Since this is the 'projects' forum, I've decided to kinda log my progress/story here. I figure I can make a good read out of it and maybe help others who are trying to do the same thing. I've found a bunch of info online that I THOUGHT would help me out, but turned out to be a little bit um... less than true. So maybe I'll help to clear some of it up.
First off, the background info. My whole Pinto infatuation is something I try to keep on the down-low. I'm really a Mustang guy. At least that's what I tell people. When I was about 5, we had 3 Fords: an Econoline van, a brown '70 Mach 1 Mustang and an equally brown '80 Pinto sedan. It was a 2.3L with a 4-speed. I loved that thing... Dad was an engineer type who nabbed a turbo off of a Corvair and wanted to put it on the Pinto. He never got around to it after my folks split up.
Fast forward about 10 years---> 15 year old me is at a yardsale where I buy a handful of Mustang magazines to look at the pictures. In the January 1995 issue of Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords is a guy named Joe Morgan. He's got a '76 Pinto with a 2.3L Turbo from a T-Bird! Now I knew all about Mustang, so I knew that the SVO also had this little mill. OK, skip a couple more years --->
We move out of town a bit, so I need a car now. I start shopping and find, of all things...A 1980 Pinto, just like our old one, with a Mustang SVO 2.3L Turbo engine already in it! Asking price? $2800! Apparently someone else saw the brilliance of this creation and was quicker with the touch-tone, cause it was already gone. The next car I run across is in my town and was another teen-dream car: a 1984 Mustang SVO. Asking price? $2500 Dad likes the car because it's like what he planned but with EFI and an intercooler (not to mention the rad hood scoop and good suspension). Engineering types like that kinda stuff... We go look at it and take it for a test drive. He drives, since I can't work a manual too well yet, and I kept looking behind us saying, "Where's the cop? I heard the siren back there, but I don't see 'em!" This was my first experience with a turbo. We haggle, and $1800 later, I gots me a car!
At this point, I know NOTHING about fixing cars. I've changed oil and helped Dad with a brake job. That's IT. So a week goes by while the state processes paperwork and the insurance is added and stuff, and on a Friday I came home and was able to take out MY car. All mine, on my own, wherever I wanted to go! So I decide to drive across town to show the car to my sister. To get to the point...the car didn't make it. I was driving in traffic and it threw a rod. After all I know about engines and stuff now, it's STILL wierd. Why then? I wasn't beating on it at all!! So Dad says we'll fix it, and all of a sudden I start to learn a LOT about cars.
OK, 8 years later. ---> I still have the SVO. Finished high school with it, used it through college, moved to Florida with it and drove it 300 miles a week for a long time! I put about 75k miles on that engine, and it's still kickin'! Put it on a dyno a couple months ago and got 221 hp and 304 ft/lbs. SWEET. Now I have my own place, make my own money and can choose to NOT do chores when I want to play with the car! What do I do? I look for a Pinto! I figure they must be falling out of the sky here in Florida, since there is no salt or snow. I forgot about the Good Ole Boys down here who found that Pintos make excellent race cars... After much searching, I find a '71 Runabout for $800. It's 3 hours away...hmmm...
Do it. ;D
Hey MIKESVO,
I just got off the phone with the guy that had the 71 Pinto.
WE just closed the deal.
Just kidding! ;D
Go for the 71 Pinto!!!
BUT a 74 or newer Pinto with A/C will make your life much easyer to do the swap.
KEEP US POSTED!!!!!!
From Pintony in Illinois
Nice, thanks for those replies! I had to cut that last part off early, but there's a bit more to get up to speed...
I DID get the '71. It's a Runabout, which I didn't REALLY want, but it's tough to find Pintos around here. I went up there with a friend of mine and bought it from an old guy. It is in *decent* shape. It's mostly straight, with the exception being the rear quarters. There's a story behind it that the old man told me about a previous owner, barndoors and a windy day... There's a minimal amount of rust on the entire car, which was originally sold in Jacksonville. It makes the SVO really look like a rustbucket. It's a 2.0/4-speed and ran well when we started our trip...
It was in Clermont FL, near Orlando. I live in Ft. Myers, again about 3 hours away. We began driving back and about a half hour into the trip, it sputtered once. Then again a little while later...and again...and then one cylinder stopped firing...and next thing I know I can't even get it to hold 35 mph! Maybe it's somehow symbolic, but it finally died, and would not restart...in Sebring of all places! Now, I know the SVO pretty darn well at this point, but I'm a youngin'. To me, carbs are normally something you eat, and the ones in cars are something made of metal and a few gaskets, but operate mostly on voodoo. But I figured that it wasn't smoking or popping, so maybe the carb is in the ballpark. We pulled the plugs and they were BLACK. At the parts store I asked for plugs, wires a cap and a rotor ("A Pinto? Who makes that?"). All they had was the rotor and plugs. We were putting in the last plug and I was thinking, "There's no WAY this is it..". I reached in and turned the key and it fired right up! I looked at my buddy and said, "Let's go with it!" and threw the tools into his truck and got back on the road. It was smooth sailing for the next couple hours, made it home safe and sound even though the brakes could be described as 'theoretical'.
So the plan goes like this: 8" rear, 2.3 turbo, Turbo Coupe 5-speed manual, Turbo Coupe Computer, XR4ti wiring harness, Holset HY-35W Turbo, a Fox-stang driveshaft, some intercooler (TBD) and maybe some other bits along the way.
I got the Turbo off ebay for $186 delivered. The engine and auto tranny were $300, though I sold the auto for $75 and bought a TC manual tranny for $65. I got the TC LA2 computer for $40, the XR harness for $35 and a sweet RCI fuel cell off ebay for $112 delivered (only a *decent* deal as it turned out). Then I found a 1976 Mustang II Cobra II V8 parts car on ebay for $45, and it was local! I asked the guy if I could buy the 8" rear seperately. I figured maybe he'd end the auction and I could get it from him for $150 or so, but he said to win the auction first. On the plus side, he said if I did win, I could get what I wanted and he'd have the rest removed. So I won the auction for $46. I got the rear, 4 rims and tires (black steelies, but wider than the Pinto's), the rear sway bar, all the chrome lugnuts and best of all, a Grant steering wheel WITH the correct hub adapter!
I then replied to an ad on here from a guy who was looking for the parts I was going to take out. Well, turns out he lives in Ft. Myers, too (I still can't believe some of the luck I've had so far). So on Sunday I hefted the 8" into the Pinto and drove to his place. We pulled out the 6.75" and put in the 8". Now for some actual useful info: the sway bar doesn't work, but the rear itself was a total drop-in. Brake lines, mounting points...everything. We thought the junction block for the brakes (on driver's side axle tube) wouldn't work at first, but later on I found out that it DOES work. The 'new' rear needs wheel cylinders, but we had already planned on trailering my car back anyway, so that wasn't a problem. That night I tore into the rear brakes and connected the e-brake cables. The 71 cables are the same, and after I adjusted them I could yard drive the car around.
That pretty much brings us to where I am now. Kip (the fellow who helped me swap the rears) and I discovered that the motor mounts are in NO way compatable. I had been under the impression that I could cut the 2.0 mounts off the frame rails and re-weld them about 4" forward and bolt the 2.3 right up. Well that's NOT the case. Luckily, he's got a set of 2.3 Pinto mounts, and I think we're just going to have to fiddle with them to see how they work (we're doing some crazy parts trading at this point). I'll definately post THOSE results since that will be helpful to clear up.
Things that need condsideration at this point:
-Do I NEED a limited slip diff? This one's open. Could I use a spool? It'll see limited street use anyway. How much abuse will the 8" take with a manual trans?
-Where/how to mount the fuel cell? I looked at Kip's racecar and got some ideas, but since he's running a carb and I need to mount an inline pump, I need to consider a couple other things. Some on here have given me suggestions, and I thank you guys!
-What type of fuel lines to use? I might nab some Ford nylon stuff out of the junkyard since you can get all the fittings for that stuff at any parts store.
-Motor mounts, of course...
There's more, I know, but I can't think of it right away. I'll get pics up soon although I won't get to do anything for about a week since I'm going out of town tomorrow. I'm kinda writing this up as a notepad type thing for myself, too. Once I get pictures, this will probably be MUCH more entertaining! I'll be updating this when I get back!
-Mike
Hey Mike,
Remove the 2.0 mounts and install the 2.3 engine mounts on top 2 bolts and then drill the new holes in the frame install botom bolts and your done the placement should be ok.
I did the swap the other way 2.3 to 2.0 and that is all I did.
LMK if I can help later.
From Pintony
OK, that's good to know. When I get back from my trip I'll be looking in to that. There IS a 78 Pinto in a junkyard not too far away. Maybe I'll be making a trip. Hope the car is still there!
Thanks!
I got some 2.3 mounts and cut out the 2.0 mounts. So far, this looks like it's going to be a LOT harder than everyone said. There's a brake line in the way. The tranny crossmember doesn't come CLOSE to lining up. I don't know WHERE to reference the engine's location from. I was told the Fox driveshaft would work, and if it does, that would be a HUGE help. Then I could bolt it in, connect it to the tranny and just see where everything is. As it is, I'm totally flying blind... I might have had plans for this long weekend, but now I know what I'll be doing!
Starting to wish I had started with a 2.3 Pinto...
But I'm gonna get it in there no matter what.
That's what I got the welder for!! hahaha....
Hey Mike, stick with it. I relocated my engine mounts lower so I could close the hood and have some room left over. The tranny crossmember is actually only about 1" +/_ . you will need to elongate the hole untill it fits in the stud. The belhousing should be allmost touching the fire wall ( leave room for the head of the bolts. When I did mine, I used a bare block with a pan on it and mocked it up. I probably took the mock up in and out of the car about 50 times................. :o >:( ;D