Subframe differences... Scratch that... K-Member Koncerns

AeroCoupe · Feb 6, 2024

Just me but I am going to bet that the distance from the back of the bellhousing or back of the 3.8 block to the center of the crossmember is going to be different between the back of the block on a 302W or the back of a 94/95 bellhousing or back of a 85-93 bellhousing. Reason for this is the blocks are different and the bellhousings are different.

What I would do is bolt the block to the bell to the transmission and stab that into the car. Get the shifter in the ideal location and block all of this up safely. From there you now know where your transmission cross member has to install, where the motor mounts need to install and you can verify that the engine with accessories on it will clear the radiator with whatever fan combination you decide to use.

Anyhow that is how I would approach this.

Mustang5L5 · Feb 6, 2024

You can always cheat the shifter location up 3/4" by using a Fox bellhousing as well.

Honestly, if a tubular K-member is in your future anyway, why not just procure it now? Why go through the trouble of making concessions and adjustments only to have to redo it later on? Why do exhaust work twice? Why do the k-member swap twice in general?

996stang · Feb 6, 2024

Mustang5L5 said:
You can always cheat the shifter location up 3/4" by using a Fox bellhousing as well.

Honestly, if a tubular K-member is in your future anyway, why not just procure it now? Why go through the trouble of making concessions and adjustments only to have to redo it later on? Why do exhaust work twice? Why do the k-member swap twice in general?

My ultimate plan at this point has changed. I guess i have left out some important information thats helped me decide. First off, the v6 car has a salvaged title, i paid 50$ for it, its not really anything im worried about cutting up and or hacking into. I think ultimately if this works, for me its just to say i did it and or it can be done. I also still plan to pick another car up hopefully tomorrow morning, which is a 94 gt. at this point i think i want to take my old explorer 5.0 and use the ecm and harness form it as well, again just to say i did and i can. as far as the transmission and bell it as all from the original v6, from what i found everything will be useable as long as i use the same spacer plate, clutch etc. but again this is all speculation and at this point i figure why not dive in head first and just see what happens, worst case none of this works, my buddies looking for a ls swap candidate so if it doesnt he can purchase it as he will need a k member anyway. While taking the hood off Saturday, one of my buddies wasnt paying to much attention and after trying tell him 3x where to grab the hood he still manage to crack the windshield, at that point that windshield is worth more then what i paid for the car, with all of this i figured it doesnt hurt to see what happens and if it works its a cool conversation peace.

996stang · Feb 6, 2024

AeroCoupe said:
Just me but I am going to bet that the distance from the back of the bellhousing or back of the 3.8 block to the center of the crossmember is going to be different between the back of the block on a 302W or the back of a 94/95 bellhousing or back of a 85-93 bellhousing. Reason for this is the blocks are different and the bellhousings are different.

What I would do is bolt the block to the bell to the transmission and stab that into the car. Get the shifter in the ideal location and block all of this up safely. From there you now know where your transmission cross member has to install, where the motor mounts need to install and you can verify that the engine with accessories on it will clear the radiator with whatever fan combination you decide to use.

Anyhow that is how I would approach this.

The engine im using is out of an explorer, if it all works ill move on to the windsor later but i feel like being im dealing with the unknown using the 5.0 will be easier to actually get it together with the shorter deck height. I have a feeling you are right and its going to be moved back a bit, but from everything the guy showed me it all seems like it actually decently close, being the car isnt worth much as it sits anyway if i have to modify so things a little then so be it.

AeroCoupe · Feb 6, 2024

Good thread on foureyedpride.com on the 99-04 3.8 T5 behind a 302W. Site is still broke so this is as good as it gets. Scroll down to Post #4 by Broncojunkie:

3.8 trans to a 302

Found a couple 3.8 v6 manual cars in a junk yard. I heard those trans bolt up to older 302s. Is that true? Sent from my moto g(6) (XT1925DL) using Tapatalk

vb.foureyedpride.com

996stang · Feb 6, 2024

AeroCoupe said:
Good thread on foureyedpride.com on the 99-04 3.8 T5 behind a 302W. Site is still broke so this is as good as it gets. Scroll down to Post #4 by Broncojunkie:

3.8 trans to a 302

Found a couple 3.8 v6 manual cars in a junk yard. I heard those trans bolt up to older 302s. Is that true? Sent from my moto g(6) (XT1925DL) using Tapatalk

vb.foureyedpride.com

Good info, Ive done this entire swap on a ranger and i used all v6 supporting components. im not worried about the speedo but inow as far as bolting the t5 to the explorer engine it will work fine as long as i use all the v6 parts, we had a whole mess of it doing it in the ranger so thats one thing ive learned well.

limp · Feb 6, 2024

AeroCoupe said:
Good thread on foureyedpride.com on the 99-04 3.8 T5 behind a 302W. Site is still broke so this is as good as it gets. Scroll down to Post #4 by Broncojunkie:

3.8 trans to a 302

Found a couple 3.8 v6 manual cars in a junk yard. I heard those trans bolt up to older 302s. Is that true? Sent from my moto g(6) (XT1925DL) using Tapatalk

vb.foureyedpride.com

The site came back up for a while but then must of broke again? I have not been able to get on it for a few months....

996stang · Feb 6, 2024

Engines out, Engine hoist was out of fluid so i had to take care of that, more answers tomorrow!

Noobz347 · Feb 6, 2024

Do you have a name for this car yet?

If not, I suggest "Milton":

996stang · Feb 6, 2024

Noobz347 said:
Do you have a name for this car yet?

If not, I suggest "Milton":

Hahaha, too old for me. But its accurate for sure! I have not given the car a name, That seems very fitting so Milton it is! (that to assume any of this works) but i have a gut feeling once im already that far in ill make it work somehow, this car has had a pretty rough life for sure, so if all goes well maybe ill try and actually make it look decent, but for now... Science.

General karthief · Feb 6, 2024

996stang said:
Engines out, Engine hoist was out of fluid so i had to take care of that, more answers tomorrow!

Looks more like you stole an engine in the middle of the night in a Wal-Mart parking lot

996stang · Feb 6, 2024

General karthief said:
Looks more like you stole an engine in the middle of the night in a Wal-Mart parking lot

Caught me. dangit. My dads brand new tow chains too.... Also I wouldnt suggest that method of engine pulling for ANYONE. I could care less about this engine, and i was alone, so safety hardly plays a part here...

General karthief · Feb 6, 2024

I don't believe I'd would have admitted that, and BTW your dad wants his tow chains back. He said 'next time you take the tow chains put the car down first', he apparently drove 3miles before he realized the car was not back there, yeah, he's kinda pissed

996stang · Feb 6, 2024

General karthief said:
I don't believe I'd would have admitted that, and BTW your dad wants his tow chains back. He said 'next time you take the tow chains put the car down first', he apparently drove 3miles before he realized the car was not back there, yeah, he's kinda pissed

no no no sir, i mean... i pulled them out of a freshly shipped cardboard box, hes a truck driver, hed probably rather lose a car then a set of chains.

General karthief · Feb 6, 2024

Well I drove tow trucks, so tow chains - tow truck he's lucky, drivin down the highway, listen'n to the Dobie Brothers, see'n the country side, all I got to see were mud holes, ditches and wrecked cars while listening to somebody whine about the bill

85GTStangGuy · Feb 7, 2024

AeroCoupe said:
Good thread on foureyedpride.com ..... Site is still broke so this is as good as it gets.

limp said:
The site came back up for a while but then must of broke again? I have not been able to get on it for a few months....

Site has been up and running (and accessible, with caveats) since November. There IS an issue with certain site addresses still not directing properly. Here are a couple of posts from the site by people that are fluent in what the problem is. One of these suggestions may work for you's guys...

from FoxChassis -
http://vb.foureyedpride.com/forum.php is the correct link that works in Chrome.

If you are NOT going to ../forum.php, it will default to index.html, which will still show the 'site broke' message.

from kj_80Cobra -
If you try to access the secure version of the forum page with https://vb.foureyedpride.com/forum.php, it will only show the text version of the page with no formatting. You have to make sure your browser is going to http://vb.foureyedpride.com/forum.php to see it correctly.

There also appear to be different issues depending on whether one is using Firefox, Chrome or Edge.

Here's the thread referenced previously...

3.8 trans to a 302

Found a couple 3.8 v6 manual cars in a junk yard. I heard those trans bolt up to older 302s. Is that true? Sent from my moto g(6) (XT1925DL) using Tapatalk

vb.foureyedpride.com

996stang · Feb 7, 2024

Progress! going to go dig a old 302 out of the shed, just and empty block. I plan to mount the bell to the block and mount the block in the car and re pull my measurement, i dont think anything will change as the only thing i plan to change is the flywheel and pressure plate with the v6 transmission, bell, spacer, and clutch. Hopefully its close enough to make work!

996stang · Feb 7, 2024

I would bolt the transmission up as well as stated above, but my input shaft is currently laying on the bench next to the transmission.

996stang · Feb 7, 2024

Moment of truth has come!
First off i lied to you guys, the engine i had in the shed was an old 351, but as far as i know it should not change what i was trying to measure.

Removed the mounts off my fox subframe and mounted them to the 351. i also noticed these little nipples on the bottom of them, i probably should of cut them off, engine would of set about a quarter inch lower.
Mounted the bell

Dropped it in

The first thing i noticed was the bellhousing is now touching the trans tunnel, again may or may not have been fixed by cutting the nipples.

At this point i got it as close to straight as i could and measured the same measurement i did last time. I came up with 12 1/2 inches. so its a pretty hefty difference and i personally would not be comfortable running the factory driveshaft, so to make it work i would have a feeling your going to be beating in the trans tunnel, a custom cross member and a custom driveshaft. at this point i have some thinking to do!

996stang · Feb 7, 2024

Also i dont think i actually had to notch the mounts, at least for a 351 as it sits towards the top of the holes

Subframe differences... Scratch that... K-Member Koncerns

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

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lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

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wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

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wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

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wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

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wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

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