My 427W swap into my Cougar

November 05, 2019, 02:26:14 PM

I learned tons of stuff doing this swap, just ask ...

Oh yeah, it fits under the stock flat hood.

Re: My 427W swap into my Cougar

Reply #1 – November 05, 2019, 02:44:03 PM

Looks beautiful!

I have sSOooo many questions!!!!

What k member did you use and if stock what motor mounts?

What setup did you use for putting all the accessories on the front of the motor? Did you keep the AC?

What were your thoughts on going with the Edelbrock fi setup versus Holley, FITech, etc?

Did you go long tube headers or did you go shorties?

Is that a roller motor?

Now you need to change your username to Cougar5.8

Re: My 427W swap into my Cougar

Reply #2 – November 05, 2019, 04:55:56 PM

That IAC..... GM conversion on the sensor itself? Looks like one of the units that is converted. Just curious. If it is that, how does it compare to the stock style?

Also, what happened to your previous setup?

Re: My 427W swap into my Cougar

Reply #3 – November 05, 2019, 05:55:20 PM

Quote from: Mikey97D – on November 05, 2019, 02:44:03 PM

Looks beautiful!

I have sSOooo many questions!!!!

What k member did you use and if stock what motor mounts?

Stock K-member. I did shim the body up 1/4" at the time I repaired the rotted shock towers. I'm using Chuck's engine mounts. I have about an inch of clearance to the hood so it would have fit without shimming body to k-member. However, Chuck's mounts lower the engine to the point I had to email him and he was nice enough to send me some of the washers he used in the mounts so I could shim the engine just above the stock PS rack.

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What setup did you use for putting all the accessories on the front of the motor? Did you keep the AC?

Let's see. I am using the stock alternator mount; it's close to my airbox now with the wider motor, but it works. No AC. On the driver's side I bought the Ford kit that moves the power steering up high. I had to customize the part that connects the PS bracket (I had to buy a new one since I sold the old one with my Kenne Bell setup - d'oh) to the water pump since the wider engine made it so the bracket that comes with the Ford kit wouldn't reach. I think I modified an old steel piece from my OEM AC bracket setup. I can take pics if you're interested in this arrangement (no A/C.)

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What were your thoughts on going with the Edelbrock fi setup versus Holley, FITech, etc?

I chose the Holley HP which was nice since I was able to remove a lot of patch wiring I was using to datalog stuff using the TwEECer. I like the Holley setup. I'm not that familiar with the other setups so I can't really compare.

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Did you go long tube headers or did you go shorties?

Trick question! I originally went with the MAC 1 3/4" shorties, but I had issues with them leaking and hitting the steering shaft. I ended up getting the RCI 1 3/4" MID-LENGTH headers. The headers are great since they have the 3" bolt spacing that works with my AFR heads (so much easier to bolt up.) The clearance to the steering shaft is a ton also. I did have to cut down and adapt a 3" MAC Prochamber pipe for shorties. It's a weird setup where the ends that bolt to the shorties are tapered to 2 1/2" (there aren't any shorties that will work with a 3" pipe directly.) I ended up cutting the ends off anyway and adapting them to the RCI 3" collectors. Somehow I got it all to fit together without any major fabrication. Very nice setup though it involved considerable work. I'll post pictures in another reply.

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Is that a roller motor?

Yes, it's a Dart SHP block which uses the stock spider and stock style roller lifters.

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Now you need to change your username to Cougar5.8

I think you meant Cougar7.0

Re: My 427W swap into my Cougar

Reply #4 – November 05, 2019, 06:12:47 PM

Quote from: V8Demon – on November 05, 2019, 04:55:56 PM

That IAC..... GM conversion on the sensor itself? Looks like one of the units that is converted. Just curious. If it is that, how does it compare to the stock style?

So, I had to buy a different IAC because the OEM one we're all used to has the big ol' motor hanging out such that it hits things like my old Flowzilla inlet and the Edelbrock elbow used in this setup. It's basically an IAC for a 351W truck or explorer or something. I think I found it on Rockauto? I can look up the P/N but it basically bolts up like the OEM one. It does hang more in the other direction putting it closer to the intake elbow now, but not hitting. It seems to work the same or better than the old one. The Holley has no issue controlling it - car idles very smoothly considering the cam overlap and short runner intake (Supervic.)

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Also, what happened to your previous setup?

Well, maybe 3 years ago the ol' trusty 5L Kenne Bell setup developed a rod knock. I ran that setup for at least 10 years, so I had been contemplating taking the dive and dumping a bunch of $ into a Dart block N/A stroker built by a reputable engine builder. I ended up buying a Shafiroff Racing 427W short block with their custom "630HP" cam. I think it was a good decision as I'm making ~200HP more and it's considerably more reliable. It is a little scary the few times I've put the pedal to the medal - it's not something one can do on the street often. Good thing I run drag radials full time.

Re: My 427W swap into my Cougar

Reply #5 – November 05, 2019, 06:24:17 PM

Fancy. I like it.

Any 1/4 mile times with the new setup?

Re: My 427W swap into my Cougar

Reply #6 – November 05, 2019, 11:50:56 PM

Quote from: thunderjet302 – on November 05, 2019, 06:24:17 PM

Fancy. I like it.

Any 1/4 mile times with the new setup?

Gonna have to wait until next year for times and/or a dyno session. I've been enjoying the learning process tuning it with the Holley but so far I've rarely gone full throttle. I spent too much money on this setup to blow it up being an impatient idiot. I figured out how to activate the boost-a-pump with the Holley so at least I feel confident I have enough fuel to feed 600HP.

Holley now having the Terminator x setup may make aftermarket EFI tuning affordable to more people. I've looked at the software and it's about identical to the HP/Dominator software.

Re: My 427W swap into my Cougar

Reply #7 – November 06, 2019, 08:57:27 AM

Thanks for answering all my question.

Curious if weighed the engine or have a guestimate?

Re: My 427W swap into my Cougar

Reply #8 – November 06, 2019, 10:05:59 AM

Quote from: Mikey97D – on November 06, 2019, 08:57:27 AM

Thanks for answering all my question.

Curious if weighed the engine or have a guestimate?

I didn't, but I had the advantage of knowing the old 306 had a 65lb Kenne Bell setup on it (including lower & brackets.) The new setup has a supervic & elbow that's pretty light, so it's about a wash based on what I had read about the Dart block weight compared to 5L.

Re: My 427W swap into my Cougar

Reply #9 – November 06, 2019, 10:11:18 AM

Imgur, blocked at work.

Now I'll have to wait until I get home!

Re: My 427W swap into my Cougar

Reply #10 – November 06, 2019, 01:54:53 PM

Quote from: Cougar5.0 – on November 05, 2019, 11:50:56 PM

Quote from: thunderjet302 – on November 05, 2019, 06:24:17 PM
Fancy. I like it.

Any 1/4 mile times with the new setup?

Gonna have to wait until next year for times and/or a dyno session. I've been enjoying the learning process tuning it with the Holley but so far I've rarely gone full throttle. I spent too much money on this setup to blow it up being an impatient idiot. I figured out how to activate the boost-a-pump with the Holley so at least I feel confident I have enough fuel to feed 600HP.

Holley now having the Terminator x setup may make aftermarket EFI tuning affordable to more people. I've looked at the software and it's about identical to the HP/Dominator software.

I'll be waiting to hear what the hp/tq numbers are, but I'm more interested in how quick it runs. Even at 3600lbs it should have enough to get into the 10s in the quarter.

Re: My 427W swap into my Cougar

Reply #11 – November 06, 2019, 02:35:26 PM

Quote from: thunderjet302 – on November 06, 2019, 01:54:53 PM

Quote from: Cougar5.0 – on November 05, 2019, 11:50:56 PM
Quote from: thunderjet302 – on November 05, 2019, 06:24:17 PM
Fancy. I like it.

Any 1/4 mile times with the new setup?

Gonna have to wait until next year for times and/or a dyno session. I've been enjoying the learning process tuning it with the Holley but so far I've rarely gone full throttle. I spent too much money on this setup to blow it up being an impatient idiot. I figured out how to activate the boost-a-pump with the Holley so at least I feel confident I have enough fuel to feed 600HP.

Holley now having the Terminator x setup may make aftermarket EFI tuning affordable to more people. I've looked at the software and it's about identical to the HP/Dominator software.

I'll be waiting to hear what the hp/tq numbers are, but I'm more interested in how quick it runs. Even at 3600lbs it should have enough to get into the 10s in the quarter.

I should be able to hit high 10s, but I don't have a roll bar, so I'll be letting off at the 8th and extrapolating.

In the mean time, you can watch this to satisfy your curiosity. 205s vs my 220 heads, similar sized cam to mine. 611HP

You'll have to wait until 9 minutes in to see the larger cam similar to mine run with the elbow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsKPQqKCqgg&t=20s

Re: My 427W swap into my Cougar

Reply #12 – November 07, 2019, 01:55:50 PM

Engine looks great! What trans are you using and assuming running it through an 8.8 rear? I seriously thought about a stroker kit but I had a 351W crank from an SVO block for free that another guy was not going to use so that made my build a lot cheaper to go stock stroke and a 0.030" overbore.

Please post back up as you learn the Holly software. We are going to build a 351W stoker for my dad's project and he wants to go injected by my experience is leading me towards a factory style Fox Mustang injection setup only with the Ford Mustang 8693 MegaSquirt Gen2 Plug and Play with a Painless EFI harness.

Again, that is one shagy motor!!

Re: My 427W swap into my Cougar

Reply #13 – November 09, 2019, 12:09:53 AM

Some pictures of the mid-length header exhaust.

Re: My 427W swap into my Cougar

Reply #14 – April 16, 2021, 09:59:48 AM

How are you liking the new setup? Any updates?