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Many people assume that just because LS swaps are common, they are easy, but that is not the case. In the video above from the Premium Fuel Mag YouTube channel, host Stu Gaskins walks us through each of the headaches that await anyone looking to easily drop an LS engine into their Ford Mustang from the Fox Body era.The IntroductionThe video above begins with Gaskins explaining his project to anyone who doesn"t frequent his channel. He is installing a fresh LS engine into his 1990 Ford Mustang and while he is aware of critics, he doesn"t really care. As he has worked his way through installing the LS in his Fox Body, he learned that many people believe that this is a simple swap, so he put together a video explaining each of the key roadblocks with the project.He does point out that since so many people have performed LS swaps into so many different vehicles, there is a great deal of information available, but that doesn"t make the job easy. To help make the swap a bit easier by predicting the headaches, Gaskins walks us through each key area where anyone attempting this swap will need to prepare for troubles.Will the Engine Fit?One of the reasons that Gaskins picked the LS engine is because it is relatively small, so it will fit nicely in the tight engine bay of the 1990 Mustang. Newer Ford V8s with a dual overhead camshaft setup are much larger engines, making the install and future maintenance more difficult, but the LS engines are easier to install and work on going forward.ElectronicsGaskins previously swapped a BMW M3 engine into his Mustang with universal electronics, but making your new engine communicate with your vehicle can be a major problem. You can either prepare for some wiring and electronics headaches, or you can go to a universal system that will plug-and-play with many engines and electrical systems.Engine MountingIn most cases, an LS engine will not bolt up to the factory engine mounting locations in a Ford or import. To address this issue, Gaskins installed a K-member for a 4.6-liter Mustang in his Fox Body while also installing 4.6-liter engine mounts on his engine. This required an adapter between the block and the mounts, along with the modifications to the mounts to make clearance for the headers.HeadersHeaders, or exhaust manifolds, are also an issue, as most companies who make LS headers design them to fit in a car that came with an LS engine. Those headers won"t fit in a Mustang, so you can buy custom headers or headers made specifically for an LS swap into a Ford, which was what has been done in the video. Also, once you have those special headers, there is a good chance that your exhaust system won"t fit, so you will need to have custom exhaust made or you will have to make some major changes to your previous pipes.Engine ControlIn order to make your LS engine run in a Ford Mustang or some other vehicle, you will need an Engine Control Unit (ECU) system to allow all of the components to communicate. The most popular option is an HPTuners program with the stock ECU and a computer, but Gaskins went with an entire standalone seutp from Megasquirt.TransmissionSince the Ford engine wont bolt up to the Chevrolet LS engine, anyone attempting this swap will need to address that issue. The easiest option is to buy an "LS transmission" like a T-56 manual and make that fit in the chassis of the Mustang. Another popular option is a modified version of the CD009 manual gearbox from a Nissan 350Z, only because it is inexpensive to fix when things break.The most expensive and difficult option is an aftermarket transmission and that is the direction being taken in the video above. Gaskins has opted for his Ford-style TKO600 transmission, which required him to get a custom bell housing, a special clutch and unique bearings for the clutch. He also has to come up with a solution for his clutch fork not reaching through the bell housing correctly. This requires either a modified fork or modifications to the transmission tunnel of the car.DriveshaftOnce you install the new engine and transmission, there is a good chance that the driveshaft will be too long or too short and it might not work with your transmission. You will need to make sure that you have the proper yolk for the transmission and then you will need to determine the proper length of your driveshaft. In the case of this Mustang swap, he had to cut two inches to make the driveshaft fit with the independent rear suspension setup.So, if you are considering swapping an LS engine into a Ford Mustang or anything else, the list above from this video offers a very brief look at the challenges ahead of you.Join the LS1tech forums today!Tags: Ford, LS swap, Mustang, Video
Date written: July 16, 2018
More of this article on the LS1 Tech website
ID: 12577
Many people assume that just because LS swaps are common, they are easy, but that is not the case. In the video above from the Premium Fuel Mag YouTube channel, host Stu Gaskins walks us through each of the headaches that await anyone looking to easily drop an LS engine into their Ford Mustang from the Fox Body era.The IntroductionThe video above begins with Gaskins explaining his project to anyone who doesn"t frequent his channel. He is installing a fresh LS engine into his 1990 Ford Mustang and while he is aware of critics, he doesn"t really care. As he has worked his way through installing the LS in his Fox Body, he learned that many people believe that this is a simple swap, so he put together a video explaining each of the key roadblocks with the project.He does point out that since so many people have performed LS swaps into so many different vehicles, there is a great deal of information available, but that doesn"t make the job easy. To help make the swap a bit easier by predicting the headaches, Gaskins walks us through each key area where anyone attempting this swap will need to prepare for troubles.Will the Engine Fit?One of the reasons that Gaskins picked the LS engine is because it is relatively small, so it will fit nicely in the tight engine bay of the 1990 Mustang. Newer Ford V8s with a dual overhead camshaft setup are much larger engines, making the install and future maintenance more difficult, but the LS engines are easier to install and work on going forward.ElectronicsGaskins previously swapped a BMW M3 engine into his Mustang with universal electronics, but making your new engine communicate with your vehicle can be a major problem. You can either prepare for some wiring and electronics headaches, or you can go to a universal system that will plug-and-play with many engines and electrical systems.Engine MountingIn most cases, an LS engine will not bolt up to the factory engine mounting locations in a Ford or import. To address this issue, Gaskins installed a K-member for a 4.6-liter Mustang in his Fox Body while also installing 4.6-liter engine mounts on his engine. This required an adapter between the block and the mounts, along with the modifications to the mounts to make clearance for the headers.HeadersHeaders, or exhaust manifolds, are also an issue, as most companies who make LS headers design them to fit in a car that came with an LS engine. Those headers won"t fit in a Mustang, so you can buy custom headers or headers made specifically for an LS swap into a Ford, which was what has been done in the video. Also, once you have those special headers, there is a good chance that your exhaust system won"t fit, so you will need to have custom exhaust made or you will have to make some major changes to your previous pipes.Engine ControlIn order to make your LS engine run in a Ford Mustang or some other vehicle, you will need an Engine Control Unit (ECU) system to allow all of the components to communicate. The most popular option is an HPTuners program with the stock ECU and a computer, but Gaskins went with an entire standalone seutp from Megasquirt.TransmissionSince the Ford engine wont bolt up to the Chevrolet LS engine, anyone attempting this swap will need to address that issue. The easiest option is to buy an "LS transmission" like a T-56 manual and make that fit in the chassis of the Mustang. Another popular option is a modified version of the CD009 manual gearbox from a Nissan 350Z, only because it is inexpensive to fix when things break.The most expensive and difficult option is an aftermarket transmission and that is the direction being taken in the video above. Gaskins has opted for his Ford-style TKO600 transmission, which required him to get a custom bell housing, a special clutch and unique bearings for the clutch. He also has to come up with a solution for his clutch fork not reaching through the bell housing correctly. This requires either a modified fork or modifications to the transmission tunnel of the car.DriveshaftOnce you install the new engine and transmission, there is a good chance that the driveshaft will be too long or too short and it might not work with your transmission. You will need to make sure that you have the proper yolk for the transmission and then you will need to determine the proper length of your driveshaft. In the case of this Mustang swap, he had to cut two inches to make the driveshaft fit with the independent rear suspension setup.So, if you are considering swapping an LS engine into a Ford Mustang or anything else, the list above from this video offers a very brief look at the challenges ahead of you.Join the LS1tech forums today!Tags: Ford, LS swap, Mustang, Video
Date written: July 16, 2018
More of this article on the LS1 Tech website
ID: 12577
