[FROMxAxDIG]

So heres the issue: I have a 91 CV LX 5.0; with a few engine issues (I believe its a head gasket or a stuck injector) I can explain if needed. But is does run, and it still makes respectable power.

Anyway i have a few options and was looking for ideas or suggestions.

1) rebuild the 5.0, I was going to go with the forged kit from Summit as it appears to be a good kit. The only issues I was thinking of was; until I tear it down I don't know what kind of shape the internals are in, nor do I know if the cylinders are beat up.

2) I am also considering dropping in a used 5.0, as I just got the car and don't have a clue how it is was run over the years. This is mostly because the oil reeks of raw fuel, and I just don't think it was treated correctly. I have also considered rebuilding the current engine for pure performance, and reinstalling once it was finished.

3) the Final idea was to drop in a FI 351W. This is option mainly because I know of a 351w in good shape for a good price. If I did this what parts would I need? new tranny?

Please let me know what you think, as I only want to do this once.

[FROMxAxDIG]

bump for no suggestions!

[fogged306]

With the 351 you'll need a new oil pan, lower intake, 351 swap headers and the flywheel and balancer that come with the 351. The bellhousing bolts are the same so you can use your trans. If the 351 wasn't an EFI engine then you'll also need a new distributer. I've never done the swap personally and those are just the things I know off the top of my head to get you started until someone who knows better comes along.

If you're thinking about rebuilding, at the least go with a stroker kit. It's a waste of money to bore out a stock block and put different internals in them because the stock ones are stronger than the block anyway. There's always power to be had in the shortblock, but IMO putting nice light balanced internals with a 3" stroke back in to a factory 2 bolt main block is a waste of money.

It really all depends on your goals for the car and your budget as to what route you should go. A cheap alternative to a rebuild would be to find an explorer longblock and put that in. It's just a 5.0 block with GT-40 heads and a GT-40 intake which is an improvement to the E7 heads and the 5.0 intake which are pretty poor flowing pieces.

If the bottom end on your current engine looks good, another option is to leave it untouched and get a nice topend kit or your choice of FI... If the oil reeks of gas in your current bottom end, I would pull the mains and have a look at the bearings at the very least.

[FROMxAxDIG]

@fogged306,

thanks for the suggestions. what year explorer? I have seen tons of mustangs using the exp's components; but was never sure what year to look for.

I have also thought of swapping in a 5.0 from an f-150, because the are fairly easy to find. I know there are small differences, but I need to get it moving so that I can build something to drop in. I had thought of stoking it, but was unsure (mainly budget).

[fogged306]

You can swap an F-150 block in. I couldn't tell you which years were roller cams though. The F-150 engine will have E-7 heads just like the mustang, really the only differences will be the intake and the cam.

As for explorer years, I forget what's what off the top of my head. I do know that pre 97.5 they were GT-40 heads and after 97.5 they were GT-40P. The P heads being a little better of a head, but the spark plugs were located in a different spot so you may have to run angled sparkplug boots with some headers to get them to fit.

Here is a link to a lot of GT-40 information and I'm sure it has the years listed in there somewhere.

[mxnate116]

whats the issue at hand? it could be fixed

[FROMxAxDIG]

thanks fogged306. Sorry for the late reply @mxnate116 Problem is that the current motor is basically junk, idk for sure. Seems to run rough, with some symptoms of a blown/cracked head. others suggest that it is not running on all cylinders. I got the car for a steal (other than the engine issue), I now plan to just swap in a used motor as its less of a hassle and easier on the wallet.

I found a low(er) mileage 1999 Explorer 5.0, for $350-$400 which is less than a rebuild and less time consuming. I plan to rebuild the motor I pull out (if its worth it). I'm going to check out the links from fogged, and see what I have to do to get it to fit.

If anybody has a good idea or suggestion please let me know; I would like to lay out the options before making a purchase.

[mxnate116]

id do a compression check and leakdown test before you call it junk, if you can save it that 351 can be pretty potent