Hello all, Ok...got back from Baghdad 3 days ago and I'm now elbow deep in this Comet I have in my driveway. A lot of people have asked me for more details about how this EFI 3.8 works in the car. When I bought it, the conversion was already done but the engine was dead (headgasket, naturally) so I couldn't road test it. Today i started to strip the engine so I could pull it (as well as the AOD transmission) and rebuild it. Here are my observations so far. 1. Fit..Although the 3.8 fits in the bay, I don't see any possible way the stock exhaust manifolds can be used unless you go Mustang 2 and kill the towers altogether. The previous owner made his own exhaust manifolds which work, even if they're not pretty. The stock manifolds are a shorty header type design that is WAY too wide for the engine bay. Even if the towers were shaved there would still be serious clearance issues with the steering gearbox. I picked up a 96 builder block (the main caps and heads were improved that year) that I will stroke to 4.2 with forged internals and go twin turbo. Surprisingly enough, the exhaust will be a lot easier once i get the T3s mounted. I will be top mounting them in the corners, which will enable me to use the original exhaust manifolds since the flanges will be up front with all types of room. The towers will still need to be notched to make room, but at least there's no clearance issues with the steering box. 2. Mounts..The mounts are completely fabricated. the base for the standard 302 mounts were used and the engine is bolted to thick steel plates welded to the engine mount. Ugly, but it works. When i get the engine pulled in the next few days I will have more photos of the mounts. In all, I like this motor in the Mav platform. The engine looks nice in there and I like the oddball factor of having an uncommon engine in the car. Another benefit is there's a wealth of aftermarket power adders for the 3.8 so I can build a strong, boosted block and still have a good power to weight ratio. As this project moves on i'll continue to take pics along the way. For starters, here's a few pics of the exhaust manifolds to give you an idea of what clearance issues you'll be dealing with if you're thinking of doing this swap.
I just sold a 97 Mustang with a 3.8 in it. I thought about saving the engine for a transplant but at the time I didn't think I was getting my Maverick. A month after selling it I was able to get the Maverick. lol My daughter has a 96 with the 3.8 in it and that car runs pretty dang good. I am surprised every time I mash the gas in that car. It will easily turn the tires over. Should be a blast in a Maverick. I wonder what the weight difference is between the 2? I would think the newer car to be a good bit heavier with all of the sound insulation and wiring stuff they have clint
Yeah, that mustang is a beast as far as curb weight. Once I get the 3.8/T5 combo in there, i'll head straight for the local freight company and get a curb weight on her. Considering how much lighter the mav is than the mustang, she should be a smoker. They say the 96 and on 3.8 is best since they changed the head design to help the head gasket issue. also, the main caps are supposed to be stronger. I got a 96 builder block which i'll stroke and used forged internals which will go in soon. Man, I wish i had more greasemonkey buddies out here since i'm dying to get this thing installed. I plan to pull the existing drivetrain tomorrow, so here's hoping.
I would also like to see one of the Tarus SHO engines put in a Maverick. I don't know what size it is but I think it is made by Yamaha. Bet it would scream! clint
yamaha supported toyota the 70's and supported ford later in the 80's. yahama engineering are superb when it comes to automobile motor so it should be a blast to have in a maverick
Updated pics...engine out Ok, here are some updated pics since i've gotten the engine out. By the way...on a side note. When you hook the hoist up, don't hook it to the intake manifold bolts (i couldn't reach the back head bolts even though i knew better.). I had the engine/trany assembly about 3 feet above the car with just the tail shaft hanging on the firewall when the bolts decided to bust and send the whole assembly free-falling back into the car. I looked around to make sure nobody saw me and thanked God my wife didn't see that. OK...more details on the exhaust manifolds (with the pics you can see the difference in width between the stock and home-made exhaust). Also, the motor mounts are fabbed and ugly to boot. The existing 302 mounts are used on the frame as well as a base for the upper mounts. I'll see if i can clean up those mounts or perhaps make another set a little more sturdy. It looks like they move the mount point approx 3 inches back. (i'll confirm that later) Lastly is the modified front sump oil pan since the stock is a rear sump. (the 80's called...they said neon green isn't cool anymore.) Once i pull the pan, i'll see what pickup tube and screen they used or maybe they just flipped it around. I'll be re-wiring the harness since this existing motor has a distributor, but it's replacement is distributorless and paired with a 5-speed. Once i'm ready for re-install, i'll take good photos and hopefully provide you guys a full tuitorial for installing a 3.8/5 speed from beginning to end. There are a million 3.8s out there, so it would be nice to someday run into another mav with a 3.8. I'm a soldier and I'm surrounded with 18 year-olds. They can really relate to this engine, so it's a heck of a conversation piece. I'm even looking into "3.8 EFI" decals to put on top of my brazilian stripe. Of course, i won't mention the twin turbo part on the fender...they can find that out the hard way.
Another swap I think would be nice is one of the new 4.0's. My wife has a 2007 Mustang with the 4.0 and automatic tranny in it. That thing flat out flies for such a large heavy car and a V6. I don;t remember if it is a 5 or 6 speed automatic. I bet that 4.0 would push a Maverick very well. Rear wheel drive also. clint
