Ford Windsor Forums

Just purchased a 91 mustang with the 5.0 HO.  I have no Ford knowledge as all previous motor work was on Chevy 350.  I am planning to pull the motor and trans and work on them over the winter.  I have reasonable facilities and tools.  Looking for a little advice.  The car is a convertible, so I do not plan to spend any time on the strip, well maybe a little.  The car is EFI, but you can't really program the computer like a lot of the modern stuff.    The car is 100% original.  I bought it from a family member.  It has been sitting in a barn for the past 7 years. 

I would like to do a bit of motor work and have the trans gone through.  I plan to build a very streetable motor that will never be last to the next light.  Planning a top half build this winter and possbibly a stroker kit next year.  Not sure if I want to keep the EFI or go to carb.  I have already purchased a set of shorty headers and flowmasters.  Custom 2.5" x-pipe will be fitted when motor is done and installed.  Already replaced 2.73 gears with 3.73 and rebuilt factory posi.  Thinking 2,600 stall converter in rebuilt and beefed up AOD will be required.  I have already looked at Trick Flow fast as cast heads, Pro comp heads, etc and I hear the Parker funnel web intake is great as well, if I choose to go carb.  Like to keep chamber at 60-64 and run less than .600 lift cam for good drivability and keep compression reasonable.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

I would avoid the pro comp heads at all costs. They have a bad rep.

With the TFS heads, you may need to have the pistons notched for the valves if you run much over 0.5 lift for PV clearance. The TFS valves will have difference recess positions than stock valves due to the different valve train geometry. Im pretty sure you can get TFS specific pistons if you felt like it. They are a pretty good choice though, I have been running them as cast for about 3 years. I would keep the CC on the lower side of that range, depending on the cam.

What are your hp goals?

If the car runs a MAF, the MAF will take care of a lot of the retuning work for you as it measures the mass of the air moving through it and re-adjusts to compensate. Might just need to make sure the O2 sensor is ok and injectors are up to the task (may need an upgrade if you push too far past 300hp)

Going from EFI to carb is probably a personal preference thing depending on how you use it, and your comfort level in tuning with one or the other.

As for intake - it really depends on your HP goals. Parker funnelwebs are usually for high rpm motors. If you wont see the high side of 5700 on a regular basis I would go for a weiand stealth. If you do go for high RPM's you will need to put in ARP rod bolts as the rod bolts are the weakest link in a 5.0.

 

 

I guess I am going to build the stroker this year and keep the car as is until the motor is done.

I just bought a Mexican 302 bare block, as I hear that they are stronger than the stock block I have.  Currently looking for a reasonable price for a rotating assembly.  Would like to hear pros and cons for 195 vs 210 heads.  What size chambers 58, 60, 64?  Not going to pay the $$$ for ARP heads. 

Should I do a 331 or 347?  Is there a cost difference?  Should I go .30 or .40 over on the block? 

Taking your advice on the Parker.  Not planning to twist it above 6k.  Going to shy away from the Weiland, as it is made in China, I hear.  I am looking at the Edelbrock RMP Air Gap.  Anyone have thoughts?

A few months ago Hot Rod magazine did a comparison between

1) Single Plane (Old Style Edelbrock Victor Jr?)

2) Edelbrock Performer

3) Edelbrock Air Gap

(I know this all one manufacturer but Edelbrock is one of the most popular if not effective manifolds out. IMO)

The result was that the Air Gap lost to the single plane only above 7K RPMs I think.

I have used the Performer RPM intake and Performer carb on a Chevy truck I had. I liked the results so much that when I get the money I will buy an Air Gap and carb for my 67 Cougar.

 

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1stgencat
67 Standard Cougar
Restomod in work

The supposed increase durability of Mexican heads is partially true, but not always.  Spend $ 100 on a girdle assuming you only have two-bolt mains. 

331 probably more reliable than 347  over the long term (say 100,000 miles) if you're less than 6 K rpms.  RPM air gap is great, but as previously posted, check for hood clearance and also Summit sells  a manifold under their name that is  probably a performer plus and will save you well over three figures over a real Edelbrock air gap.  Heads- you get what you pay for.  I've got iron roush heads that are heavy and probably don't flow much better than regular ford motorsport.  But they were only about $800 for the pair asssembled.   Why would you go 0.040 over on the block if 0.30 would do?  Doesn't make any sense.  Your machine shop or your tools can tell you. Chamber size depends virtually solely on whether you go 331 or 347.  I got my Roushes milled to 53 cc's for my 289, but I wish I didn't because I'm not using them on a 331.   

BTW, what isn't made in China??  My previous chrome Edelbrock valve covers rusted and I found they were made in China.  So I paid $ 200 for fabricated welded aluminum ones,  Made in China too.    Just prior to Pearl Harbor, Admiral Yamato toured the US and warned the Emporer that a war was unwillinable because of our industrial might.  I would suspect that a US Army general would visit China and make the same conclusion, based, of course, on a non-nuclear war.  After all Chaing Kai Scheck (sp?) said at the time " we could lose 100 million soldiers and still have 10 times that to fight.