5.0L budget build

[discostu]

So here's the deal... I'm a Chev guy. I've rebuilt a few engines for various vehicles, and I have lots of backyard mechanic experience. A guy I work with has an '88 Grand Marquis and he loves the car, except the transmission is starting to fail (no OD). He's asked me to rebuild his engine and get him a rebuilt transmission, on an approx. $3000 budget. He wants as close to 300 bhp as possible (a nice DD cruiser that can race if he wants to).

The car:
'88 Grand Marquis 5.0L 150hp/280tq, loaded to the nuts with every option. As I said, it's got an AOD but I think the OD band has failed. I've been told it has 3.73 gears but I need to confirm that, and it has a junky single exhaust. The guy said he was getting 19.5 MPG city/highway combo before the OD failed, so it appears to be in a good state of tune.

Now I've been reading up on Fords for days (didn't know shit about them up till about a week ago lol). From what I can gather, here's what I've got:

- Get a complete '98-01 Explorer top end. GT40P heads, both intakes, TB, injectors etc. I'm in Alberta, so EGR doesn't matter.
- I'd probably clean up the casting flash and around the valve guides, but I read that the P heads are tough to port for good gains. I'd be interested in milling the heads a bit for compression.
- Throw on some better springs and a set of 1.6 full roller rockers.
- To keep cost down, I'd like to keep the stock bottom end, just change all the mains and rod bearings. I haven't been able to find what the factory compression is, but I'd like to have between 9-9.5 compression.
- As for the cam, I'd like to run a Lunati Voodoo 61010, but I've read that having a .550" cam might cause valve to piston contact with stock pistons. If that's the case, I'd look at an XE258HR or XE264HR to keep the lift down around .510" (I'd consider 1.7 rockers with the 258 cam) I've read I might need pushrods too.
- Shorty headers (maybe BBK?) & 90* plug boots or FRPP headers to accommodate the angle plugs. I'd like to use a BBK 1661 Mustang X-Pipe (will the FRPP headers bolt up to these?) Finish off the exhaust with some Magnaflow mufflers.
- Tune the computer for best results obviously.
- Stall converter maybe 2200-2400 or so.
- Throw in a high flow fuel pump to support the fuel needs.
- Roller timing chain

- After all that's done and a rebuild transmission is sourced, if there's any money left from the budget (or if the budget grows a bit lol) then we can look at extras.
- If we're way under budget I'd look at Speed pro hyper pistons with valve reliefs to accommodate the bigger cam and to get the correct compression.
- Posi rear end
- Underdrive pullies
- Windage tray
- Ignition upgrades
- CAI

Is there anything I'm missing or have gotten wrong? This is the first engine I've done for someone else other then me, so I really don't want to piss money away by buying the wrong parts.
Are the expectations for close to 300bhp ok? I've simulated using Desktop Dyno 2003 and it shows 306hp @ 5000 and 353 ft-lbs @ 3500, but I also know that DD overrates by a bit, so I think the 280 bhp range is probably where it'll end up.

[cld783]

i'd start with a complete explorer engine and swap the accessorys over. try explorer swap in the search.

sorry to be vague

[1987cp]

Good read on piston-to-valve issues: http://sbftech.com/index.php/topic,57.0.html Check out their grassroots cam tech section too, if you haven't been there before.


Kudos on actually intending to tune things. Seems like usually if it's EFI, guys want to throw together some hodgepodge and expect the computer to magically make it run just the way they want.


Another thought, especially if the whole engine will be basically stock Explorer, he can save a nice little chunk by foregoing an aftermarket cam.

[1980c10]

Just to a complete explorer swap, put a good set of headers and a good exhaust on it. An explorer motor will gain quite a bit from just headers, the factory manifolds are very restrictive. Put a stock H.O. Cam in it straight up. Find a set of stock cobra 1.7 roller rockers and do a spring upgrade " I hear stock explorer valve springs leave some to be desired ". Also your can go mass air or not doesn't really matter if our useing a stock cam. Anywho that combo should pack more than enough punch for him. But if you really wanna put the iceing on the cake get a 4r70w tranny out of a 00-04 v6 mustang, they are wide ratio and will give it some more pep off the line.

[discostu]

Hmm ok, I can see how doing the Explorer engine would be a good alternative.

Yeah I was actually taken aback reading all the Ford forums where guys want to do computer swaps and stuff. On GM forums the ONLY way to go is a custom tune, no one talks about hoping the MAF will make the corrections for you or anything.

So Explorer swap 210hp 288tq + HO cam, headers & full exhaust = ~250hp, ~320tq?

Also, thanks for the tip on the 4R70W trans, I do like that idea. For some reason I thought it was an electronic trans and put it out of my mind when I first read about it.

Are BBK headers good, or should I go straight for the FRPP headers? (which I've heard are very good for the price) And will the FRPP ones bolt up to the BBK X-pipe no problem?

[1980c10]

4r70w is electric you need a baumann controller to run it. And with the setup I said mr Ltd has a very similar setup and put down about 250 hp to the wheels after tuning with a tweecer. Also it depends on what year your motor is the gt40p heads require specific headers to clear the spark plugs, which the frpp headers do.

[1987cp]

I seem to recall something about a budget cap. This wouldn't seem like the time to be swapping to a different transmission entirely, especially one requiring an expensive external controller, if an AOD is more than up to the task with only basic upgrades.

[Lincolnmania]

4r70w is electric you need a baumann controller to run it. And with the setup I said mr Ltd has a very similar setup and put down about 250 hp to the wheels after tuning with a tweecer. Also it depends on what year your motor is the gt40p heads require specific headers to clear the spark plugs, which the frpp headers do.

i think what he picked up on is you use the 4r70w geartrain in the aod to make a wide ratio aod........works well, but theres more money involved than just a standard aod rebuild.......the last one i had built cost around 1200 not including the 75 bucks for the 4r70w core

[1987cp]

I just realized something else, if he's in Alberta, the budget might be $3000 Canadian. $1000US for a basic rebuilt AOD isn't unheard-of, which is nearly half their budget.

Sounds like running the Exploder motor 100% stock except for a valvespring upgrade is more in the cards than doing anything fancy. Exhaust will set the owner back probably $400-$600US with new parts, so that's got to be taken into account too. Can save probably $200US by using factory Mustang "headers" instead of BBK/FRPP, I suppose - don't they clear the spark plugs on P heads?

[discostu]

I am Canadian, but the Can$ and US$ are almost the same, so prices have come down a lot here. Plus, I have a source for getting performance parts at a discount at a local speed shop. Also, it's a $3000 starting budget. If it's gonna be another $500-1000 extra, the guy is probably willing to pay, as long as he's getting an extra 25-40hp from the extra cash.

The way I was figuring it was:
$1200 trans + $400 engine core + $600 exhaust = $2200 That should leave about $800 for extras.