T-bird 5.0 in GT fox body?

[Pauly-O]

I just bought a '89 GT with no engine or tranny. I have a '88 Thunderbird 5.0 that I want to swap the engine and trans from. The Mustang was a 5 speed and the T-bird is auto. Will the engine, trans, drive shaft, and trans cross member from the T-bird fit my Mustang? I'm planning on another drivetrain later but I just blew up my daily and need a car ASAP!

 

[BlownFiveLiter]

It should be a direct swap, since the 88 T-Bird was a Fox chassis. One thing to keep in mind is that the T-Bird didn't have the HO 302, so you'll have something like 155HP, but it would still run from the A9L EEC. I'm not 100% sure that the driveshaft will work, but it would be a simple measurement to find out.

 

[Vinnietbird]

There's a few things you should know.The T-Bird engine doesn't have forged pistons,and they are flat.No valve reliefs.If you have access to the Stang pistons,and stang cam,you'll be good to go.The cranks and blocks are the same.With the Bird pistons,cam selection is limited.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

I'd skip it.....You're gonna give up over 50hp and it’s not even a direct swap. Not to mention the ECU and wiring is different with the T-Bird than it is with the Mustang. The driveshaft will be too long as well. Just keep your eye out for a low mileage HO. Don't compromise when you don't have to. Fix the daily driver, or start taking the bus in the mean time.

 

[LiquidGT]

The Bird has a non-H.O cam with a different firing order... the Mustangs H.O firing order computer wont know what to do. You'll need a stock Mustang camshaft, at the least.

From a Fox Cougar site; COOL*CATS : Standard-to-High Output 5.0 Conversion

One note of caution: since we have flat-top pistons from the factory, anything more potent than the stock HO camshaft may result in serious piston-to-valve clearance problems and/or driveability problems. The only other confirmed combination that works with flat top pistons is the Trick Flow cam with TFS heads. By using an HO cam, your firing order will be different from your stock one. The firing order will now be 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8, using the HO pattern. You'll need to route the spark plug wires accordingly.