Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: 83 bird, bad rod knock...questions... (Read 1706 times) previous topic - next topic

83 bird, bad rod knock...questions...

I did a gob of work on my buddies 83 bird 5.0 heritige edition. It had a rod knock but we decided to see how long it would last. Well, he overheated it a bit and sent it over the edge. I guess it's really bad now.

The question is this, the car isn't nice enough to be all that concerned about originality. A used motor would be fine with him. So...ideally we'd find an 83 and not have to switch anything but that's less likely than finding something that's maybe a different year but will work with some swap over.

Can anyone tell me what years will work with minimal swap over, ie intake, sensors...etc?
Also, other options such as a wider range of years that'll work but with more stuff to change. 5.0's are dime a dozen in trucks and fox mustangs etc but of course all with different intakes and stuff...

Since he's not concerned with having the numbers matching engine in it and can't afford to rebuild the one that's in it, I'm tasked with figuring out what else will work at the best price for him. He's a pretty close friend so I work REALLY cheap for him. The main goal is finding a motor that'll work and save him the most amount of money. The labor, I can work with him on.

I live in mid Michigan, near Flint. Maybe someone from the forum lives here and has something we can use? Maybe just anyone that can advice me on the best way to go.

If it was up to me I'd put a 460 in it and a carb and eliminate the computer all together but that's me. LOL

Thanks in advance,

Wayne

83 bird, bad rod knock...questions...

Reply #1 –
Excepting for carbed '85 HO, any CFI '82-'85 5.0 long block is a direct swap... Also most of those engines will have same same intake, throttle body etc(there are a few HO throttle body engines for '84 & '85 that were used in Stang & LSC Lincoln)... Beginning with '86, ALL passenger car 5.0 have SEFI & roller cams so dist would require the steel gear... Truck engines retained flat tapped cams through at least the '91 model year... The carbed pre '82 engines would work(longblock) but crank balance is different, require 28 vs 50 oz front damper and flexplate...

83 bird, bad rod knock...questions...

Reply #2 –
For cars:
84 and 85 5.0 CFI's are EEC IV.
83 and older CFI's are EEC III.
Not sure about trucks.

83 bird, bad rod knock...questions...

Reply #3 –
The problem with finding a early to mid 80's 5.0 motor is that they will be just about worn out as well.  The other problem is as soon as you start pulling apart the existing motor to move those parts over to another long or short block you are going to find all sorts of odds and ends that are going to break like plastic fittings, vacuum parts, wires, harness plugs, etc. unless the car has been stored in a vacuum box that is impervious to gravity.  The other issue may be that if you put any kind of a solid motor in front of the AOD that is in the car it may kill the AOD if it is original as well just due to the fact it may be on the verge of burning the clutch bands.  Enough of the Debbie Downer stuff but I do want you to have your eyes wide open when you open up Pandora's Box.

I would seriously consider just pulling the long block out of the car with as much stuff still attached to the motor as you can, flip it over, and pull the pan.  If the knock is in the rod or main bearings pull the crank and take it to a machine shop and see if it will turn and then put the motor back together with a stock oil pump replacement.  This will be about the most cost effective way to fix it if the noise is truly a rod or main bearing issue.  If it is more than that its gonna cost some $$$ no matter how you approach it unless he just needs something to get him the rest of this year.

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

83 bird, bad rod knock...questions...

Reply #4 –
Quote from: jaded13640;457243
I did a gob of work on my buddies 83 bird 5.0 heritige edition. It had a rod knock but we decided to see how long it would last. Well, he overheated it a bit and sent it over the edge. I guess it's really bad now.
If it was recently overheated making the knock worse, probably now has problems other than just a loose rod bearing or two...

83 bird, bad rod knock...questions...

Reply #5 –
And then there is that misery to deal with as well.  I would be prepared for a lot more headache than you want with this one.

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

83 bird, bad rod knock...questions...

Reply #6 –
Take a car with a terminal bottom end issue and drive it till it's shaged up....yeah, that block is probably junk.

If it were mine, not having a lot of money to spend, I'd probably find a mid 90's truck/mustang/mark 7 5.0, carb it and go that route.


Then again, if it's a clapped out POS....why bother? Sounds like vehicle maintenance isn't a real big priority here, at that..
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

83 bird, bad rod knock...questions...

Reply #7 –
in not sure what the deal is here with respect to cheap is concerned.

for a great deal to your buddy, you could / should just rebuild that engine with a long block kit.

you can redo the whole engine for 500$ in parts,, then emory cloth the journals , take a few measurments and see if you need oversized bearings or not along with a crank.

one guy i know will custom water sand the back side of each individual oversized crank bearings to get the desired plasti-guage clearances he wants to a stock crank...

keeping this kind of stuff on the cheap offers so many regrets down the road when an unknown motor is dropped in.  at least with a long block kit, you have no questions.

softtouch is right aout the 83 model, its going to have a unique system but the identical pieces parts can be found in trucks prior and after that year like the bronco... i believe the kept EEC3 up to 85.

the engine management system you have EEC3 will consist of an external fender well mounted voltage regulator,, i  believe these systems have crank and cam sensors as well.  EEC4 simplified and eliminated all that.

I believe if you look you will find a removable cover on the driver side of the timing chain cover which would integrate an external fuel pump if you go carb.
later 3.8 6cyl and 5.0's have the provision for external pumps but the aluminum needs cut out to access the cam to fuel pump driver.