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  • Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech

sn95 5.0 engine and tranny swap into fox

  • Thread starter Thread starter optimustang
  • Start date Start date Sep 20, 2007

optimustang

New Member
Sep 15, 2007
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home of the 6 foot rat
Sep 20, 2007
#1
  • Sep 20, 2007
  • #1
I have a 94 gt parts car and wanted to put the engine and t-5 into the 88 gt. I know the 88 does not have MAF. Can the MAF and ECU be taken from the 94 and put into the 88, and how much of the wiring will have to be changed? Both car are 5.0 with 5 speed stick. The 88 engine is shot. Would this swap be too big of a headache?
 

88mouse

New Member
Apr 18, 2007
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Mooresville nc
Sep 20, 2007
#2
  • Sep 20, 2007
  • #2
Motor will go right in. But the wiring for the cars are different. So you won't beable to use it. But you can do the converstion to your wiring and wire in the pig tail to use the 94 MAF sensor.
 

2000xp8

SN Certified Technician
Aug 8, 2003
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Sep 20, 2007
#3
  • Sep 20, 2007
  • #3
Find a good engine and harness from something 89-93, with computer.
Most are between 400 and 500 dollars.

The 94/95 computer sucks, and converting a 94/95 engine to the fox accessory setup is way more trouble than it's worth, i know, i did it once.
By the time you are done with all the headaches, you could of just bought the right engine, for the same amount that you spent.
 

JETHRO

Founding Member
Jul 27, 2002
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ALTOONA PA
Sep 21, 2007
#4
  • Sep 21, 2007
  • #4
I believe the shifter on the 94-95 t-5 is back a little farther as well.
 
V

v8only

Active Member
Jul 3, 2003
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Sep 21, 2007
#5
  • Sep 21, 2007
  • #5
the trans has a longer input shaft, so I agree the shifter may sit back further, but that shouldn't be a big deal.

the upper intake is different too, I'd swap on your 88 upper, but it may not make a big difference either way.

Other than that, it should be a brainless straight across swap. Just use the speed density from your 88 on the 94/95 drivetrain until you're ready to upgrade to mass air.
 

bullitstang1313

Member
Jan 21, 2003
713
0
16
Indianapolis / Columbus, Indiana
Sep 21, 2007
#6
  • Sep 21, 2007
  • #6
The distributor and coil wiring will be completely different. The 94/95 5.0's had a remote mount ignition module. Also, they had the coil mounted on the engine rather than the driver's side engine bay. The throttle body and intake are different as mentioned above. You will either have to convert to the 88 intake and throttle body or change the throttle cable. The wiring harness is rather different and doesn't interface with the dash gauges the same way. It would be easiest to do what v8only suggested, stick with the 88 wiring and just swap the 94/95 engine over to a 88 SD setup and drop it in until you have the money to do a MAF conversion.
 

2000xp8

SN Certified Technician
Aug 8, 2003
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Sep 21, 2007
#7
  • Sep 21, 2007
  • #7
Not sure how many of you guys have worked on a 94/95, but they are a PITA, 94/95 specific parts cost more and are not nearly as abundant on ebay, so don't ignore my post about accessory setup, which BTW does not have a fan clutch.
As i said above, just get an 89-93 engine 100% complete. Which can be swapped in a matter of hours, instead of days.
 
V

v8only

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Jul 3, 2003
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Sep 21, 2007
#8
  • Sep 21, 2007
  • #8
dude, it's the same god damn engine.

no offense man, and you're just trying to help, but buying another engine doesn't make sense.

the longblock along with the oil pan, timing cover and lower intake will all work.

he's already got the parts can AND he's already got an 88 engine, which has everything else he'll need. If he needs to swap over accessories, that's a 5 minute job..swapping upper intakes, a 15 minute job, retaining speed density?? a 0 minute job.

99% of the time when buying a used motor, it doesn't come with accessories anyhow, so all of this is stuff he's gonna have to swap over anyhow.

my. 02
 

optimustang

New Member
Sep 15, 2007
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home of the 6 foot rat
Sep 21, 2007
#9
  • Sep 21, 2007
  • #9
Thanks for all the info! I have all the parts( at least I think I do) so swapping parts from one to the other is no biggie. I just want to be able to drive it again. So I probably will just swap the engine and keep it SD, for now. Thanks again.
By the way, it already looks better with the 5 lug/disc swap I did on it.
 

BlownFiveLiter

have car, will race....wait, it doesn't run
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
3,133
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108
Chicagoland
Sep 21, 2007
#10
  • Sep 21, 2007
  • #10
The longblock will swap directly. Use your Fox accessories and upper intake. Your driveshaft may end up being too long because as mentioned, the 94-95 used a longer input shaft (5/8" IIRC), but the trans is a direct swap with no other issues as long as you have the SN95 bellhousing and clutch fork.
 

2000xp8

SN Certified Technician
Aug 8, 2003
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Sep 22, 2007
#11
  • Sep 22, 2007
  • #11
v8only said:
dude, it's the same god damn engine.

no offense man, and you're just trying to help, but buying another engine doesn't make sense.

the longblock along with the oil pan, timing cover and lower intake will all work.

he's already got the parts can AND he's already got an 88 engine, which has everything else he'll need. If he needs to swap over accessories, that's a 5 minute job..swapping upper intakes, a 15 minute job, retaining speed density?? a 0 minute job.

99% of the time when buying a used motor, it doesn't come with accessories anyhow, so all of this is stuff he's gonna have to swap over anyhow.

my. 02
Click to expand...

No, it's not.
It's the same longblock, and not much more.
And 5.0 mustang engines are old now, back in the day they didn't come with accessories, but all of them by me, now do, because it's not worth the time or effort to remove them anymore.

And 5 mintues to swap over the accessory setup huh, yeah right.
Break one waterpump bolt, and that 5 minutes will add 2 days, and $25 to get another.
 
V

v8only

Active Member
Jul 3, 2003
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Sep 22, 2007
#12
  • Sep 22, 2007
  • #12
so in your opinion it would be worth is time to ditch a complete parts car and go out and source another engine?? Lol.
 

BlownFiveLiter

have car, will race....wait, it doesn't run
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
3,133
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108
Chicagoland
Sep 22, 2007
#13
  • Sep 22, 2007
  • #13
2000xp8 said:
And 5 mintues to swap over the accessory setup huh, yeah right.
Break one waterpump bolt, and that 5 minutes will add 2 days, and $25 to get another.
Click to expand...

That's a run to Ace Hardware for some bolts. Add 15 minutes and $5 max. I've already experienced that when I did my engine swap. New lower intake bolts, accessory bracket bolts, etc. Most of which was sourced from my local Ace.
 

2000xp8

SN Certified Technician
Aug 8, 2003
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Sep 22, 2007
#14
  • Sep 22, 2007
  • #14
StangGT1995 said:
That's a run to Ace Hardware for some bolts. Add 15 minutes and $5 max. I've already experienced that when I did my engine swap. New lower intake bolts, accessory bracket bolts, etc. Most of which was sourced from my local Ace.
Click to expand...

Water pump bolts are not going to be found at a hardware store.

And GTP, i wouldn't of bought the wrong parts car in the first place.
 
J

Jack's95gt

Member
Aug 15, 2004
443
1
18
Huntingdon Valley, PA
Sep 22, 2007
#15
  • Sep 22, 2007
  • #15
I got a 95 gt engine in my 93lx. I did a 2.3 to 5.0 swap. I used a wiring harness from a fox body. I used a fox body dizzy, coil, upper intake,and throttle body. Everything other than that is from a 95. The radiator hoses from the 95 doesn't fit the fox body radiator, I had to make adapters.
 

BlownFiveLiter

have car, will race....wait, it doesn't run
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
3,133
18
108
Chicagoland
Sep 22, 2007
#16
  • Sep 22, 2007
  • #16
2000xp8 said:
Water pump bolts are not going to be found at a hardware store.
Click to expand...
True, however grade 8 threaded rod is. Worst case scenario, you make your own stud instead of a bolt. I'm not trying to argue the point with ya, just saying a little ingenuity goes a long way.
 
J

jakeklein89

Active Member
Apr 8, 2019
125
37
38
michigan
Apr 17, 2019
#17
  • Apr 17, 2019
  • #17
hey I’m doing a 94 Mustang GT motor swap into my 1989 mustang GT the 94 motor is sitting in there with the 94 trans I have my stock 89 airbox and mass airflow also i have mu 89 distributor throttlebody upper and lower intake but all of the 94 accessories the car has started and then I shut it down and left for the day and came back and it’s been days and it won’t start I have spark and fuel I have so far changed my distributor TFI ignition coil spark plugs spark plug wires fuel pump I’ve checked for voltage on the red wires at the ignition I’ve used annoyed like I used to feel pressure everything seems to check out right now I am letting the car air out with the spark plugs out to make sure that it’s not flooded and then I’m gonna try and start it again if anybody has help I could use it
 
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