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Mail From: "J. Todd Cox" <(email redacted)>

This note is a reply to Jim Howard's 5.8 L Mustang questions.
I have been monitoring this list for some time now, but this is my first
response. I live in Toronto, Canada, and I don't see many postings from
Canadians.

I have just finished building a 351W for my 85. The engine was bored
30 over, running 10:1 comp. The duration is around the 285-290 mark, with
a .496I, .508E lift (I think). This is standard stuff, though, so I'm
not going to waste time talking about the easy part.

Let's start with the block. Mounts were off of a late-model 5.0L. I used
shorty headers from a place called MAC (I believe) located in California.
Since the 351W is wider at the top, you can't use the 5.0L H-pipe unless
you bend it. Trust me, it's easier to make your own, which I did, minus
the cats. I used stock 5.0L mufflers for wonderful exhaust noises.
The oil pan is from a 1980 Crown Victoria. I believe Ford Motorsport
sells a complete kit consisting of oil pan, pickup, and a special main
bolt.

As any Ford guy knows, the T-5 is probably the weakest link in the
drivetrain, so think about something stronger. I went with a toploader.
Lakewood makes a bellhousing which allows 289/302/351W/351C to bolt to
a toploader in a Mustang chassis. You retain the stock flyweel, clutch,
and cable assembly. A Motorsport adjustable tranny mount made the swap a
breeze. Use a shifter out of a 65 Mustang. Believe it or not, the Hurst
Competition Plus shifter clears the center console with no modification!
I recommend going with a shorter stick, however. I also went with a
Motorsport aluminum flyweel and stronger clutch, which necessitated a
beefed up clutch cable. Make sure you know what year your engine is
before you order your flywheel unless you plan on re-balancing. I think
they changed in '81.

As far as a rear end goes, I went with a 9" assembly from a 1980
Lincoln Versailles. Although typically this swap is for early Mustangs,
it clears on new ones with little modification. Remove all of the old
brackets, and graft on the four-bar-link setup, using your old axle as
a design. The rear shocks have to be moved slightly inward to clear the
calipers. I also pitched the vacuum booster for a hydro-boost out of the
same car (complete with proportioning valve). This is easier said than
done and requires obvious fabrication. By the way, a 3.50 gear works well
both on the strip and the street for this setup in my opinion.

The only problem I can foresee is hood clearance. I elected to go without
a carb spacer, as my engine is more bottom than top end. Subsequently,
everything clears my hood (but it's tight). The engine itself looks
as though it was meant to be there. Ford should have built this car
long ago.

J. Todd Cox, Market Planner 1150 Eglinton Ave. E
SWS IBM Toronto Lab North York, Ontario
PHONE -> 416-448-3398 FAX -> 416-448-2847 M3C 1H7
INTERNET -> (email redacted) MS: 2G/139
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