Has anyone ever done a Ford 5.0L/H.O. swap?

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Beans

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Has anyone ever done a Ford 5.0L/H.O. swap?
« on: August 31, 2007, 08:29:37 PM »
Well, first off, I'd like to say hello to everyone! I've been lurking on this board for quite some time now when I get bored and have been in lust of a 318iS since I was a bit younger. I'm finally taking the plunge and picking up one when I go home to Toledo, Ohio later this fall. The price I'm paying is insanely low, and it's going to take a good bit of "work," needless to say. I'll make a post in the correct section soon enough.

On to the bigger question, has anyone done the swap mentioned in the thread title? I know I'm a bit out of line for asking such a thing, but honestly, the car's a bit lapped out and the transmission only goes into 1, 3, 5, and R. I'm going to have it at my parent's until next spring when I'll have the money to swap the trans and fix whatever else is broken so I can drive it back out to Wyoming. Having said that, I'm not going to swap in the motor in the most immediate future, and it'll take me some time to figure it all out. I've a love for the 5.0L coming from a fairly Ford-loving family. I've seen the few LS swaps and although very durable, cool, and punishing, they're just a bit too expensive for my tastes and I absolutely hate the sounds a GM V8 makes. I'd love to do an aluminum 5L block, some kind of aftermarket heads and see how far I can take it on a stock H.O. cam. Target torque is near the ~400 mark. I don't want ludicrous power levels and don't really plan on making this thing an absolute monster, but I'm tired of playing with 4cylinders and am finally ready to be a big boy. My biggest concern is making it as OEM as possible with wiring, the strength of the rear differential, and ditching that crappy cable-activated clutch as well as the horrid T5. The diff worries me the most since I DO plan on running this thing at the 1320, and would hate to have to replace axles everytime I make a pass. I may be poking in the dark with a sharp stick in this neighborhood, but does anyone have any experience with such a swap or some more 5L conversions into anything?

Also, before sending the hate my way, I'm well aware of the weight thing, and it really doesn't concern me that much. It won't not meant to be an M3 destroying beast in the corners, but I'm still going to try to give it some claws. The slicks will be for the 1/4 only; I enjoy driving cars with lively, spritied handling. :cool:

christophbmw

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Has anyone ever done a Ford 5.0L/H.O. swap?
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2007, 12:04:41 PM »
why not do a bmw 4.0 v8? it might be cheaper int the long run, if not cheaper than at least easier to install, not to mention a bunch of people have done it so there would be more info on it. also: what tranny are you going to be using? not a bmw tranny i presume since you where talking about a cable operated clutch.

roll cage would probabally be needed for the amounts of torque you want, the E30 chassis is strong.....but not that strong.

i dont know if your much into driving.....you metioned drifting in another thread, but let me tell you one thing, if you have a 318is with a decent suspension setup (im running stock everything w/ new bushing all around) the car is VERY fun, although it is under powered it is still very fun!

im very open minded (even though im concervative:rolleyes:) so i say go for it if its just going to be a drag car, i do think the 4.0bmw v8 would be a bit easier though.
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Has anyone ever done a Ford 5.0L/H.O. swap?
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2007, 07:42:07 PM »
I just love that you can put together a monster 5L for absolutely nothing, and parts are available everywhere for stupid low prices. I'd hate to see the repair bill or tally of the cost of parts if I slam a valve into a piston on a mis-shift on a BMw V8. Scary. I'm on a tight-ish budget, but I'm not going to skimp and would like to drive the car by the time next winter rolls around. I can do all my own fabrication, and welding is pretty high on my hobby list. ;)

tjts1

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Has anyone ever done a Ford 5.0L/H.O. swap?
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2007, 08:41:16 PM »
I don't think anyone has ever done but anything is possible with enough time and money. Good luck and post lots of pics when you do it.
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Has anyone ever done a Ford 5.0L/H.O. swap?
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2007, 01:47:03 PM »
Quote from: tjts1;32916
I don't think anyone has ever done but anything is possible with enough time and money. Good luck and post lots of pics when you do it.


I haven't seen one yet!

BTW, your thread is a BIG inspiration to me. :D

Shocker

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Has anyone ever done a Ford 5.0L/H.O. swap?
« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2007, 12:33:46 AM »
I’d say defiantly go with a 4.4l BMW V8.  It’s not really easier to install over a 5.0 ford motor but at least it’s still all BMW.
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ose30

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Has anyone ever done a Ford 5.0L/H.O. swap?
« Reply #6 on: September 03, 2007, 01:19:14 AM »
Why not BMW V12. It has been done.

Naked Assault Gerble

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Has anyone ever done a Ford 5.0L/H.O. swap?
« Reply #7 on: September 03, 2007, 09:06:24 AM »
Search Bimmer forums there was a guy there that did one into his 325.

1991 E30 M42

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V12
« Reply #8 on: September 03, 2007, 10:24:39 PM »

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Has anyone ever done a Ford 5.0L/H.O. swap?
« Reply #9 on: September 03, 2007, 11:47:35 PM »
BMW crap is too expensive for me in the long run, plus it's super hard to come by parts out here for BMW's. Going with an aluminum-blocked 5L should really help with weight, not to mention with aluminum heads it'd be pretty light. Not quite LS1-light, but light none-the-less. pick up maybe 200lbs for the whole swap, and I think that's a damn good trade off for the power/torque, reliablity, ease of parts, and common knowledge of the engine. I just want cheap, easy, simple power. It shouldn't screw it up that much, especially once the suspension's been adjusted appropriately for it.

Plus, pushrods are cool and I've been wanting to play around with a "low-tech" engine for sometime now.

tjts1

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Has anyone ever done a Ford 5.0L/H.O. swap?
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2007, 01:39:28 AM »
Quote from: Beans;33037
...but light none-the-less. pick up maybe 200lbs for the whole swap...
With a little effort I bet you could do better than that. I say 100lb. One of the main issues the E36/LS1 guys have been running into is clearance between the driver's side exhaust and steering gear. One option is full custom headers and offsetting the engine slightly to the passenger side. I would start out the project by accurately mapping out the engine bay and the donor engine. It'll save you a lot of time and money down the line if you go into it with a good idea of what you're up against.
Good luck
« Last Edit: September 04, 2007, 01:44:40 AM by tjts1 »
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christophbmw

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Has anyone ever done a Ford 5.0L/H.O. swap?
« Reply #11 on: September 04, 2007, 07:20:24 PM »
Quote from: ose30;32960
Why not BMW V12. It has been done.

......how 'bout a quad turbo V12.....ive seen that one in an E30. one word: WICKED!
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Has anyone ever done a Ford 5.0L/H.O. swap?
« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2007, 01:03:06 PM »
Well, re-weighing my options and resources, it'd actually be a bit easier and cheaper to do an M60B40 swap than the 5.0L I originally wanted to. Gonna make the car primarily a drag car, setting the price cap at $6000, and want to have it completed by June 2009 so I can do the HOT ROD Power Tour.


This is going to kill me....

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Has anyone ever done a Ford 5.0L/H.O. swap?
« Reply #13 on: September 26, 2007, 11:29:29 PM »
Quote from: Beans;34351
This is going to kill me....


We hope those don't equal "Famous Last Words" - Get some tube steel, or see this for inspiration: http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=730443&page=1&pp=20

Push-rod, small car, lots of work/time, but fairly cheap. Principle applies, so be safe, and don't forget your welding mask :D