LS1 foxbody swap-- Difficulty level
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Central Florida
LS1 foxbody swap-- Difficulty level I have been considering doing a LS1 conversion into a 93 mustang coupe. I have a coupe questions.
1. How difficult is this swap?
2. Would I have to fabricate anything or is it mostly bolt in?
3. How cheap can this swap be done?
4. I know this is a chevy site, but honestly do you think I would be better off with a 351w or 4.6 dohc swap instead? Keep in mind cost, availability and difficulty?
Thanks
1. How difficult is this swap?
2. Would I have to fabricate anything or is it mostly bolt in?
3. How cheap can this swap be done?
4. I know this is a chevy site, but honestly do you think I would be better off with a 351w or 4.6 dohc swap instead? Keep in mind cost, availability and difficulty?
Thanks
1. Nobody can answer that without knowing your technical ability. It's somewhere between "changing your spark plugs" and "building the space shuttle."
2. Search this forum, there's many options and there's no yes/no answer
3. Depends on your dumpster diving skills. Minimum is probably around 5k including the car if you're very resourceful. Upper limit? There's never an upper limit
4. Not being at ALL biased, the LS1 will definitely deliver more bang for the buck.
2. Search this forum, there's many options and there's no yes/no answer
3. Depends on your dumpster diving skills. Minimum is probably around 5k including the car if you're very resourceful. Upper limit? There's never an upper limit
4. Not being at ALL biased, the LS1 will definitely deliver more bang for the buck.
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 158
Likes: 1
LSX fox swaps are about as easy as swaps come. If you buy a tubular k-member for a 4.6 then it's almost a direct bolt in. Now that doesn't account for wiring, braking and such. If you've never done a swap before, this would be a good learning experience since there's not that much fabrication involved (or at least there are ways around fabricating things.)
The easiest route, however, would definitely be some sort of stroked version of a 5.0 motor. I don't personally think that the 4.6 swap is worth it. I mean, as long as you're swapping you might as well go LS1 unless you're a die hard ford fan.
The easiest route, however, would definitely be some sort of stroked version of a 5.0 motor. I don't personally think that the 4.6 swap is worth it. I mean, as long as you're swapping you might as well go LS1 unless you're a die hard ford fan.
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1. How difficult is this swap?
-As stated above it depends...I'm not a great fabricator so the headers/exhaust and some other welding (trans x-member & a bracket) had to be farmed out, which was extra time and expense.
2. Would I have to fabricate anything or is it mostly bolt in?
-Maybe! Had to get headers, exhaust and a small bracket to hold the clutch master cylinder fabbed up. K-member and motor mounts were purchased from AJE and bolted in, but the oil pan sat on the steering rack. Spacers!
3. How cheap can this swap be done?
-Like LSInnovations said...I could've spent less but I'm doing this swap exactly how I want it, so far I'm in $10,255 (car not included) but it runs and drives great!
4. I know this is a chevy site, but honestly do you think I would be better off with a 351w or 4.6 dohc swap instead? Keep in mind cost, availability and difficulty?
-I've had a few SBF combos and they all had advantages/disadvantages...the h/c 302 was reliable and took all the nitrous I could throw at it. My 347 made really nice power N/A but was not much fun to drive in traffic and needed constant attention and tuning. I'd stay away from the modular route unless you go '03 Cobra or Lightning (PITA! and expensive in most cases).
-As stated above it depends...I'm not a great fabricator so the headers/exhaust and some other welding (trans x-member & a bracket) had to be farmed out, which was extra time and expense.
2. Would I have to fabricate anything or is it mostly bolt in?
-Maybe! Had to get headers, exhaust and a small bracket to hold the clutch master cylinder fabbed up. K-member and motor mounts were purchased from AJE and bolted in, but the oil pan sat on the steering rack. Spacers!
3. How cheap can this swap be done?
-Like LSInnovations said...I could've spent less but I'm doing this swap exactly how I want it, so far I'm in $10,255 (car not included) but it runs and drives great!
4. I know this is a chevy site, but honestly do you think I would be better off with a 351w or 4.6 dohc swap instead? Keep in mind cost, availability and difficulty?
-I've had a few SBF combos and they all had advantages/disadvantages...the h/c 302 was reliable and took all the nitrous I could throw at it. My 347 made really nice power N/A but was not much fun to drive in traffic and needed constant attention and tuning. I'd stay away from the modular route unless you go '03 Cobra or Lightning (PITA! and expensive in most cases).
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I have been a big Ford fan all of my life. But I am very open minded.... Sure you can build a 331-347 and just drop it in. But you will never get the fuel mileage of an LS1.....
Push a stock 5.0 block to 500fwhp +, and you have a ticking time bomb. Not to mention the weight loss with the LS1 and the strength of the T56 if you go manual.
Again, I am a big Ford fan....everything has it's place. It's hard to disagree that the LSx is a killer set-up .
Push a stock 5.0 block to 500fwhp +, and you have a ticking time bomb. Not to mention the weight loss with the LS1 and the strength of the T56 if you go manual.
Again, I am a big Ford fan....everything has it's place. It's hard to disagree that the LSx is a killer set-up .
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 19
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From: Central Florida
My car is a 2.3l right now. So first I thought 5.0 swap. Then I found out how easily the blocks crack so I changed my mind to a 351w swap. Then I found out that those later blocks are fairly weak also and I can only imagine how hard it would be to find a early block for cheap. So finally I saw ls1mustang.com and thought that was a pretty good idea. Strong block, fairly easy to find, fairly cheap.
So my only question now is want kind of transmission can be run? I wanted to run a c4 in the 351 swap. Can anything similar to a c4 automatic be hooked up behind the ls1 in a foxbody.
So my only question now is want kind of transmission can be run? I wanted to run a c4 in the 351 swap. Can anything similar to a c4 automatic be hooked up behind the ls1 in a foxbody.
Originally Posted by bugmenot1
So my only question now is want kind of transmission can be run? I wanted to run a c4 in the 351 swap. Can anything similar to a c4 automatic be hooked up behind the ls1 in a foxbody.
Suggest you check out Popular Hot Rodding mag.. They have done a swap and it is a ongoing project. You can read the details. The August issue is part #4.. you have some catching up to do.
Want to talk about difficult? I pulled the T56 out of the mustang to swap the LS7 clutch in. The headers are as far apart as we could fit them, and the bellhousing refused to come out. Luckily I was nimble enough to swap the flywheel and clutch around it...I didn't have to pull a header. But @#$%^&*! now the transmission won't go all the way back in. The tunnel is tight...I wrestled that tranny for 3 hours last night and it just won't line up. Seems like the dowel pins are preventing it from going, but maybe not. I'll try again tonight 
Everything else was cake.
Everything else was cake. 
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 126
Likes: 1
From: Colorado Springs, CO
Mr. Hyde I had the same problem when I rebuilt my tranny. Then i had to replace the slave,(which if I had a brain I would have done that when I did the tranny). But the second time was a lot easier , I think it is the hydraulics or the spring on the throughout bearing that make it hard to get back in. I ended up pushing on it from behind with my foot, while my brother put in a couple of bolts.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Central Florida
Originally Posted by bczee
Suggest you check out Popular Hot Rodding mag.. They have done a swap and it is a ongoing project. You can read the details.
Originally Posted by GlennNo50
Mr. Hyde I had the same problem when I rebuilt my tranny. Then i had to replace the slave,(which if I had a brain I would have done that when I did the tranny). But the second time was a lot easier , I think it is the hydraulics or the spring on the throughout bearing that make it hard to get back in. I ended up pushing on it from behind with my foot, while my brother put in a couple of bolts.
I think that's exactly what my issue was... we could get it within 1/4" so we added bolts and then it all sorta went together. Fired it up and all is well and even took it for a drive. The LS7 clutch works really well, it grabs just off the floor at first like everyone else has said. The neat thing is that I can just come off the pedal and the car starts going its so light. The engine tries to stall but it stays running and gets moving
Should be a great clutch...the SPEC was slipping so bad it wasn't even funny. It's like night and day!
