Engine swap mess: Ford 302 vs Chevy 350 in a Fox body Mustang

I spent last summer dropping a Chevy 350 into my 88 Mustang because I got a deal on the motor. Man, what a headache. The motor mounts needed custom fab work, the wiring harness fought me for 3 weeks, and the oil pan cleared the K-member by like a quarter inch. Meanwhile my buddy did a simple 302 swap from a junkyard Explorer in his Fox body over a weekend with basic bolt-in parts. The Chevy makes more power but the Ford swap cost me half the time and 800 bucks less. Anyone else try mixing brands and regret it?

2 comments

2 Comments

miles_perez11d ago

... a quarter inch on the oil pan? Man I would've been nervous every time I hit a bump. That's just asking for a bad day, seriously. I've seen guys try the Ford small block in GM cars and it's always the same story, you end up fighting the car more than enjoying it. At least you got it running though, that's more than most people can say after a swap like that.

shane_martinez4411d ago

Quarter inch on the oil pan? Dude that's insane. I'd be holding my breath every time I went over a speed bump or a pothole. One good dip and you're spraying oil all over the road, not to mention the headache of cleaning that mess up. I've seen guys do some sketchy swaps but that's just asking for trouble. Props for getting it fired up though, that's a win in itself no matter how you slice it.