SBF 302 - T5 swap
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2019 12:02 am
At the request of a couple members here I am documenting what I consider the minimum alterations to body and chassis to swap in a 302 and T5. I have more than the minimum done to my car to accommodate features I wanted. I don't have patterns or measurements to give you, this is just an idea of what is involved. Forgive the state of things, I consider my car "roughed in" and am
Engine:
The biggest thing first. The front cross member needs to be moved. The engine's oil pump and front pulley want to live here, so unless the plan is to run w/o a pulley and use a dry sump, or mount the engine very high, this has to be done.
The stock engine mounts need to be removed and new ones installed.
Radiator:
The bracket on top of the frame near the steering box needs an inch or so cut out to clear an oil filter relocation kit.
Transmission:
The entrance to the tunnel needs to be widened. I cut small pieces out of the firewall, expanded the tunnel with a hammer then welded it back together. I’m going to guess around 2†at the sides, maybe more toward the top, but the tunnel doesn’t need to be raised at all and the stock pedal location is fine.
A small section in the top corner of the frame’s “X†needs to be clearanced for the edge of the transmission (maybe a 1â€x2†section?). If you could see through the transmission in this picture the red area needs to be worked.
Holes need to be drilled in the frame to allow bolting up the transmission.
The gap between the engine valve covers and the brake system on the firewall is around 1". Shifter:
With this arrangement the shifter ends up toward the front of the shifter hole. I think the stock shifter would clear, but I had to make some room for the short throw shifter.
Steering shaft:
I was able to *just* get the steering shaft to go around my headers. I have 1 u-joint that has too much angle though, so I plan to re-do it which will mean enlarging the hole for the steering shaft into the firewall. What I have now needs 3 u-joints added to the steering shaft.
Exhaust:
Custom exhaust needs to be made and I don't see the room to run it anywhere but through the inner fenders. It doesn't need to run outside the fenders though, there is enough room to run it under the car (maybe relocate the fuel line).
Cooling:
A very short cooling system needs to be run (like the davies craig setup w/electric pump) if the radiator support isn’t going to be modified. Also a shorter radiator will need to be sourced. To run the stock water pump with electric fans I cut ~1.5†out of the length of the radiator support.
Here is an idea of how much I cut:
Hood:
With a “normal†short dual plane intake and a short air filter I don’t think any hood modifications would be required. I have a tall single plane intake and with an edlebrock carb (1406) I was just able to close the hood (no air filter).
Bellhousing:
If the engine and transmission are installed separately and a gear starter is used I don’t think the frame will need to be clearanced around the starter. I did mine for easier access, and because I thought the bellhousing was going to hit at first. The 157 tooth flywheel bell might help this, but the 157 tooth wheel might be longer?
Clutch:
A mustang clutch needs to be run as the normal 164 tooth clutch have a different shift fork and too much throw. A custom drive shaft needs to be built. I used the stock clutch master/slave combo and it works with a custom bracket and lengthened push rod (with a bracket mounting the slave farther forward I could have run the stock push rod).
Engine:
The biggest thing first. The front cross member needs to be moved. The engine's oil pump and front pulley want to live here, so unless the plan is to run w/o a pulley and use a dry sump, or mount the engine very high, this has to be done.
The stock engine mounts need to be removed and new ones installed.
Radiator:
The bracket on top of the frame near the steering box needs an inch or so cut out to clear an oil filter relocation kit.
Transmission:
The entrance to the tunnel needs to be widened. I cut small pieces out of the firewall, expanded the tunnel with a hammer then welded it back together. I’m going to guess around 2†at the sides, maybe more toward the top, but the tunnel doesn’t need to be raised at all and the stock pedal location is fine.
A small section in the top corner of the frame’s “X†needs to be clearanced for the edge of the transmission (maybe a 1â€x2†section?). If you could see through the transmission in this picture the red area needs to be worked.
Holes need to be drilled in the frame to allow bolting up the transmission.
The gap between the engine valve covers and the brake system on the firewall is around 1". Shifter:
With this arrangement the shifter ends up toward the front of the shifter hole. I think the stock shifter would clear, but I had to make some room for the short throw shifter.
Steering shaft:
I was able to *just* get the steering shaft to go around my headers. I have 1 u-joint that has too much angle though, so I plan to re-do it which will mean enlarging the hole for the steering shaft into the firewall. What I have now needs 3 u-joints added to the steering shaft.
Exhaust:
Custom exhaust needs to be made and I don't see the room to run it anywhere but through the inner fenders. It doesn't need to run outside the fenders though, there is enough room to run it under the car (maybe relocate the fuel line).
Cooling:
A very short cooling system needs to be run (like the davies craig setup w/electric pump) if the radiator support isn’t going to be modified. Also a shorter radiator will need to be sourced. To run the stock water pump with electric fans I cut ~1.5†out of the length of the radiator support.
Here is an idea of how much I cut:
Hood:
With a “normal†short dual plane intake and a short air filter I don’t think any hood modifications would be required. I have a tall single plane intake and with an edlebrock carb (1406) I was just able to close the hood (no air filter).
Bellhousing:
If the engine and transmission are installed separately and a gear starter is used I don’t think the frame will need to be clearanced around the starter. I did mine for easier access, and because I thought the bellhousing was going to hit at first. The 157 tooth flywheel bell might help this, but the 157 tooth wheel might be longer?
Clutch:
A mustang clutch needs to be run as the normal 164 tooth clutch have a different shift fork and too much throw. A custom drive shaft needs to be built. I used the stock clutch master/slave combo and it works with a custom bracket and lengthened push rod (with a bracket mounting the slave farther forward I could have run the stock push rod).