Seems like slim pickings on Mustangs around my area. I'am kinda picky and the good ones I want are either auto or 4 cylinder. I would want a v8 5 speed of course, just wondering if it's worth it doing either swap and which one is the 'easier' one.
I think the easiest thing to do then would buy a V8 car with an auto in it and swap in the five speed. The conversion is very straight-foward and everything just bolts in.... a lot less work than buying a 4-banger and having to swap in a motor and a five speed too (unless you really want to use the 4 banger tranny...good luck)....
T5 swap is simple... but getting the pedals in is a pain in the (_|_)!!! Nothing like lying upside down under your dashboard wiggling stuff around while crap falls into your eyes and mouth and theres pedals hitting your head and your lower back is all kinked on the door jam... NICE! heh. I think a total v8 swap would be easier...
Well I would say buy a V-8 with a 5-Speed. If you have the $$$$ that is. If it is slim pickins where you live for stangs than broaden your search area. Maybe take a road trip with a friend or a train. Then drive the beast back! If you dont have the $$$$, the buy a 4 cylinder with whatever trans you desire. Keeping in mind that the auto is easy to switch over. I just completed a 2.3l (auto) swap on my 87 LX hatch. I put in a 93 5.0 engine (auto). Swapping pedal sounds like a major pain and if you dont have the know-how then I suggest you dont go through the trouble. Also budget about 2 times as much man hours than you are expecting. I did my swap for about $1500. Bought the motor/trans for $1300 along with EVERYTHING. It took me 4 1/2 months to do. That was in my spare time of course. By the way, the 4 cylinder 5 speed will not work that well with a 5.0 engine because the spline shafts are different. It may work for a month untill it craps out. If you have any more questions than feel free to email me because I think I know everything there is to know about the 2.3 to 5.0 swap.!!
T5 swap is simple... but getting the pedals in is a pain in the (_|_)!!! Nothing like lying upside down under your dashboard wiggling stuff around while crap falls into your eyes and mouth and theres pedals hitting your head and your lower back is all kinked on the door jam... NICE! heh. I think a total v8 swap would be easier...
It's not really that hard. Took me an afternoon, about 5 hrs, and I pulled my pedals from the JY so I knew how it went together. There is NO WAY a full motor swap is harder.
ex-parts man, the T5 guts from a 4cyl engine are identical to the guts from the v8 tranny. the only difference is the pilot bearing is smaller diameter do 2 it being mated to the 4cyl crank, via it being machined down smaller diameter.
integrity wise it is no weaker than your standard v8 model t5 minus the HD model T5 people have made the swap quite often.
my current 347 is bolted 2 one and it is standing up fine with 400HP. ex Napa man