ok so this is what I'm starting with
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/firegoat/rear-corner.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/firegoat/motor.jpg)
I just picked this up today for $100
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/firegoat/t-bird/drivers-side-front-of-car.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/firegoat/t-bird/intake-side-of-engine.jpg)
I brought the car home this afternoon. it was popping back through the intake and tapping in the valve cover. first thing I did was pull the valve cover off and this is what I found,
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/firegoat/t-bird/camshaft.jpg)
looks like it spun a cam bearing and damaged the rocker arms and cam. I put the rockers back in the way they should be and put the car back together to see how it would run after that. the car started right up and idled way smoother. so now I'm going to get another cam rocker arms and replace the cam bearings. I drove the car around the block and the the turbo spooled up to about 10psi, so that seems ok. I've been reading up around here for about a week picking up tips and stuff for what I'm going to need to do to accomplish this swap, so I think it should be pretty fun.
a buddy of mine is doing the same thing on a 74 but he bought it with a turbo coupe motor in it but the motor need to be rebuilt and detailed. this will be the second turbo pinto he has done so if you need any help or have any questions please email me. although he wont be back untill a week or so cause he is ohio for the scca races.
hey skrach, did your friend use and efi car turbo? Did he use the donor computer and harness, or did he shop build his harness? I have one I need to start on, still doing homework-SAM
from what I have read around here, it isn't super difficult to use the one from the T-Bird. I have seen people say that the murkur harness is easier to use. I have access to all-data at work and I have a friend at my old job who can get me the factory EVTM. I'll be updating this thread as I move forward. I like to take pictures as you can probably tell, and it'll be fun to have people follow along as I do it, throwing in tips -n- stuff.
the other thing I want to do with this swap is keep it as close to smog legal as I can. I'm talking catalitic converter, evap system, etc. I figure the car is going to be pretty quick when it is done, but, there are these guys I see with their rice rockets who do these b-1857309 motor swaps from acuras and so on to make their cars faster. most of them are barley breaking into the 15's after all of this and aren't smog legal. if my car turns mid 14's and still would be considered smog legal I'll be happy.
I'm also trying to decide wheather to use the auto that the T-Bird has in it now or find a 5spd to put in it. I guess the farther I get into this I'll have to make a decision.
Hello pintowgn73,
Your 73Pinto wagon should be old enough to not have to worry about emission testing.
Dump the converters!
From Pintony
Nice Car Pintowgn73, Looks like you have a good combination there. Go for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh Ya!!!!!! Dump the converters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
High_Horse
If my memory serves me correct 1975 was the first year for cat convertors and unleaded gas.
So a 73 never had cat convertors.
I meant converters as for what came out of the t-bird, not what was on the pinto. i might pick up what, maybe 5-10 HP if I get rid of them?
I have wanted to do this project since I was 17 or so, but I never had the money or the car(s) to do it. I have put a lot of thought into how and what I was going to do to it. transfering the engine as it was in the t-bird, into the pinto was and still is what I want to do.
I want to keep the engine compartment as clean and uncluttered as I can. I guess I'll see how that turns out as I work on it.
I want to keep the outside of the car as stock looking as I can, just rims and maybe some window tint. I want it to be quiet and stick out in no ways other than being a pinto, which will draw enough attention, from my past experiences.
I guess the easiest way to say it is that when I'm done, I want it to look like ford put the engine in, not me.
Well I hope you have a camera. I would like to see the progress. One thing I like better then Pinto wagons are sleeper Pinto wagons. Yaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
High_Horse
ok, so went out to the junk yard today and found two 2.3 pintos. a 77 and a 78. lucky for me the interior in one of them was almost the same color as mine so I was able to get a new set of kick panels for my car since the originals got stolen at the same time as my rims >:(
so anyway I'm going to pull the engine mounts out of one of them this weekend since I am gathering parts for my swap. right now my question is, I have seen that other people used a mustang drive shaft when they did their swaps. I am using the a4ld that is in the t-bird, is the mustang drive shaft the right length for a wagon with the auto trans? also what kind of mods am I looking at as far as the trans mount?
another thing I was thinking about. with the turbo motor in the car, most people remove the blower motor so there is clearance for the turbo and O2 sensor. has anyone tried to modify the heater case to move the location of the blower motor so the the heater still works, or found a way to move the engine so that the turbo doesn't hit it?
another thing, radiator. I know there isn't going to be much clearance between the motor and radiator. what radiator will fit in a 71-73 car with the 2.3 swap?
I don't want to cut any holes in my hood to do this, so I'm wondering what some other people have done about mounting an intercooler in front of the radiator. is there one from some other type of car that will fit? I'm not looking for this to be a show car when I'm done so if I can just come up with something that I can modify that looks clean when done, I'll be happy.
fuel system. I know I'll need to run a return line and install a high pressure electric pump for the main line. what would be my best be as far as this is concerned?
any suggestions, coments, tricks, pictures or anything else anyone wants to throw out there would be greatly appreciated.
Here is a look how I mounted both the Rad and the Innercooler.
I'm curious, roughly what should this thing run in the quarter mile? it'll be basicly stock at first.