Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Hood Clearance (Read 1895 times) previous topic - next topic

Hood Clearance

Ok. So I got my 351w engine in the car and I put on the upper intake. As I look accross the fender from one side to the other, I have half of the upper intake showing (tb forward). Here is the engine 351w with GT40 aluminum heads and a Professional Products 5.0L upper with 351w lower.

Anyone running a set up close to mine in there tbird? I don't want to buy a cowl hood. I have a TC hood to use.
1988 Thunderbird Sport. Work in Progress
5.8L swap w/fitech efi, 4R70W swap w/quick 4 controller, 2003 GT rear diff, 5 Lug swap

Bought this car back as an old project car.

:burnout:

Hood Clearance

Reply #1 –
Shoot. I forgot to mention Chuck W mounts also.
1988 Thunderbird Sport. Work in Progress
5.8L swap w/fitech efi, 4R70W swap w/quick 4 controller, 2003 GT rear diff, 5 Lug swap

Bought this car back as an old project car.

:burnout:

Hood Clearance

Reply #2 –
Our hoods are slightly raised in the center,but that looks like it'll be really close,or a tad too high.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Hood Clearance

Reply #3 –
You ain't usin a stock hood with that. Not the answer you wanted, I'm sure..
'84 Mustang
'98 Explorer 5.0
'03 Focus, dropped a valve seat. yay. freakin' split port engines...
'06 Explorer EB 4.6

Hood Clearance

Reply #4 –
If I have to I can get the lower intake machined down where the upper bolts too. We will see.
1988 Thunderbird Sport. Work in Progress
5.8L swap w/fitech efi, 4R70W swap w/quick 4 controller, 2003 GT rear diff, 5 Lug swap

Bought this car back as an old project car.

:burnout:

Hood Clearance

Reply #5 –
Cowl hood?Maybe a hole in the hood with a low scoop you like.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Hood Clearance

Reply #6 –
That's a lot of machining.
Old Grey Cat to this.88 Cat, 5.0 HO, CW mounts, mass air, CI custom cam, afr165's, Tmoss worked cobra intake, BBK shorty's,off road h pipe, magnaflow ex. T-5,spec stage 2 clutch, 8.8 373 TC trac loc, che ajustables with bullits on the rear. 11" brakes up front. +

Hood Clearance

Reply #7 –
The only other thing I can think off is dropping the K member down a 1/2". Alot of guys that do the 460 swaps do that on the Mustangs and Tbirds. The guy at work with a 84 Cougar and a turbocharged 460 did that to his car.
1988 Thunderbird Sport. Work in Progress
5.8L swap w/fitech efi, 4R70W swap w/quick 4 controller, 2003 GT rear diff, 5 Lug swap

Bought this car back as an old project car.

:burnout:

Hood Clearance

Reply #8 –
thats how much my engine was sticking above the fenders. if youre looking for a quick fix just to drive it around i used spacers between a stock hood and the hinges. i just recently bought a 3'' cowl.
1988 Thunderbird sport
2004 Ford F150 Lariat
2008  Chevrolet Cobalt Sport
2007 Suzuki DR-Z400S dual sport/Supermoto
1988 Thunderbird LX - sold
1988 Mercury Cougar XR-7 with GST kit - gone

Hood Clearance

Reply #9 –
Hmmm. yeah. I guess that could work too.
1988 Thunderbird Sport. Work in Progress
5.8L swap w/fitech efi, 4R70W swap w/quick 4 controller, 2003 GT rear diff, 5 Lug swap

Bought this car back as an old project car.

:burnout:

Hood Clearance

Reply #10 –
i dont think it looks bad. and its cheap. it does hurt visabilty a little tough


1988 Thunderbird sport
2004 Ford F150 Lariat
2008  Chevrolet Cobalt Sport
2007 Suzuki DR-Z400S dual sport/Supermoto
1988 Thunderbird LX - sold
1988 Mercury Cougar XR-7 with GST kit - gone

Hood Clearance

Reply #11 –
The easiest solution I can think of is what I did to my 460 Turbo Coupe.

I had some 1/4 inch aluminum plate sitting around and made 4 spacers ( 2 for each side= 1/2 inch drop) for the front x-member bolts and 4 more smaller spacers for the rear x-member bolts.

I had to buy (4) grade 8 bolts for the front because the factory x-member bolts weren't long enough with the x-tra 1/2 in. drop.
 Your factory steering column shaft will slide a little out to compensate for your k-member dropping down a bit.
Alan Mackin--Semi Professional Ford der
83 T-Bird 460
83 T-Bird Heritage 5.0
84 T-Bird 5.0
86 T-Bird Turbo Coupe NHRA Stocker & Super Stocker
87 T-Bird Turbo Coupe
88 Bronco II Drag truck 302
95 Mustang GT auto
2004 F-350 CC Dually V-10

Hood Clearance

Reply #12 –
Thats what I did 83-88t-bird guy. Drop it down half an inch made all the difference. just need to get a wheel alignment.

A guy at work with a turbo 460 in his 84 Cougar had to drop the k member 2" to make the fuelie intake and plumbing work to fit under the hood.
1988 Thunderbird Sport. Work in Progress
5.8L swap w/fitech efi, 4R70W swap w/quick 4 controller, 2003 GT rear diff, 5 Lug swap

Bought this car back as an old project car.

:burnout:

Hood Clearance

Reply #13 –
Your intake definitely sat a little higher than mine...glad to hear you got it worked out though.  Good luck with finishing it up...sounds like a good combination so far, what cam are you running?

-Don
Project 3G: Grandpa Grocery Getter-'85 Crown Vic LTD 2-door, 351W with heavily ported/polished GT40 heads, heavily ported/polished Typhoon Power Plus upper & lower intake, Comp Cams 265DEH retarded 1*, FAST EZ-EFI, HD T5, 8.8" 3.73 trac lock with extra clutches, 3G alt. swap, '99 CVPI front brakes, '09 CVPI rear disc brakes, '00 CVPI booster&m/c + wilwood adj prop valve.

Parted & Gone-'88 T-bird Sport, 351W swap, ported GT40 heads

Hood Clearance

Reply #14 –
TFS stage 1 with 1.7 cobra rockers.
1988 Thunderbird Sport. Work in Progress
5.8L swap w/fitech efi, 4R70W swap w/quick 4 controller, 2003 GT rear diff, 5 Lug swap

Bought this car back as an old project car.

:burnout: