Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

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Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

October 01, 2005, 11:26:33 AM

Why is the 3.8 V-6 so weak? Why are there absolutely no speed parts for this engine? Is there something mechanical which makes cam swaps, heads, valves, etc... impossible in these little engines impossible? I own an 83 cougar which my mother absolutely loves, even though it's so anemic. What can be done besides a swap?

Re: Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

Reply #1 – October 01, 2005, 02:02:34 PM

the weak link in the 3.8 is the head gaskits. not the motor. once the heads are done on the car your usualy good they tend to not pop again. as for no performance. plenty of guys run 3.8 with twin turbos superchargers. hell even ford did with the supercoupe 15 pounds of boost on a 3.8 it's just that your year and any that was in a fox bird / cat is not the 3.8 to work up bc it's not the best out there designd to drive grandma to the store or take the kids to school. not run 10's down the track. but the 89 to 98 are a beter starting point as alot of aftermarket for them. but even beter is the 99 - 04 3.8's as they have the best design of them all with the intake's heads and exhaust. i read in a mag the other day of a guy running a 99 + motor in a 93 notch back with a intake from a van and a shot of nos into the 10's not thats good. it was also stroked out to a 4.2 but who cares. 10's in a six. with a little help. im done going on and on . just look around you'll learn

Re: Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

Reply #2 – October 01, 2005, 02:32:51 PM

Gotta correct you on the SC running 15pounds of boost stock,stock is around 10-11 psi.
My 91 SC is running 11 by the factory gauge,if underdriven then yes you can reach 15 but not recomended with the factory setup.

Re: Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

Reply #3 – October 01, 2005, 02:41:57 PM

well my brothers 94 5-speed. get 15 pushing it. but you get it. could be the bigger charger they got in 94-95 and bigger injectors. is yours auto?that can play a roll in the boost as well. lets not forget the hotter cam the 5 speed cars got over the auto cam.

Re: Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

Reply #4 – October 01, 2005, 03:47:48 PM

its not the headgaskets, its a poor design by ford, along with not-so-great gaskets

you can dump the money into parts for a 3.8L, you can do cams, heads, and all that, but you dont get much money out of it

theres a thread floating around that has some other information, id get more in depth, but im a little out of it right now

Re: Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

Reply #5 – October 01, 2005, 04:03:36 PM

yeah, for themost partitisjust easier to get parts from a mustang for cheap and still make better power then thousands of dollars for about the same or less power then a stock 5.0. Its not a bad engine, but people just see it as expensive because noone wants parts for it. Instead then just throw in the 5.0

Re: Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

Reply #6 – October 01, 2005, 06:49:37 PM

Yea it's an auto,didn't know the 5 speeds got bigger cams(interesting).
I do know the 94-95s had bigger superchargers.

Re: Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

Reply #7 – October 01, 2005, 08:07:46 PM

if you want parts go to http://www.moranav6racing.com

Re: Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

Reply #8 – October 01, 2005, 08:09:29 PM

Or: http://www.supersixmotorsports.com/

Re: Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

Reply #9 – October 01, 2005, 10:23:43 PM

The supersix link only has upgrades for 88-up 3.8's.

Re: Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

Reply #10 – October 02, 2005, 12:59:59 AM

My guess about the 3.8 is that it was kinda like the naturally aspirated 2.3...it was an outdated engine design that was used as a grocery-getter engine for a LONG time and never received many upgrades, because there was no reason for it, Ford figured if somebody wanted performance from a Thunderbird or Mustang they would opt for one of the "better" engine options.

Re: Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

Reply #11 – October 02, 2005, 01:50:42 PM

remove the rods,crank,pistons

install
4.2liter inerds
direct swap and now your a stroker

mill out for bigger valves
take off .050 on the heads
toss on the older 5.0L cfi and r/r the injectors
remove the screens on the injectors,,,
the list goes on and on

i dont really have that much to complain about,, its no speed demon but it is quck for the limitation i get out of the 3.08 rear. gas mileage is great considering the weight.

Re: Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

Reply #12 – October 02, 2005, 04:16:47 PM

Quote from: Red_LX

My guess about the 3.8 is that it was kinda like the naturally aspirated 2.3...it was an outdated engine design that was used as a grocery-getter engine for a LONG time and never received many upgrades, because there was no reason for it, Ford figured if somebody wanted performance from a Thunderbird or Mustang they would opt for one of the "better" engine options.

Actually in the early 80's the 2.3 turbo and the 3.8 were supposedly going to become Ford's performance engine (back then gas was expensive, more expensive than it is now, and everyone was saying the V8 was a thing of the past). Ford had done quite a bit of development on the 3.8, including a twin turbo 3.8 powered Turbo coupe that was a concept for the '87 model. Of course Ford never did make a twin turbo Turbo Coupe, but they did make the SC.

They also made 200-horse N/A 3.8, 3.9 and 4.2 versions. This compares well with GM's N/A 3800 (and the supercharged 3800 made 240 horses, not much more than the supercharged Ford 3.8 of a decade ago). Ford has essentially stopped development on this engine though, because it is being supplanted by the 4.0 SOHC and the 3.0 (and future 3.5) Duratec. Those engines are more modern and efficient, so it makes no sense to continue developing the 3.8. Ford is looking to the future for engine design while GM continues to rely on its past. There is nothing wrong with GM's pushrod engines, they just chose to take a different engine development path.

The 3.8 has a bad reputation because of its head gasket problem (a reputation well deserved but fairly easily cured with the correct gaskets), but in reality it's not a bad engine and if you're willing to do some research and spend some money they can be made to be quite fast - last month's MM&FF magazine had a 10 second V6 powered Mustang, for example. The only reason the 3.8 gets no respect is that it's cheaper and easier to build a 302. This is much the same reason that you don't see many 2.3 turbo Fox Mustang race cars as well. There are a few out there, but most people go with the cheap, plentiful and relatively simple Windsor.

Re: Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

Reply #13 – October 02, 2005, 04:22:20 PM

Quote from: Thunder Chicken

they can be made to be quite fast - last month's MM&FF magazine had a 10 second V6 powered Mustang, for example.

the thing with that car, its ultra light, and its on a BIG shot of nitrous. You can make almost any engine run 10's in a fully gutted notchback and a big shot of nitrous

i dont have much respect for that car, i DO have respect for a guy named Matt, i forgot his last name, but he has a 99+ V6 mustang, he put single port heads and lower intake, stuffed a stock 4.2L stroker assembly out of a F150 in the car, barely touched the heads, and slapped a big ole turbo on it, and put down 587rwhp and runs low 11's if i remember correctly

the 10 second notchback is a sponsored car, a shops project car if i remember correctly, this guy Matts car is home built on a budget

Re: Why Is The 3.8 So Weak???

Reply #14 – October 02, 2005, 05:29:21 PM

Yes, I know they lightened the car and hit it with something like a 150 shot of nitrous, but my point was that the engine stayed together :D

I think it was a SuperSixMotorsports sponsored car