Engine/tranny combo. Please help!!!

[chrisjoyce]

I know most of you don't know me well, but I have an 89 Grand Marquis and im going to start modding very soon!!! I will put pics up of it soon.

Anyways im going with this engine

http://www.gefracing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=G&Product_Code=M6007B51&Category_Code=50ENGINE

But now I need to find a T5 that will handle the power. Does anybody know where I can find a really nice tranny? I prefer new.

I hope to be in the high 13's low 14's with this setup and 3.73's. Does that sound about right?

[Pirate]

It's not enough engine to get that boat into the 13's.

I have a T5 out of a 40K-mile 1991 Saleen....

[Freshmeat]

That's also not enough engine to spend $3k. In my opinion, get a basic 302HO, have the heads reworked by a local performance shop, send your intakes to Tom Moss for porting, and set up with a Ford Lightning EGR spacer and a modified Explorer throttle body. That'll make more than enough power for you. Get that in, running, and tuned before you do a transmission conversion.
"While I'm in there..." excuses for doing everything at once will get you nothing but headaches, heartaches, wallet aches, and backaches. One then the other. It's not a whole lot of work to install a T5 into a Panther, so I'd start with that first.

There are also other things to consider. Is your suspension where you want it to be or is it sloppy? Do you have a performance exhaust system yet? Is the rear end built the way you want it?

Start with the other things and do the engine absolutely last. If you put a killer engine/transmission into a car that has crap for everything else, you're gonna wish you'd just shot yourself in the foot instead.

[Mercracer]

It's not enough engine to get that boat into the 13's.

Sure it is. That motor will put a Mustang into the 12's easily.... 1000lbs more = 1 second slower.

[Mercracer]

I know most of you don't know me well, but I have an 89 Grand Marquis and im going to start modding very soon!!! I will put pics up of it soon.

Anyways im going with this engine

http://www.gefracing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=G&Product_Code=M6007B51&Category_Code=50ENGINE

But now I need to find a T5 that will handle the power. Does anybody know where I can find a really nice tranny? I prefer new.

I hope to be in the high 13's low 14's with this setup and 3.73's. Does that sound about right?

4.10s and a converter if you are looking for 13s. MAF is a must IF you are retaining EFI. That motor is way too much money considering everything else you have to do to your car unless you just won the lottery. Go with a low mileage Explorer motor with a cam and valvetrain upgrade. Undercut valves and fresh springs with hardware and new valve seals should only run you $300 ish. Hands down, call D&D for a new tranny. Don Walsh and Jr will hook you right up with whatever you need. You obviously are not worried about emmissions, so a carb conversion would be a consideration for this combo. The money you save with not buying that crate motor and not staying with EFI can be put towards the rest of your car including a nitrous plate.

[DuceAnAHalf]

my motor is about the same power wise, with 3.55s i run about 14.0 on motor. My car is one of the lightest panthers around though

[mrltd]

It'll run 13's if you gut the car and run a lot of gear. I ran high 14's with 200 RWHP and 3.73's though an AOD.

Call up Dahmer powertrain and get the same motor with GT40 intake, 65MM TB, injectors, and a torquier cam for under 2K.

[Lincolnmania]

yea i'll second that call dahmer powertrain
superlincs new engine was 1750 shipped, same as mr ltd's they might be out of 96 motors, but they prob have the 97-01 engines with gt40p heads

[Pirate]

Sure it is. That motor will put a Mustang into the 12's easily.... 1000lbs more = 1 second slower.

One small problem: That boat has a hell of a lot more frontal area, in the nose, and greenhouse, to slow it down, than a Mustang does. Theoretically, if you two exactly same cars, and simply added another 1000 pounds, then you would go a second slower in the 1/4. However, by the time you add a driver, and the car itself (4100-4300 pounds for the three Grand Marq's I have weighed, plus whatever the driver weighed), plus the aero drag of the bigger nose and greenhouse....

In addition, that motor is not exactly a torque powerhouse. I had one idiot customer who insisted on having me install that exact engine (B cam) into a 4000-pound torino(with him in the car)....4.11's, 4-speed, limited slip, and 9" slicks...14.30's with two different track regulars trying it out, eventually snapping the driveshaft on the final launch at 5500, to try to get it to run quicker. Very little bottom end for this motor, with either camshaft.
This engine works fairly well in a light mustang.....A friend has the exact (other than E-cam) duplicate in a 1993 GT, 5-speed, had to switch to 4.10's, from 3.73's, to get it to launch without bogging or revving the hell out of it with drag radials and blowing them off, to get it to move. In street trim, he has managed a 13.30. The next engine? Either a 331 or 351, this engine is a bit of a turd, especially for the money spent.
Installing this engine into a 4000-pound-plus Grand Marquis, and to get this barn door into the 13's....he would have to go with at least a 4.10 gear (per your suggestion), get either slicks or drag radials, and pray to God the tranny and clutch will hold up to a 4000-5000 RPM launch....and he might get into the 13.90's.
THIS is why I stated it wouldn't pull 13's, unless he did a shitload of work to the car to get it to hook up, and maybe ditch some weight.

[Mercracer]

In addition, that motor is not exactly a torque powerhouse. .

The B cam was relatively shit, even in a Mustang. I don't know why FRPP even carries that useless stick. I have seen dyno tests where E cam engines make more power and torque. With the right heads and 1.7 rockers, the cam may work ok.

[mrltd]

Few notes on the drivetrain. The rear axle will need to be addressed. Lotta gear and a diff girdle will be a requirement. Once you get HP and traction the axle will spit the gears out. You will also need new control arm bushings and a limited slip diff.