1993 Ford Mustang Engine And Transmission Installation - Stuffed Shrimp - PHR Project Car

Yet another testament to how popular these swaps have become, Hooker offers a set of 2.00-inch off-the-shelf headers (PN 6224HKR) for big-block junkies for $500. They feature robust 18-gauge construction, thick 5/16-inch flanges, 31-inch-long primaries, and 3.5-inch collectors. While the primaries are a tad small for our application, sacrificing a few ponies instead of dishing out $1,500 for a set of custom tubes is well worth the trade-off.

Cranking up an 11.0:1 big-block takes lots of juice, so TCI set us up with one of their extreme racing starters (PN 351600). It boasts a 3.73:1 reduction ratio, and dishes out 3 hp. At 11.5 pounds, it's lighter than a comparable stock unit, and more than capable of handling 500-plus cubic-inch motors with compression ratios of 11.5:1 and greater.

Big cams don't make much vacuum, so the stock power brakes were ditched and converted to manual using a 1.125-inch bore Strange master cylinder (PN B3359). The coefficient of friction on a drag car's tires can vary significantly from front to rear, so it's always a good idea to plumb an adjustable proportioning valve (PN B3369) into place.

NHRA rules require an SFI-approved harmonic balancer for all cars running 10.99 and quicker in the quarter-mile. Right before the motor installation, we realized that we specified the wrong non-SFI balancer with our Scat rotating assembly during our engine build. A quick call to Professional Products set us straight, as they swapped it out for one of its SFI-approved PowerForce Plus units (PN 90008), which lists for $176.

Although the motor mounts are solid steel, they slide over urethane bushings on the K-member to provide a firm yet vibration-free foundation. The mounting location is triangulated on the K-member for superior strength, and has proven durable enough to survive in 7-second drag machines.

Due to the tight clearance between the bellhousing and firewall, it's easiest to install the motor and trans one at a time. This allows dropping the engine right in without any drama. There's a surprising amount of space between the valve covers and shock towers, and with the exception of the number eight cylinder, spark plug access is very good. That said, the carburetor protrudes slightly above the hood line, and based on some quick measurements, a four- to six-inch cowl-induction hood will be necessary in order to run an air cleaner.

To eliminate the need to run separate throttle and return spring brackets, Jegs offers this slick billet piece for Dominator carbs that combine both into one unit (PN 15237). It features adjustable mounts that enable fine-tuning spring and cable tension. Since the stock throttle cable was too short, it was replaced with a 24-inch unit (PN 157000) also from Jegs.

It wasn't just our 532's big cam that necessitated the switch to manual brakes, as the bulky stock power booster stands no chance of clearing the driver-side valve cover. The Strange master cylinder mounts on a custom aluminum bracket made by Bill Buck.

With the motor in position, it's quite obvious how well everything fits together. The Moroso oil pan clears the Unisteer steering rack with room to spare. The space freed up by the tubular design of the AJE K-member makes accessing the motor mount bolts for engine removal-and coilovers for suspensions tweaks-very easy.

The JW bellhousing adapts the GM TH400 to a big-block Ford, but it retains the use of a Ford starter. The TCI unit is roughly 30 percent smaller than stock, and fits beautifully between the K-frame and oil pan.

In addition to the bellhousing itself, adapting a GM trans to a Ford motor also requires a swap-specific flexplate and crank adapter. The JW flexplate is essentially a Ford design that has been drilled for a three-flange TH400 torque converter. Since the GM torque converter snout is larger than that of a Ford transmission, JW includes an aluminum adapter that fits inside the crank flange. This ensures that the GM converter will center properly on the crankshaft.

Before stabbing it into the trans, it's good practice to pour some trans fluid into the torque converter to pre-lube the moving parts. This will prevent seizure upon initial startup. Conventional-grade fluid won't cut it in the high-heat environment of a drag car, so we opted for some synthetic Royal Purple Max ATF. It boasts a lower coefficient of friction, greater film strength, and enhanced oxidation resistance compared to conventional trans fluids for a dramatic reduction in heat.

Before bolting the transmission to the motor, it's essential to check for proper clearance between the torque converter and flexplate. After making sure that the converter is fully seated into the input shaft, and after test-fitting the trans on the motor, there should be a 1/8- to 3/16-inch gap between the flexplate and the converter mounting pads. Since the converter expands as it heats up, too small of a gap will place undue stress on the transmission pump and crankshaft thrust bearing. If the gap is too tight, an easy fix is machining material off of the converter pads, or shimming the bellhousing away from the back of the motor. If the gap is too large, washers can be installed between the converter pads and the flexplate. Per the recommendation of Phoenix Transmissions, we set the gap at 1/8 inch.

The tight confines of the Mustang's firewall and trans tunnel makes reaching the top bellhousing bolts a challenge, but the trans tucked into the body very nicely. As with the motor mounts, the AJE trans crossmember has rubber isolators built into the chassis side. This eliminates the need for an actual trans mount, as the crossmember bolts directly to the transmission tailshaft.

The Hooker headers were designed to work with a stock K-frame, so the additional space provided by the AJE unit makes the install process go much more smoothly. On the driver side, the number six and number eight primaries are removable slip-fit tubes that simplify the installation process. Likewise, the number one and number two primaries on the passenger-side header are removable as well. After bolting the header/collector assemblies in from the bottom, the removable primaries went in easily from the top.