3.8 rebuild
 

does any one know if there is like a 3.8 engine rebuild guide written up somewhere that they have found?

thanks for the help

not exactly but i'm doing my sixer pretty quick.. best bet is try to find a shop manual. i ordered mine through the dealership. try 3.8mustang.com

how much did that end up costing ya ??

and i know i found a torque spec page on it somewhere...i will have to find it and post it up here if you want

Haynes manual is a good inexpensive manual. You can get them from Canadian Tire. I don't know of any specific manuals for the 3.8, but Tom Morana would know if there was Tom Morana Racing Engines He is also a good source of information. Are you staying with a stock rebuild or are you looking for more power? 4.2 is a good upgrade and split port heads.

im keeping the 3.8.....dunno why but i love it....and me and my buddy are having a challenge with eachother.....see who can go faster....he is doing up his neon....me my mustang...and we have to stay with the original engine...so....ya....

and i am throwing on the split port upgrade to....just want to get everything first before i start....so any help would be awesome

The 4.2 is the same as the 3.8, but has a longer stroke crank and pistons to match. There is actually a good aftermarket for the 3.8 - cams, roller rockers, forged pistons, ported heads/ intake, headers, etc. The stock headers on the 94 mustang are actually as good as any shorties made, so keep them, so unless you are going to get longtube headers.

As Crafty said, check out 3.8mustang.com - Read the stickies, etc and try to do searches, as some of the members get testy when you ask something that has been answered several times before.

haha ya i know i know....but i want to keep the 3.8...like i said i dunno i just like the engine...and im familiar with it so that helps.....and ya i have checked out 3.8mustang.com before...its a sweet site...lots of useful stuff.....

another reason i am using this engine is because i am picking up another one i think so if i break anything or mess something up...i always have a spare....and this is going to be a learning tool for me :)

thanks for the help guys...i will keep you updated and i do want to know what you think as i go through the stuff with my car

You better hope he doesn't do a SRT swap, if so your FACKED! lol

hes not....i already know the engine he is putting in i helped him do it....its just a 2.0 or something like that....i think....and he hates the srt4 engine..he already blew 3 of them.....haha and i dont think i would be fucked...im sure i could get enough power out of my girl to keep up with him if not beat him....just do all forged internals...new gears...t-lok and twin turbo hahahaha

If he blew 3 SRT engines he is doing something wrong cause those can create power and a lot of it...
There is a guy on here that built one, complete stock engine other then upper intake, injectors, and a larger turbo....the car put down over 400 FWHP.. and over 400 FWTQ!

Just be careful what you play with out there LMAO...

haha o believe me i know....and he didnt do anything wrong with them..it was all stock....just cant really drive...so that helps me out :P and plus he does a little auto cross so.....pretty much drives a whole course in first :P

swbrown is right i can even send you a pic of my engine.. it's just a 4.2 with a windstar intake. getting more done this winter. cam, ported heads, and i hope i have enough for a new exhaust in there too.. but it deff sounds like a nice little challenge you and ur friend have. good mods to get "quicker" are stuff like t-loc, gears (imo get a 8.8" with 3.90's :tup) and a shortshifter. it made life just that bit better:wink:

mmmm tma twin turbo.....

tma??? lol i doubt im gonna turbo it at this point just make a sporty little pony...nothing to special and i already have a short throw shifter...so....just want to get a new tranny and engine....if i do end up putting in a 4.2 i will do it later on and just sell the 3.8 for w.e money....i doubt i will because my next build i plan on doing a fox v8 so... :) or find a nice gran torino or galaxie to do up

http://www.tmaturbo.com/Customers/Ja...g-wk05-645.jpg

http://www.tmaturbo.com/Customers/Jays/interiorbay.jpg

lol that's a TMA kit. the guy does something like a high ten second pass with stock internals and hasn't gutted the car or anything..

well how much would a 4.2 cost me ?? i mean money is a big deal for a first rebuild :P and is there anything extra needed to install it ???

Here is a link to Morana's 3.8 products. Tom is the man as far as the 3.8 Ford V6 is concerned.

Tom Morana Racing Engines

It depends on what you want. For cheap, you just need to find a 4.2 from a F150 or E150 and the upper intake from a Mustang, and the rest is the same as a split port swap. If you are going with forged pistons and rods, the cost difference is only the price of the 4.2 crank.

ok cool...now is there a difference between the 4.2 from an f150 and e150 or no ??? and the intake from the mustang we are talking the split port intake right ???

and there are no other modifications needed to install it other then the fuel rail and the throttle cable ??? .... and will my original t-5 tranny hook up to it ?

https://www.cmoc.ca/forums/t12896/

there's a post with a fair bit of info for you.. and yea your t5 will do fine :tup

The important thing to remember is that the 94 mustang 3.8 is externally balanced and the 4.2 is internally balanced. Don't mix the flywheels/ balancers between the 2. Use zero balance flywheel/ balancer on the 4.2, (either from a 4.2 or 2001+ 3.8)

ok well what about the computer?....do i gotta find a 5spd one from the same year as the 4.2? or can i use mine?

if you already have the 3.8 ecu for t5, you should be good. a tuner is good to have but a dyno tune is highly recomended with any major mod

Stay with your ECU and all the sensors from the 3.8, and get a tuner, so you can go with the 4.2 injectors.

so i cant use the 4.2 injectors without tuning the ecu for it ?....what size injectors does the 4.2 have ? and then all i gotta do is swap sensors from my original 3.8 into the 4.2.....does the 4.2 have the MAF integrated with the throttle body ?.....because my 3.8 it is separate...

just use your 3.8 injectors (you have to use your 3.8 manifold anyhow unless you feel like using a 2.5" cowl hood to use the f150 intake) ,and the maf setup is the same as ur 3.8

ok well i dont have a problem with the cowel hood....they look bad ass......so what i get so far....

go with a 4.2...i am able to use my original t-5 tranny and ECU with a tune.....use the original 3.8 injectors and replace the sensors with the original ones......have to use original intake unless i get a new hood (is the f-150 intake better then the 99+ mustang intake??? or is it basically the same thing except looks different?) ....... other then that it should drop right in right ?

94-98 Single port heads

- 4.2 shortblock
- Single port heads/fuel rail/intake
- Mustang 3.8 water pump
- Auto trans = 4.2 or 01-up flexplate
- 5spd = 01-up or rebalanced 3.8 (0 or neutral) flywheel and a pilot bearing
- Re-use your stock cam position sensor
- 01-up 3.8 oil pan
- 01-up 3.8 oil pick-up tube and screen
- 4.2 damper or 01-up 3.8 damper (use the 01 pulley for blower cars)
- Re-use the stock 3.8 oil pressure sender and tube
- Re-use the Mustang headers
- You can use the 4.2 or 3.8 dipstick. Just keep track of where 5 qts puts the mark when refilling with oil.


94-98 Split port heads

*** You will need to perform all the mods required for a split port conversion plus these steps for the 4.2 (see pbmilan or V6sprout for the video) ***

- 4.2 shortblock or longblock
- You can use the 4.2 heads
- Mustang upper and lower intake
- Custom return style fuel rail (VMP has them)
- Mustang 3.8 water pump
- Auto trans = 4.2 or 01-up flexplate
- 5spd = 01-up or rebalanced 3.8 (0 or neutral) flywheel and a pilot bearing
- Re-use your stock cam position sensor
- 01-up 3.8 oil pan
- 01-up 3.8 oil pick-up tube and screen
- 4.2 damper or 01-up 3.8 damper (use the 01 pulley for blower cars)
- Re-use the stock 3.8 oil pressure sender and tube
- Re-use the Mustang headers
- You can use the 4.2 or 3.8 dipstick. Just keep track of where 5 qts puts the mark when refilling with oil.




as for the f150 intake.. it has longer runners for better torque. if you want an aftermarket intake go with a windstar kit from VAP auto. :tup

also i'd go for the p
split port conversion while you're doing all that. it's not too hard.. just take your time and do your research :) all in all with the split port and 4.2 swap, you'll be close to ~70hp and ~80ft/lbs from the stock 94-98 v6. now with ported heads, lt's, and a cam you'd be rockin :tup

i read that...was just double checking with you guys..thanks for all the help....i will start a work log with pictures and videos...keep you guys updated....because i want your guys input and tips as i go along.....

again thanks for all the help :D

The F150 intake should give a bit more torque, but requires more room under the hood and a fabricated intake system. I have a 2000 cobra R style hood (3")on my 94 and the F150 intake would be difficult to fit. The 99+ upper intake will be a lot easier to install as it needs very little fabrication. You do NOT need the 01+ oil pan - just use the pan off your car and you have to do a couple simple mods to the bottom of the 4.2L. You will need the flywheel
off either a 4.2 or 01+3.8 and the balancer off the 4.2 or 01+3.8.