So I've got a decent conditioned 85 Towny but the motor is blown. Where can I pick up a cheap motor to swap into this car? I can get a 5.0 out of an 88 GT for $200, but is it a direct bolt in? Please help, if I cant get a cheap enough option then I'll have to junk a fairly good Lincoln.
85 Towny, blown motor
- Thread starter SNK BITN
- Start date
Katshot
Well-Known LVC Member
The Town Car never used a Mustang motor so it won't be a direct bolt-in deal. Sorry.
Jibit
Dearly Departed Friend
huh, are you sure? Every town car that I saw had the 5.0 (302) in it. The engines wouldn't be identical but I don't see why a swap would be hard, I thought they used the same block. The only thing I'm not sure about is fuel injection. I think the town cars started in '86, and I don't have a clue about the mustangs.Katshot said:
Katshot
Well-Known LVC Member
I have (3) 5.0 H.O engines in my garage (for my MK VII LSC). When I was looking for them, I was told that only the Mustang and the LSC had the H.O engine. In other words, there's more than one 5.0 engine, just like there's more than one 4.6 mod. engine. Similar but not the same. You asked for a "Direct bolt-in" solution and that is not one.
Jibit
Dearly Departed Friend
I'll kind of agree with you on that. Because of the year I'm not sure how much of a difference there is (fuel injection, cam, heads, etc.) but the blocks should be the same and should mount the same. The later years there was the EFI and HO. The EFI was in the town cars but there still wasn't much of a difference (cam and heads). So swapping out the engine would be quite easy and just a matter of if the car was equipped with fuel injection and what the mustang engine had.
Katshot
Well-Known LVC Member
As I recall the '85 was the last year for the Ford CFI system whereas the proceeding years had Multi-Port injection. Unless one of the Ford junkies here helps you out, I'd probably suggest a call to the local junkyard. They have a cross-over book that tells them what years & models fit what. As I recall, they even have a break-down that explains what needs to be swapped for engines to work on other chassis.
gadget73
Active LVC Member
So far as I'm aware, you should be able to take that Mustang engine and with some parts swapping make it fit into the Town Car. Probably you'd just be using the block and heads from the 'stang and everything else from the TC's orig engine. It wont be a complete drop-in unless the FI system is the same, which I doubt it is. 88 should use an MPI system, and I think 85 and previous used a throttle body system. I'm not totally sure on this, but I don't think the heads are different from TB to MPI, so putting your 85 TB intake on should be no issue. Just have a good look at the intake bolt pattern on both engines and you should be able to tell.
thamarkman
Well-Known LVC Member
The block will directly bolt in. The cam will probably be different. I would say go for it. $200 is a good price, I'm sure it will run fine. Your towncar computer is not setup to run a mustang engine but it should work fine. If you wanted to be sure get the mustang computer to go with it. But I don't think it will be a big deal.
gadget73
Active LVC Member
87 is even more ideal for the swap. Its a bolt-in replacement if you get the 'stang computer. And you get the benifit of about 50 hp more. I did a little more looking and it seems the TC 5.0 and the 'stang's 5.0 HO have a different cam and firing order, which is why you need the mustang computer.SNK BITN said:
thamarkman
Well-Known LVC Member
I thought all 302's had the same firing order. Am I wrong? I know the 351W is different, but I thought all 302's were the same.
gadget73
Active LVC Member
I thought that too, but my Haynes shows one firing order for all V8s except the 5.0HO and the 4.6. the 5.0HO is totally different. I'd go get the book but its cold outside.thamarkman said: