[masey]

I got a mustang, for free actually, 2000 v6 with 130000 miles which is a tad much, but i was wondering if it is worth it to start work on the engine

I read somewhere that i could find a donor engine, for instance a t-bird take the crank shaft and pistons and drop it in the stock engine for the mustang, going from 3.8 to 4.2, is this possible? and is any engine work even worth it with that amount of miles with how old the car is? should i try to find a less driven engine somewhere else? what would be my first step of modifying the engine?

thanks,
masey

[xtreme 2]

the T-bird is a 3.8L like ours, but it's a single port with forged internals. Holds up to a lot more than ours.

Dropping the T-bird internals into our car is a waste, better to just keep the T-bird block and either throw the Split-port heads on it, or get the motor with the supercharger and just install the whole set-up.

The 4.2L terminology comes from getting the crankshaft from a V6 F-150. Using their crankshaft/rotating assembly gives the extra displacement, but their rods aren't any stronger than ours, so you still need to go with a forged upgrade if you plan to run any real boost #s.

To start, rent a compression tester from AutoZone and do a compression test. Report back your numbers, as this is the real way to determine if your motor is healthy enough for mods, or if you should start looking for a donor. #s should be between 170-210, and not more than 5% variance from the lowest number to the highest. They should all be right around the same.

The first step in modifying your engine is to sit down and think hard about what you want to achieve. Do you want a fun car that gets good gas mileage (commuter)? Do you want to put a blower on it and be happy at 300 hp? do you want to go all out and run a turbo with 500 hp? Do you plan to race your car at the drag strip or on the road course?

Then you need to do some research and figure out the best way to go to achieve those builds.

[mustangmike!]

or just buy a whole 4.2 f150 motor and swap your stuff over

[xtreme 2]

Depending on your build ideas, best to just buy a new motor and build it on a stand while you drive your stocker. Then when all is good, take a weekend (or a month if your name is Mike) and swap everything over.