3.8 to 351W stroker

Topic: 3.8 to 351W stroker (Read 2054 times) previous topic - next topic

3.8 to 351W stroker

September 07, 2015, 12:34:09 AM

future street / strip car ,i am sure that the fox world has beatin this horse to death... What I have read is, that the 87-88 tbirds use similar suspension to the SN95 stangs. my plan is to swap my 3.8 for a 351w stroker with a c6 behind that. I am looking for a 8.8 from a SN95 and the front spindles and hubs . question ONE I have is the cross member can the original one work with the V8's or will it need to be swapped out... not worried about wiring issues, will be all MSD and custom gauges (mechanical if possible) only thing I will have to figure out is the speedo connections. question TWO who sales a bolt in / weld in subframe connector. has anyone here tried the Kenny brown ones for a stang and lengthened them. I know I will have to get a custom driveshaft.
question THREE will the SN 95 specific LCA, UCA fit this body as reported in some other sites.
any help is much appreciated.
:bowdown:

3.8 to 351W stroker

Reply #1 – September 07, 2015, 06:18:58 PM

That's a lot of questions. control arms are tbird specific there are some that are close. You need to search I used Che. The C6 is big some have made it fit. I'm a three pedal guy so I have no info on that. Speedo is electric from vss on me and is year specific.

3.8 to 351W stroker

Reply #2 – September 07, 2015, 07:34:40 PM

As I mentioned in your other thread, the cross member doesn't care what engine is above it, it's the mounts that will be the specific parts. In your case, you'll need to fine the rare 5.0 plates that allow the mounts to bolt to the block, OR, contact Chuck W from this forum and ask about his custom mounts that bypass the plate, not to mention they're much stronger.

I have no clue who sells SFC for these cars, Mustang units will NOT work. The subframes on these cars are pretty much "in line", but the floorpans protrude below the line. Therefore, you can either bend square stock to follow the contour of the floor, or cut notches in the floorboards and then run straight stock. Weld the seams/gaps, paint, and call it well done.

The front control arms of the '86-88 Birds are the same as the '94-03 Mustang. The rear control arms are NOT the same. The Tbird rear UCA/LCA are all longer than the Mustang.

No idea on what trans will fit beyond T5 and AOD. As thewestie mentions, the speedo on these cars are electronic.

The best bet would be to find either a Fox Mustang 8.8 housing, and add the SN95 axles and brakes, or simply a whole SN95 rear. Keep in mind though that the Fox rears are narrow, the '94-98 rears are the correct width, then in '99 the rears got longer axles with the new edge body style, but if you locate some 7.5 or 8.8 axles from a '94-98, they will work with both the Fox rears and the '99+ rear...indeed, the 8.8 housing itself is identical throughout the years, save for brakes and ABS and gear ratios.

The 7.5 and 8.8 axles from the SN95 cars are identical. I have a set of axles from a '96 3.8 car (7.5 rear) in my TC 8.8 with drum brakes using Grand Marquis drums. Point is, the axles are identical on those years of Mustangs between the 7.5 and 8.8 rears. :)

One thing I'm not sure about...the later year of rears ('99-'03) may be a 31 spline...be sure to check if you come across one.

3.8 to 351W stroker

Reply #3 – September 07, 2015, 08:27:39 PM

The speedo is electronic but speed sensor fits in to trans jut like a cable... If you ant to retain the bird speedo the speed sensor and wiring could be retained... The Turbo Coupes have a electronic/buttstuffogue speedo(though unless you luck into a Motorsport 140 unit are only 85mph)... If speed sensor is different between types of clusters, I've never seen it...

These days a C4 with upgrades can easily handle 500Hp(as can AOD) and are same length as AOD(mount location differs)... I'm 99% you'll need to modify the cross member to use a C6 and most will be around 3" longer than the smaller trans...

3.8 to 351W stroker

Reply #4 – September 07, 2015, 09:30:09 PM

Global West still offers subframe connectors for Fox T-Bird / Cougars.

cheers
Ed

3.8 to 351W stroker

Reply #5 – September 07, 2015, 09:33:14 PM

the c6 will work with our trans crossmember with some hole modding.. I have one I pulled out of my parts bird. I have a DS that I can measure if your looking for the length difference compared to an AOD, but I seem to remember about 3-4 inches like Tom Said