GOTHALOSISM Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Hey guys I need some help. I have a 88 thunderbird turbo coupe that i want to yank the engine out of and toss it into a 240-280z has any one done this yet so i can figure out how they did the engine mounts and what not? And yes I have tried using the search function. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators BRAAP Posted December 2, 2007 Administrators Share Posted December 2, 2007 Thank you for searching, but you forgot to more accurately “title” your thread, so I helped a little… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boardkid280z Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 I haven't heard of it being done.... but of course that doesn't mean it hasn't or can't. My roommate has an 84 Mustang SVO with that 4cyl turbo, and we bought an 87-89 Turbocoupe and yanked the motor out of it so he would have extra parts for his Mustang. We considered the possibility of that motor in a Z, and I don't see why it wouldn't be possible, with the proper mods. We also considered mocking it up in his '68 Camaro shell that's sitting in our garage and then posting pics of the mock up all over the internets just to see what people would say. He says it's a strong motor and can handle lots of power... I'd rather have an Inline 6, but whatever. Let us know what you decide/do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Challenger Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Good motor. There has been a thread or two about this, try a search. Didnt these motors come in the Merker? A Merker would make a nice v8 swap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillZ260 Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Was my original thought for a swap but didn't do it because no one else had. I'd go for it, like the others said, good motor, lots of aftermarket support. I do think I've seen at least one other guy on here talk about them, but I havn't seem much as of late. Search around, you might run into something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbk240z Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 These guys are the gurus of the 2.3 ford performance. http://www.esslingeracing.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8INtheZ Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Hehe maybe look a bit harder next time. I have a thread like 5 down from this one. I am doing the swap right now. I put the engine in the Z last night and am welding new mounts up today. As far as I know, Im the first one to do it. Looks like your own mounts need to be made, and Im using a JTR transmisssion mount, modified to use with a T5. Installing the engine is the easy part, wiring up the computer and injectors is the hard part. ( Its not that hard though, if you can understand a wiring schematic ) You cant use the harness in the Tbird, you have to get either a Merkur xr4ti harness, or use one from an 87'-90' 4 cylinder Mustang. The engine fits in the car really sweet. The shifter is in the original location and the engine is up against the fire wall. The whole thing fits behind the steering rack! You will also have to get a drive shaft made, and come up with your own clutch linkage. I think I might use the wilwood setup everyone uses for the V8 T5, but Im not sure the throw is the same for the 4 cylinder T5. Good luck =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy 77zt Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 i used to work as a ford dealer tech and owned an 87 for awhile.87-88 were the best variations of this engine.the ford dealer wiring book for this car is very good-try to buy 1 -it will save you mucho time .i had a buddy that swapped a 88 motor into a ranger.rangers had different alternator brackits-so dont be afraid to goto pick&pull for parts.i would probably run megasquirt to get rid of the air flow sensor and alot of wiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six_Shooter Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 You cant use the harness in the Tbird, you have to get either a Merkur xr4ti harness, or use one from an 87'-90' 4 cylinder Mustang. Curious why you say this? I have thought about the Ford 2.3 swap in to a 240 (once I get one), but not "box stock", I would only swap it along with a DOHC conversion. I almost bought a 1978 Mercury Bobcat one time, just to perform the DOHC swap and add a turbo to it. But I seem to like playing with slightly larger engines, and a couple more cylinders. There is a Fox bodied Mustang (1985 or so) that is in the 8's in the 1320. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six_Shooter Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Thank you for searching, (HyrbidZ rule #2), but you forgot to more accurately “title†your thread, (HybridZ rule #3), so I helped a little… http://forums.hybridz.org/announcement.php?f=65&a=2 Maybe the title has been changed since you posted this, but I knew EXACTLY what he was asking about from the title, and why I clicked on the thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myplasticegg Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Didnt these motors come in the Merker? Yes, and they were balanced/blueprinted from the factory. Gobbs of boost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillZ260 Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 I'm really glad to see guy's doing this particular swap! V8INtheZ, do you plan to document your madness? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8INtheZ Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Yeah, I have a thread going in the Other Engines forum. "New Member, New Z" is the title I believe. Its only a few from the top. Im pretty far along already. I need to get the engine fuel, get my hydro clutch assembly ready, and get a driveshaft made. Not much left to get it running. Im doing the 5 lug with the toyota 4x4 vented brakes as well. You could use the Tbird harness if you really wanted to I guess. It has many other circuits integrated into it other then the engine management. A few people have done it, but its not worth the trouble. The Merkur XR4TI harness is only engine management, and is the easier one to use. The 87-90 Mustang harness is almost the same as the Merkur, but they are almost always nicer. They arent under the same hood as a turbo, so they usually dont have any cracks or brittle wires or anything. I have used both, and the Mustang works out really well. Mustang harnesses are super easy to find as well. I just bought 2 for 17.xx at picknpull about a month ago. There are also many engine to pick from in the the junk yards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.