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Topic: '88 T bird 5.0 motor vs '88 Mustang motor (Read 1534 times) previous topic - next topic

'88 T bird 5.0 motor vs '88 Mustang motor

Okay, I'm trying to figure out why two 5.0 motors of the same vinttage have such different hp ratings.

The '88 mustang is rated at 225 hp.  The '88 TBird is rated at just 155 hp.  That's a difference of 70 hp.  How do I make my car make that kind of hp without breaking the bank?  What did Ford do to keep the hp ratings down.  I'm thinking tubular headers and full ehaust, but what else??

'88 T bird 5.0 motor vs '88 Mustang motor

Reply #2 –
The T-Birrd has e-6 heads,the Stang has e-7 heads,H.O cam,headers,better upper intake,19# injectors,bigger throttlebody,H.O computer telling it what to do,and the added luxury of forged pistons.
'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..

'88 T bird 5.0 motor vs '88 Mustang motor

Reply #3 –
The HO swap is pretty popular around here. There's a ton of info and it's not that hard to pull off if you have tools decent mechanical ability. You could probably do it for 600 bucks if you go speed density... maybe less. Mustang guys practically give away used HO parts. For example, I paid $40 for my E7 heads, $25 for an HO cam, $125 for my SD EEC-IV, $50 for a set of 19# injectors, $75 for a stock catalytic H-Pipe and headers, $80 for an HO intake with throttle body... throw in the cost of gaskets, timing chain, sealer, ignition stuff (wires, cap, rotor), oil, and all the other small stuff, I think $600 is about right. That's a pretty  good price for a 70 HP boost. That's nitrous dollar per HP territory!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
86 5.0 Turbocoupe (Katrina), 87 5.0 Sport (Rita)

'88 T bird 5.0 motor vs '88 Mustang motor

Reply #4 –
I spent a total of $50 for the Mustang upper,t-body,spacer and cam.Another $13 for the injectors,$20 for new o-rings and injector "filters",I already have the H-Pipe,and the less than $20 for a set of factory headers from a Stang.They're fine for a 225 horse engine.If you watch e-bay and the Corral forums,you can get everything really cheap.Also,trading comes in realy handy if you have parts someone needs.Start collecting your parts one ata time and be patient.Great deals are out there,and like Dogcharmer said,Mustang guys nearly give the stuff away.
'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..

'88 T bird 5.0 motor vs '88 Mustang motor

Reply #5 –
i didnt spend over $600 with the way i went. $200 for comp cams power box and ported lower intake manifold. $35 HO mass air, tb, and egr. $50 bosch 3 design 19# injectors. free fuel regulator. $20 HO cam. $80 reconditioned e-7 heads. but then i bought some BBK heads $120, and edelborck polished valve covers $90.  $20 for a 87 speed density computer. i still need to buy gaskets and timing chain. but just look around. you'll find good stuff for cheap if you look hard enough,
1988 LX coupe. a dressed up motor with full exhaust and BBK shorties with flowmasters, BBK CAI, accufab 65mm tb, HO upper intake, cobra valve covers.

'88 T bird 5.0 motor vs '88 Mustang motor

Reply #6 –
listen to vinnietbird!! he helped me out alot!!!
1988 LX coupe. a dressed up motor with full exhaust and BBK shorties with flowmasters, BBK CAI, accufab 65mm tb, HO upper intake, cobra valve covers.

'88 T bird 5.0 motor vs '88 Mustang motor

Reply #7 –
, I wish I could've found some of those deals. I made the mistake of getting alot of my stuff from E-Bay. So shipping hurt a little. If you can, try and find the big stuff like the heads and intake locally. You'll save shipping which can be alot on an intake or heads. Also try and avoid buying from auctions. You'll get alot better deals buying stuff outright from online classifieds. EBay seems safer as far as not getting ripped. But online classifieds can be a great source of parts if you are local to the board that they're on. 46tbird recently turned me on to DFWstangs.com which is a gold mine of cheap parts. Of course I live in DFW so most of the ads are local to me.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
86 5.0 Turbocoupe (Katrina), 87 5.0 Sport (Rita)

'88 T bird 5.0 motor vs '88 Mustang motor

Reply #8 –
For the E-7 heads,don't go looking for Mustang parts,just go to the local boneyard and pull a set of heads from a fuel injected 5.0 in a pickup.Same exact thing.Don't get them from a 351,or you'll have to buy the inserts for the bolt holes,as the 351 used bigger bolts.There are some killer deals on E-Bay,just look around.The pickups also used the 19# injectors.Agin,check at the Corral forums.TONS of good deals.If I can help out with any info,let me know.
'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..

'88 T bird 5.0 motor vs '88 Mustang motor

Reply #9 –
One thing to remember about those HP#s is where they are in the RPM range. The HO is HP, the SO is torquey. Think about a mustang with 2.72 gears and an automatic! - not much to think of right.'Cuz that's what the Tbirds/cougars had, and would still lay a nice patch-o-tire!- and hit 60mph in a modest 9.9-10.0 But, who wants stock power anyway! Get a set of GT40P heads off of an explorer or moutaineer. Throw in the mustang GT cam/computer/19# injectors and duals, for a quick, cheap start. And grab a Turbo coupe rearend ( 3.55s/3.73s!) I picked all of the above up for under $700 and made quite an impressive increase in speed. Don't have the 0-60 yet, since I haven't changed the speedo gear in the tranny yet. Follow the so-ho conversion in the tech section.

'88 T bird 5.0 motor vs '88 Mustang motor

Reply #10 –
How were the GT40P heads with the flat top pistons?The PTV clearance is O.K.?
'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..

'88 T bird 5.0 motor vs '88 Mustang motor

Reply #11 –
Quote from: JAMEZILLA;119109
GT40P heads off of an explorer or moutaineer.

lol, even though im beginning my HO conversion and using E7 heads since i learned about that recently, thats all i can think about. if i come across some and its a good deal within the next couple years im thinking ill probably end up getting em! im keeping an eye out all the time, like if someone i knew had one and wrecked it, etc something like that.
1987 20th Anniversary Cougar, 302 "5.0" GT-40 heads (F3ZE '93 Cobra) and TMoss Ported H.O. intake, H.O. camshaft
2.5" Duals, no cats, Flowmaster 40s, Richmond 3.73s w/ Trac-Lok, maxed out Baumann shift kit, 3000 RPM Dirty Dog non-lock TC
Aside from the Mustang crinkle headers, still looks like it's only 150 HP...
1988 Black XR7 Trick Flow top end, Tremec 3550
1988 Black XR7 Procharger P600B intercooled, Edelbrock Performer non-RPM heads, GT40 intake AOD, 13 PSI @5000 RPM. 93 octane

'88 T bird 5.0 motor vs '88 Mustang motor

Reply #12 –
My project car's H.O conversion starts as soon as the daily driver Bird gets a fender.I need to get gaskets and fluids,and I'm ready for action.I found that it's cheaper to buy the gaskets seperately (intake kit,head gaskets,valve cover gaskets) than as a complete kit.At Autozone,it saved me a little less than $30.00.I need pretty weather QUICK !!!
'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..

'88 T bird 5.0 motor vs '88 Mustang motor

Reply #13 –
Quote from: vinnietbird;119206
I found that it's cheaper to buy the gaskets seperately (intake kit,head gaskets,valve cover gaskets) than as a complete kit.At Autozone,it saved me a little less than $30.00.I need pretty weather QUICK !!!

Hmmmm, I picked up a complete gasket kit for next to nothing last year. I only needed the intake ones but getting the complete kit gave me everything else also for the same price I was about to pay for just the seperate needed gaskets (don't remember exact price). I don't remember who I got them from or where I found them, but I just went into their offices to pick it all up, along with some other parts I noticed they had in a huge catalog (or maybe it was the other way around?). The individual gasket prices were like 1/3 of what autozone was wanting and still fel-pro. I need to put those other ones to use sometime, who knows what my gaskets look like anymore; all I know is my intake ones had huge holes in spots

Guessing you need to find a shop like the one I did, can get very good prices, even if you don't immediately need whats all included ;)
1988 Thunderbird Sport

Hey Vinnie

Reply #14 –
There were no issues at all with the piston to valve clearance on my 88 T bird with stock SO flat tops. I used a .070" copper head gasket, my stock pushrods, mustang GT HO cam, and a set of Ford Motorsport 1.72:1 roller rockers( vs. the stock 1.6's). Went the the increased ratio so I could stay speed density ( with an 87 stang GT computer-$30)and flat topped, and still get some major gains in the HP.About a month or so ago I picked up a complete rear end out of an automatic T-bo coupe ( 3.73's) cleaned it up, painted, re-sealed & installed. NOW the car flies, smokey burn-outs and all!! I guess one thing to make sure of is the valve diameter, though, must stay under 1.9", the 2.02's I HEARD will smash into the unrelieved outter portion of the pistons ( as the center has a slight counter bore in it).