cfi 3.8/C5 August 21, 2014, 12:29:37 AM just how bad of a combo is that? which had more HG issues, carb/cfi or mpfi? was the c5 more reliable than an AOD? Quote Selected
cfi 3.8/C5 Reply #1 – August 21, 2014, 07:10:59 AM In my personal experience, the carb/CFI 3.8 combo is very reliable. I have had 4 or 5 of that setup and never needed a head gasket. I have personally witnessed two of the more modern EFI engines need head gaskets. So, all statistics and hearsay aside, I would speak highly of the older CFI/carb setups for reliability. Guts, meh, they're OK, but you aren't going to win any races. They also get about the same mileage as the 5.0.The C5, when mated with the v6 is very reliable. I have had countless C5s and never had one go out on me. But I always drive them gently, just because the motor they are usually attached to can't do anything but "gentle", lol. Quote Selected
cfi 3.8/C5 Reply #2 – August 21, 2014, 08:18:01 AM I've not had gasket issues out of the 5.0 HO, but have had it with the 5.0. 3.8 models have been flawless in my experience. I'd like to add that the AOD is a PITA, while the C5 is a much better transmission. The AOD is pr0ne to TV cable breaking free from it's nest. When that happens, a rebuild is generally not far behind. Again...I'm speaking from my own experience on the mechanics of each.Where I live, transmissions go out frequently, and finding a decent replacement is difficult. I had to thin the heard last year and sold a few great Fox bodies with bad transmissions that I was unable to source replacements for locally. The terrain and topography is a bit rough on them here. Quote Selected
cfi 3.8/C5 Reply #3 – August 21, 2014, 11:36:59 AM I had a CFI 3.8 + C5 from 1996 to 2009. The engine itself was quite reliable. The C5 gave out in 2009. ~140k miles (I've forgotten)I have a CFI 3.8 + AOD that I was given in ~2001. 262k miles without any rebuilds. Blew the HG on the skid pad during a driving skills day that the local Autocross club puts on. The CFI 3.8 is a decent DD engine. It will get you around town just fine. However, during the 3% of the time when you want more power (aggressive merging, etc), you're SOL! 120hp isn't going to move 3500 lbs anywhere very fast!Fox 3.8s don't tend to blow HGs with aplomb like the later SN95 and Windstars 3.8s would. Although the one time I've helped a random Fox Tbird/Cougar, it was a guy with a 3.8L and a blown HG. His fix was to fill the steaming hot and nearly empty radiator with hose water, so lack of preventive maintenance may have been the root cause of his issue. I would think that the C5 is a more reliable tranny than the AOD. The C5 is basically a C4 with a lockup torque converter. By the 80s, it was a very mature design based in a time when hardware was overdesigned and fuel economy wasn't a primary driver - unlike the AOD. My AOD has a RV rod, not a cable - so failure doesn't result in a trashed tranny. Quote Selected
cfi 3.8/C5 Reply #4 – August 21, 2014, 12:29:06 PM Thanks for all the info, I know mpfi 3.8's were bad with the hg's, my mom had a 93 Cougar and the HG's went bad at just over 100k. Also, the lack of power is some thing I'm used to, my other vehicle is an 87 Ranger reg cab 2wd, with the 2.3 which is only 90hp, but it's a 5 speed, so that helps a bit. Quote Selected
cfi 3.8/C5 Reply #5 – August 21, 2014, 12:32:04 PM The car I'm currently looking at is an 86 base T-bird with the brown/tan two tone paint. Has all the usual base model options, but it also has the wing windows. 120k miles, and they're asking $700. Quote Selected
cfi 3.8/C5 Reply #6 – August 21, 2014, 12:52:01 PM For twice the price: https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/4628586057.html Quote Selected
cfi 3.8/C5 Reply #8 – August 21, 2014, 03:51:39 PM Let me just say…LOL…I never had a huge issue with 3.8L head gaskets. My first '84 went over 130K miles before needing them, and that was after I sold it. However, the C5 did take a dump somewhere around the 100K mark. That was just replaced with a used, boneyard C5 and worked flawlessly to over 150K the last I heard.The current '84 was bought with blown head gaskets (actually, cracked heads) at around 106K. The block never cracked. New heads and gaskets, and all is well. Trans is still holding up fine. My mechanic said he likes to work on C4/C5 transmissions so that's nice to know if I ever need a rebuild or souping up what's there to handle the awesome torque that comes along with that 120hp.The 3.8L, for its time, was decent enough. It would never fly today, of course, but back then that's all Ford had for an intermediate engine between the V8 and turbo-4. I question a lot of the logic Ford had, though. Iron block, aluminum heads, copper radiator--gee, that's not a cooling system disaster waiting to happen down the line LOL. Quote Selected
cfi 3.8/C5 Reply #9 – August 21, 2014, 04:52:33 PM Here is the car in question: http://madison.craigslist.org/cto/4613803321.html Quote Selected
cfi 3.8/C5 Reply #11 – August 21, 2014, 07:00:51 PM Don't get me started on those badges, lol even the current owner thinks it's stupid. Quote Selected
cfi 3.8/C5 Reply #12 – August 22, 2014, 06:20:47 PM I had a friend with a small box Mustang powered by a 4cyl engine...he put 5.0 badges on it. Very stupid. Quote Selected
cfi 3.8/C5 Reply #13 – September 05, 2014, 04:52:05 PM Quote from: JeremyB;437270The CFI 3.8 is a decent DD engine. It will get you around town just fine. However, during the 3% of the time when you want more power (aggressive merging, etc), you're SOL! 120hp isn't going to move 3500 lbs anywhere very fast!Quote from: EricCoolCats;437281 My mechanic said he likes to work on C4/C5 transmissions so that's nice to know if I ever need a rebuild or souping up what's there to handle the awesome torque that comes along with that 120hp.The 3.8L, for its time, was decent enough. It would never fly today, of course, but back then that's all Ford had for an intermediate engine between the V8 and turbo-4.Agreed that 120hp is hilarious nowadays, especially since the 3.0 & 2.9 which both were all-new for 1986 had MPFI and made 140hp, but at about 1K RPM higher than the 3.8. But the 3.8 had them both beat by a mile with it's amount of low-end torque (160-170 @ 2500-3000 vs 205 @ 1600). Quote Selected
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