Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums  

Read coolcats.net on the h.o. conversion/swap. He touchest on the 83-85 engine setups. If you found the right parts, you could do it in a weekend..

I can appreciate your wanting to stay stock appearing on a 30th anniv, I would want to do same....

There are three major ways to do this, all would include a full free flowing exhaust system of at least 2.25" and headers... Heads on pre '86 engines are similar to the E7, I would not swap those unless you're going GT40 or similar...

#1 swap to a more HOish cam(This isn't a roller engine so all you guys forget stock HO cam) and a HO CFI setup from a '84/'85 LSC or AUTOMATIC Stang... I believe those were rated at 165Hp, and the exhaust system should add another 15-20Hp... Except for the exhaust system, stock appearance is retained... Bad the stock HO CFI is hard to find and 30 year old electronics can(maybe will?) be buggy...

#2 would be same as above but use a 600 CFM or so carb and decent flowing intake, would still be close to stock appearance... You would also need to swap to a low pressure fuel pump to feed the carb...

#3 Full SEFI swap to a '87 up system, still could use your heads but would still have to figure out a cam as I stated prior this isn't a roller engine...

Note there is a possibility it is a roller block(anybody have a list of the casting numbers?), I've seen late '85s that used them but the spider hold down was not drilled and tapped...

Do a full header back dual exhaust and you will notice a huge difference.  My 83 was a stock 5.0 with CFI with an AOD and all I did was put a full exhaust in it (granted this was back in 93ish) and I remember it being a huge difference over stock.  Even though your car is an anniversary edition car these cars do not have much of a monetary value to the public like the Mustangs so keeping it stock typically only brings an appreciation from the owner and a very small crowd of people.  Read this thread as we are currently helping another member (at least I hope we are helping) figure out what to do with his SO setup:

http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?35557-Talking-cylinder-heads.

Yours would be pretty much the same but like someone else already mentioned just get a carburetor (600 CFM with vacuum secondaries are easy enough) and a good intake and you would be set.

Darren

Thanks.  I like the sound of option 1 but want to make sure I understand.  Are you saying by swapping the stock cam to an 84/85 LSC/Mustang HO cam that I should see around 165hp or about a 25hp gain over stock?  And then additional hp gains with the exhaust mod?  I thought the 84/85 Lsc/Mustang setups included the dual exhaust set up so would the 165hp be total?  Thanks for your help.