1992 5.0 build up

[Robocop]

New member here who has been out of the loop for years and now planning to get back to my Mustang roots.

I have a 1992 GT that is in perfect condition and was running just fine when it was parked about 5 years past. Out of boredom I removed the entire motor and tranny and stripped the block. Well you know how life gets in the way and my Mustang sat quietly for years waiting for the big plans I had for it.

Long story short I am starting fresh and have no idea how to begin. I am planning a bank loan to finance my build up however am hoping to keep the cost within the 7-8000 range to start out.

Ok I have a seasoned stock 92 block and all the parts from my old motor. I am asking suggestions on where to begin. I like the DSS crate strokers however really would like to know the person who actually builds it so I am thinking of using my block and simply buying the stroker kit. On the other hand I could go with a 351 as I am starting from scratch.

I have always wanted a car with a supercharger however if I could reach my goal of 450 HP to the tires without a power adder I would be happy with that as well. I like the 331 set up with about 9 lbs of boost and for some reason I am stuck on the GT-40 intake. It is simply the best looking intake in my opinion however I know it is limited compared to the newer intakes now offered. I also researched heads in detail as this is very important as far as power. I really like the AFR 185s however again if 450 hp can be had with the cheaper GT-40 versions then I will be happy.

So to make this short and sweet I will be buying the complete motor and all hardware along with a fresh tranny (manual). I really like the 6 speed however if the TKO 5 speed tranny will perform well then I would just as soon save a little cash and go that route with the tranny. I am not really sure what can be used other than a few brackets from my old motor. With that in mind can anyone give me a ball park figure of what I am looking at just to get my old horse running? Also any combo suggestions will be appreciated as well and also any good places to purchase parts from.

I also know the stock block may be my limiting factor here however it is well seasoned (116k miles) and should be able to handle 450 hp to the weels without breaking...if tuned correctly. So give me any ideas you may have....assembled stroker shortblock or a kit for my block....decent heads....will the GT-40 intake support 450 to 500 hp...etc:

Thanks for any help and I plan to get a few pics of my car up soon. It is in really good shape inside and out however it needs a new powerplant. It also needs some good Cobra Rs as it still sports those ugly ass hammer wheels that were so cool in the early 90s....yes I bought them thinking they were cool...(Dork) and I bought this car brand spanking new so it has been babied with one owner.

[TheJeanyus]

The block will hold 450 without a hiccup, or atleast it should. QWKSNKE is making about 525 and his hasn't split...yet.

I'm no expert on push rod motors, but here are my thoughts. For a reliable, daily driveable 450 rwhp, I'd recommend a 306 or 331 built using the stock block with high flowing heads, cam, and intake (maybe the TFS track heat setup?) and a supercharger from Paxton, ATI, or Vortech (depending on how much room for future growth you want it to support). With a good tune that will give you the power you're looking for, or more, with a setup that you can drive a lot on pump gas and not worry about too much.

[Robocop]

I know the addiction to power will get me however I do not plan much change after I reach my goal. I really just miss driving my Mustang and would most likely only use it on the weekends. If I can reach about 450hp I think that will do me just fine. I really do not know that much about Paxton...Vortech...etc: however I do think I would really like that boost no matter how it was made.

I have been checking prices and attempting to make a list of all the parts that I can think of. The popular magazines all have about the same prices advertised and I am wondering if I could arrange a discount from a dealer if I agreed to purchase all of my parts from one store. The biggest part I am stuck on is to go with a long block crate motor or simply use the kit with my block.

It seems to be hit or miss with 50 percent of the people saying it would be fine and the others saying negative things about an assembly line type crate motor. I am trying to figure out just how much(if any)cash will be saved if I go with a crate motor vs buying the parts for my block seperate.

It seems like alot of doubt on my part however I really have to get this right the first time. I hope if I do my research correctly,and with help here, I will have the most reliable set up for my cash and needs. I have seen horror stories where some poor kid puts all his cash into a motor only to find later his combo was way off or maybe they skimped on the small stuff only to scatter the motor later. This is way more complicated than I remember back in the day....

[Robocop]

I am planning on a good washing of the car as it has been sitting in a dusty garage for a very long time. I also have plenty of room in the engine bay with the motor out and I will probably hide a few wires and clean up the bay a little. Any suggestions on what to use to clean that engine bay with? I like that greased lightning stuff however there is a lot of grime caked up so maybe some type of oven cleaner.
I figured if I am spending a big amount of cash on the motor I might as well have a clean place to put it. There are loose wires hanging all over the place and I still have the A/C attatched as well as the power steering crap. Will it hurt to just soak everything with oven cleaner and spray it off? I plan on using a brush to scrub the problem areas but would like to remove as much grime as possible with just spraying it out.

[Hotrod]

You can use Gunk engine cleaner or super green (I think thats the name of it). You outta see if you can smooth the bay down and repaint it. Smoothed engine bays look really good.

[ncontt]

Originally Posted by Hotrod

You can use Gunk engine cleaner or SIMPLE green (I think thats the name of it). You outta see if you can smooth the bay down and repaint it. Smoothed engine bays look really good.

edited for correctness

[Italian LX]

Originally Posted by Robocop

I have always wanted a car with a supercharger however if I could reach my goal of 450 HP to the tires without a power adder I would be happy with that as well.

I don't see getting that kind of power out of a 302 block without a power adder or some major compression. If you stick with this goal, I would recommend doing a 351-based stroker. This is the route I am going and hopefully I will have it done within the next three months. I'm not sure of what time span you expect for your project to run, but if it runs further out than mine, I would definitely be able to help answer any questions on the details of the swap. There are a lot of sites and forums out there that give information about the swap, but sometimes it's a lot better to speak to someone that has been through it. Hopefully I could help you in that department.

Originally Posted by Robocop

. . .some reason I am stuck on the GT-40 intake. It is simply the best looking intake in my opinion. . .

I'm with ya on that one.

[Italian LX]

Originally Posted by Robocop

Will it hurt to just soak everything with oven cleaner and spray it off?

DO NOT use oven cleaner. It's great on bare blocks, but can wreak havoc on rubber, plastic, and aluminum components. As above, I recommend using Simple Green.

[NightHawk756]

Well, in my opinion, it's possible to get close to your goal on motor only. I could see maybe 350-375 rwhp with a 302 based stroker. But this would probably be with a 351-based stroker to get more than that. So, I suggest, you concentrate on building the motor itself and shelf the blower idea for the moment. Since your trying to save some coin where you can. Unless you just HAVE to have the blower right now.

So, you can concentrate on the right combo of parts to get the most out of your stroker. Then have it dynoed and see where your at. You may be happy with the results "sans" the blower. But, if your not happy, then buying the blower and installing it won't be extremely hard and you'll already have the solid foundation there in the motor. The only downside to this is, if your planning on a blower in the future, then you need to stay pretty conservative on the compression. This may hinder you getting your exact goal n/a.

As far as the engine internals go, I suggest getting atleast some good forged I-beam rods and forged pistons. A cast crank should do fine for your HP goal. Definately get a good girdle to help with cap walk. The heads you mentioned are very good. Them or Trick Flow are probably your best "bang for the buck" out of the box heads. A GT40 intake is always a good choice. Even after all these years, it's still one of the best. BUT, there are some advancements on the market. Trick Flow makes very good intakes as well as a Holley Systemax II. The Holley is generally the intake of choice for boosted apps since it has a BROAD rpm range. But both are very good. Now come your decision for a cam. And it's gonna be that..."your choice". Because there are many ways to go with this. If you decide for a fact that your going boosted right off the bat, then you might want to get a custom grind cam made from Ed Curtis or someone. Or, you can always go with an alphabet soup cam from Ford...I.E- B,E or F etc. They have always proven good and will still be ok if you go with boost later.

So, you've got some decisions to be made. Sounds like your on the right track. Good luck.

[Dale McPeters]

347 stroker with 11.2 to 1 compression, AFR-185 heads, 1.6 roller rockers TFS-R intake, 75mm TB, 42lb/hr injectors, good MAF, good roller cam in the 550-580 lift range, 4.10 gears, 5 speed of choice, Good tune. And a 100hp
wet shot of nitrous will get you where you want to be and then some....

And will be cheaper on your pocket book than a 351w based stroker.
Ask me how I know.........