff and it is deffinatley quick for a v6 mustang. hope that helps if you have any specific questioins shoot me an email.

 

[bhuff30]

250-275 whp is a bit lower than I was hoping to hear. I assume like most fords, the rods are the weak point, with the pistons not far behind?

I wonder how much power the supercoupe bottom end can hold?

I'll also have to do some searching for the split port swap and see what's involved (and if the supercoupe bottom end can be used).

 

[shine1stang]

there are a lot of variables to say how much power a bottom end can take. ive seen some cars take 450rwhp, not for a long time but they did it. There are quite a few that make 300-350 for an extended period of time.
If you do a search on 3.8mustang.com or v6power.net there will be a lot of split port swap instructions for you to read thru. The swap isnt really that bad.
I would say that a nice set of ported heads and intakes would do better than the split port swap. The ported single port can flow just as well as a ported split port. There are a few companies that can help you out with this, supersixmotorsports.com and gssmotorsports.com are a few to start with. Contact then and see what they are about. Both offer great power pak options for the car.

 

[notoriousRH]

hey so were would that link be to check step by step on how to install a turbo. my older brother has a universal turbo he bought new of ebay with intercoler. hes never use it so if its a easy install ill put it on my mustang. my mustang is a 2002 v6. AND NEED MORE POWER!!!

 

[MR.BLUESTANG]

If your lookin for power. A friend of mine put an M112 from the 2004 cobra on his 2000 mustang and with a stock bottom end he's getting 336rwhp and around 300tq. I'm in the middle of doing mine. Its a supercoupe bottom end with splitport heads and custom upper intake manifold to adapt the M112 onto it. So i'd say Supercharge it!