Ford 5.0L swap in a 510?

[Chris _510_]

So i blew my L16 in my 510 last friday, now thinkin time for a motor swap. Im bout to go with a ford mustang 5.0L fuel injected. anybody have any input that would be great. or if anyone knows about how this would work out. thanks

[510-Trevor]

This really isn't a very common swap, and not one that most people on this forum would recomend for many reasons.
There is nowhere that I know of that has this swap documented, but I can tell you that if you can't figure out what needs to be done just by looking at it, its over your head.
Find yourself another L series and swap it in.

[goichi1]

Yeap, what he said.....if you're asking questions this basic, you better leave it alone. V8's just ain't that popular in our little cars....they have been done, but mostly the smaller Buick V8, even then it's not really that cool (my opinion).

Stick with the L, then later tinker with something a little more common in the swap dept. This is not a forum where you will get folks just telling you what you want to hear, you will get it full bore here....be ready.

SEARCH, RESEARCH AND MORE RESEARCH.......then ask your questions.....

[Byron510]

There’s a hand full of strait line guys who've gone the Detroit V8 route, the biggest problem is that even if you shoehorn the motor in, the tunnel isn't big enough for either an manual or automatic gear box. Then the butchering starts, and usually key structure starts getting remove with dire consequences. The Ford small block will fit between the strut towers (unlike the bowtie plant), but you'll have little room for a proper radiator or even changing the spark plugs. The 510 engine bay is really narrow. The L series motor makes it look a good size, but one you get out the tape measure, you’ll understand. I've seen a lot of V8 attempts, and only two real success stories; both took a lot of work and a lot of money.
The real story is - what do you want out of your 510? If its handling, and spirited driving, you'll throw it all out the window with such a large motor located so far up front over th axle. Balance and driving is a very common theme in those who build 510's, which is why most guys stay with lighter plants. Keep in mind a 2200 lb car doesn’t need a whole lot of motivation to get going.
If you do decide to go the V8 route, document it, post it here.
But if you want to maintain it as a driver, and have a car that you will find easy to drive and maintain, going for a larger inline 4 engine (even staying L series) would seem a more sensible route to me.
Just my $.02 worth.

Byron

[Bubbamatt]

Chris, it is possible to do a Ford 5.0 swap, but it is not easy to do and requires much time and fabrication skills if you want a car that can handle as well as haul butt. My 510 is one of the few V8 installs that handles and is a daily driver. I have driven the beast to work for the past 7-8 years and have put 36000 miles on it, plus many autocross runs. We run in San Diego nearly every month at Qualcomm stadium and it is a blast! The motor puts out 275 RWHP and 311 RWtorque, so it does scoot! The radiator is a sprint car model from Griffin and it took a while to get the right fan and shroud built, but the car never overheats now, even in 100 plus heat in traffic. The car has a '78 Corvette rear end and a Ford Racing Tremec 5 speed tranny and is built to be a daily driver, so it is strong and heavier than most at 2700 lbs. The weight distribution is 51% front and 49% rear which is better than the stock 56% front bias. The motor sits back 9 inches from where the 1600 sat, which means no heater, pedals back about 3 1/2 inches, and a full Autopower roll cage, with no back seat. I run 5 lugs as the Vette comes with them, so the front hubs are my design and use the same size brake discs front and rear (11.75 C 1.25 Ventilated discs) with different sized Wilwood 4 piston calipers front and rear. The brake setup was suggested by the tech guys at Wilwood and they know what can work for sure. The suspension is on Koni racing shocks with Eibach springs (It took 3 increases in power to get the springs working well), the front and rear sway bars are splined sprint car and NASCAR type parts from Speedway Engineering ( only took 2 sets to get the handling close ). I run 2 tire sets, street runs are on Ecsta AST KU25 Performance tires on Centerline 15 X 7 wheels, and autocross uses Ecsta V710 Competition tires on Centerline 15 X 7 wheels. This is not enough tire to get all the horsepower and cornering ( Cornering peaks about 1.2G) power to the ground, but the car is a daily driver and I did not want a race car for the street, this is my street car I go play autocross with. Driving this car with the short wheelbase and high horsepower is a challenge and great fun!
This swap took me about 7 years and was done in my back patio, I would not guess what it would cost to pay someone to do a swap like this, way more money than I have for sure.
The purists usually bad mouth the thought of putting a V8 in the 510, but it is usually because people don't think far enough ahead and ruin the car, so I tend to agree that it is wise not to attempt the swap if you do not have a racing background and plenty of time and shop space.

Here are a few pics of the car in transition and running today, Enjoy









Patio shots of original 5.0 installation











These shots are with the new motor with Ford racing goodies installed, and good paint!



Photo at Qualcomm autocross and the link below is a run through the cones, much better than a car show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TK8J_rn ... re=related

Enjoy!
Matt G.

[speedy_reedy]

go with a sr20det instead