5.0 EFI Build

[Big Secz 26]

So this thread is going to seem a little bass ackwards since I don't have the car yet.  Before buying my '71 Torino my goal was to build a modified Eleanor.  The Eleanor project fell through, then I landed the Torino then I sold the Torino with the intention of finally looking to build my "dream" car.  Well life, family, and home repairs ate up my "car fund" money and purchasing an actual car was put on the back burner.

 

I know what I want to build and was talking it over with another car buddy of mine who restores Mustangs and he told me, "Sometimes you just have to buy the button before you buy the coat." He suggested since I knew for sure what I wanted to build I should start scouting parts here and there as deals pop up.  When time comes for me to get a car he offered to find one for me since he has endless connections and is constantly buying old Mustangs and has people contacting him every week looking to sell him their unfinished "projects".

 

One of the things I know I wanted to try out this time around was swapping in a latemodel foxbody 5.0 EFI engine with an AOD trans.  So after a ton of research I set out on a quest to see what I could dig up.  While browsing CL one day I came across an ad for a guy that was selling the complete EFI setup off of a '92 5.0.  He was switching it to carb for his old Bronco.  He was asking $180 for everything.  I called him up and he said if I could come pick up the stuff that day he would sell it to me for $150.  I was at his house 45 minutes later.

 

So the first step was tackling the wiring modifications.  There are three wiring harness (main, EFI, and O2 sensors).  I stripped all of the sheathing off of the wires and repaired any damaged and then started removing anything that I didn't need and labeling.  I also rerouted a bunch of ancilary items like relays so that they would then be mounted inside the car verusus in the engine compartment.

 

 

[Big Secz 26]

I then decided to clean an paint the intake manifolds and take some steel wool to the fuel rails.  I know the color of the car is going to be candy  apple red with black stripes.  Below is the end result.

[Big Secz 26]

Then I rememberd a buddy of mine that has an '88 Mustang and has a 5.0 in storage at one of his buddy's garage.  The story behind the motor is he purchased it from an engine builder that said it was rebuilt (you can see the new freeze plugs and inspection marks on the heads).  He put it in his car and couldn't get it running right.  After getting tired of dealing with the builder he yanked it and put another motor in his car and then discovered he was only running on 7 cylinders due to a bad injector.  This motor only has about 600 miles on and after keeping in storage for three years he offered it to me for $400.

 

I had to jump on it because I don't think I could have gotten another 5.0 this clean for that cheap.  So my next project now is to dig into it and inspect everything.

 

So for a grand total of $550 I have a 100% complete 5.0 EFI setup and an engine that is possibly rebuilt already.

[Big Secz 26]

Painted and mocked up the engine today.  Still need to source an early model 302 oil pan and dipstick so I can convert it from rear sump to front sump.

[Footcutter11 23]

Lookin' good!

[Big Secz 26]

Thanks.  I found the build tag on the motor.  It was rebuilt in 2006 and only has a few hundred miles on it.  So I didn't see the need to pull the heads.  I wiill take a peak in the cylinders when I pull the oil pan and replace it with and early model 302 oil pan.  i took a breaker bar and turned the motor a couple times and it moves nicely.  I really don't expect any issues with it.   All-in-all I think it was a nice score for $400.  Next I'll be on the hunt for an AOD trans for it.

[70Nightmare 20]

Nice job. I plan on doing this swap when my engine&tranny give out.