So what do you think?

[P51CrazyHorse]

Quick breakdown of my story.

1998 Mustang 3.8L V-6 Automatic, 203,000 miles.

I have a 5.0L H.O. engine sitting in my garage, waiting to be put in (I have almost everything needed to just drop it right in). I also have a V6 car that still runs pretty much perfect, AND gets 26.5mpg regularly.

What I am now having to debate is, do I really want to pull a perfectly good running 3.8L to put a 5.0L in there (and thus lose some of my good mileage) or just keep my V-6 and find another "project" to put that 302 in?

Suggestions from you fine folk (and some of you who aren't so fine) would be appreciated. I originally bought this car to BE a project to stuff a 5.0L in, but find myself not wanting to pull apart something that runs as good as this little beauty does. I just don't know what I should do at this point.

 

[atlanticblue98]

if you bought it to be a project car, then do that. rip out the 3.8 and stuff in the 5.0

part out or sell the whole v6 engine to someone. you said it yourself that you bought the car just to play with as a project

 

[N8Legarda]

Yeah if you bought it to be a project car id follow through with the swap. But i mean in this economy, if that is your DD and is good on gas, then it is easy for us on the forum to say " DO THE SWAP" lol. But your the one that is gonna have to pay the extra gas. Just ask, is the swap for power worth the long time cost for gas etc? If you say yes do the swap!! Good luck!

 

[red95r]

I think if you have another DD you can use that's reliable then do the swap. Obviously you bought the car with the intention of making it into a v8. Why not finish what you set out to do?

 

[NXcoupe]

Well, at first I was going to go against the grain and say keep it as is, then I read the milage and realized that you'd be doing yourself a favor by pulling that V6, she's not long for this world. It's amazing that it has lasted this long. It could go for another 20k, or die tomorrow, go with the 5.0 and you will still get 23 or more mpg with it. You are still EFI the car right?

 

[atlanticblue98]

It's amazing that it has lasted this long.

why?

 

[P51CrazyHorse]

Yeah, my idea I've been kind of leaning toward is to keep driving it as is *until* the 3.8 dies. THEN do the swap.

I am also toying with the idea of browsing around for another DD car (for the fuel economy, etc) to buy FIRST, then doing the swap. Right now, my only other vehicle is my '88 S-10 Blazer 4x4 which gets about 17mpg on a good day. Close to 10mpg less than my Mustang.

I have heard that the 3.8L engines are only good for around 150k miles, but know people personally who've had them last well into the 200k range (mine included). I think it's one of those engines that either runs forever or quits early... There've been a lot of other motors that have had those same horror stories to them that I've seen go for close to 300k miles with only normal maintenance.

True, I did originally buy this car as a "project"... in fact, I didn't really buy it, but more traded a '92 Cavalier for it (and got $1,000 cash on top of the deal). So far I have surprisingly little money actually wrapped up in this car so far. It's been an OUTSTANDING daily driver for me the past ten months.

My other idea I have toyed with is to get another Mustang, perhaps one that already has a bad engine, and put my 5.0 in that car. Keep this one the way it is for now. With the various contacts I have through work, I can always find another 5.0 to stuff in this one should the 3.8 give up on me. Just something to think about, I suppose.

 

[NXcoupe]

It's amazing that it has lasted this long.

why?

Any engine with that many miles that is not a diesel is on borrowed time as far as water pump, head gaskets, intake gaskets(on these engines), rings, bearings, oil pump and other perrifferal parts. I just don't like taking chances with high milage engine/trans combos. Just voicing my opinion like everyone else. Mine just differs from yours.

 

[shine1stang]

keep the engine in there till it blows! Mileage is just mileage until it starts seriously dipping into your pocket for parts. I have a 88 tbird turbocoupe with 256k miles on it. When i bought it, there was an auto tranny in it that was on its way out. No biggie cuz i wanted to make it 5 spd anyway.
So have what lil fun you can with the 6 and start to get all the pieces for the swap, then when the time comes that something major is need for the 6, pull it.
Is the 302 carbed? cuz if its fuel injected you are gonna have on heck of a swap!

 

[P51CrazyHorse]

the 302 is currently EFI (it's a complete engine from a '91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC). It's pretty much all there, from oil pan to upper plenum, and has the whole wiring harness/computer as well.

However, that's another thing I'm not sure on how I want to go. Keep it EFI and have a PITA putting it in there, or just grab up a new intake and carb to slap on top and run it that way, then sell off the EFI setup...

 

[atlanticblue98]

It's amazing that it has lasted this long.

why?

Any engine with that many miles that is not a diesel is on borrowed time as far as water pump, head gaskets, intake gaskets(on these engines), rings, bearings, oil pump and other perrifferal parts. I just don't like taking chances with high milage engine/trans combos. Just voicing my opinion like everyone else. Mine just differs from yours.

oh, it just sounded like you were surprised that a 3.8 could last that long, like some kind of problem with 3.8's

 

[P51CrazyHorse]

I do have an original aluminum 5.0L H.O. carb'd intake off an '83 Mercury Capri sitting in my garage. All I'd really need to do is find a decent carb to stick on top of that (and an EGR block-off spacer... *grumble grumble stupid Ford emissions*) and I'd be mostly set. I also have the dual-snorkel air filter "banjo" box from said Capri to put on top.

Been thinking about one of those distributors Summit has that allows one to use an HEI setup similar to the Chevy design in the early 80's with the coil on top, only one wire instead of the Ford control box and harness. One of the guys I know through work did that with his son's '97 Mustang and it works great.

Carb'd would be a LOT easier to install and get running, since I don't need all the sensors and what-not. The only thing that's making me want to keep the EFI setup is because it's already assembled, complete, and ready to drop in that way... I just have a hard time deciding which way I want to go.