1996 GT cam/engine questions

[aiyoung97]

Hey guys/gals,

Brand new to the forum, and just bought my first Mustang. It is a 1996 4.6/5 speed with 56k miles. I am the second owner of the car, but have lost contact with the original owner and cant ask him a question thats been bothering me for some time since owning the car. The original owner told me the car was PI swapped. 2002 heads to be specific. It does have a PI intake, but I have yet to pull the intake manifold to check to see if the heads are true PI. (thats the only way I know to check?) It does have the 1996 valve covers still on it. (Oil cap is on drivers side). However, to my knowledge I had figured he just did a PI head and intake swap. But I replaced my belt tensioner, and noticed it had a 1999+ tensioner on it. The timing covers on it only accept the 1999+ tensioner as well, not the 98 and before. So now im thinking the engine is out of a 2002, and not just the heads and intake. The only thing baffling me is that it does NOT have coil packs - its still the 98 and before plug wire deal, and it has the old valve covers. So my question is - whats a good way to find out if I just have the 02 PI heads, or the entire engine is from a 2002?


Second question, Id like to do a comp stage 2 cam, valve spring, and retainer swap. Will I have clearance issues with a PI head swapped, 1996 block with non dished pistons, and stage 2 cams? Anyone here running this setup and knows? I have never done a cam swap, only taken them out to change valve seals. If there are clearance issues how is that fixed?

Thanks Guys- Alex

 

[lwarrior1016]

First off, welcome to the forum. Secondly, a good way to identify heads is to look in the casting of the head just above the exhaust manifold. If they are PI heads, they will have PI cast into the part number. Now your question about clearance; a npi shortblock with pi heads will have no different clearance than a pi shortblock with pi heads. The problem is not in the dish, it is around the outside of the piston where it goes up. With stage 2 cams, I’m guessing comp 268’s?, you shouldn’t have a problem. As far as identifying the shortblock, that one I cannot answer. I don’t know if there are any external differences that you’ll be able to notice.

 

[lwarrior1016]

Also, the cam covers and timing covers cannot tell you which engine you have because they are all interchangeable. I’ve got a ‘95 block, ‘98 timing cover and cam covers, with 2010 PI heads.

And for the coil packs, since your computer wants to see the two coil packs with plug wires, that’s what will be swapped on to the engine unless someone wires in a coil on plug setup.