I'm seeing 302 builds, but I feel that's a bit overkill (same for LS-swaps) in a chassis as small and light as the NA Miata. I reckon the Ford 3.8/4.2 split-port engine is easily enough for a daily driver that never sees a drag strip. Has this swap been done before? I imagine it can't be too far off at all from a 302 swap considering they both use T5s and the same K-member (as well as perhaps only needing a built 7.5 instead of a full-on and heavier 8.8)
I guess the question is why? What are you get from the Ford swap vs the other swaps already on the market? If you don't want the V8, which really is wonderful in a miata btw, then build a lfx or rocketeer kit. don't want a turbo, build a K-miata and get a similar HP. I really don't see too many gaps in the miata swap market right now.
Saw this at a car show about a month ago. For this guy it was availability and cost of the engine plus ability to add factory supercharger later.
dont forget that subaru miata swap
What are the electronic engine controls like to get working? Guy on the Miata V8 forum spent five years trying to get his to run and never did succeed.
The early 3.8L was a terrible engine. Head gasket issues galore on those things in the Windstars and Mustangs. I dont know if it was different in the Super Chicken but we used to replace the heads and gaskets at least once a week.
They were notorious for spitting head gaskets due to the cooling system/thermostat. If the thing overheated slightly you would be pulling head bolts. Later models were much better and i do know they updated the head gaskets a few times till they got them right.
The 4.2's in the F150's seemed to be better as long as the intake manifold gaskets didnt leak or the EGR valve didnt clog. Had a boatload more torque than the 3.8L but the intake manifold made that engine TALL. Like taller than the 4.6L in the same truck. Intake sat against the firewall in the F150 so i cant imagine it would fit in a Miata bay.
Super Six Performance made heads, cams and other performance parts for the 3.8/4.2L engines.
kevinatfms said:The early 3.8L was a terrible engine. Head gasket issues galore on those things in the Windstars and Mustangs. I dont know if it was different in the Super Chicken but we used to replace the heads and gaskets at least once a week.
I remember hearing about SC's breaking crankshafts back in the day, too. I had a couple of these engines in Windstars and Freestars, and I'm not a fan. Loud, buzzy, thirsty, don't like to rev. Very much a last-century V6. If I'm going to all the trouble to do a swap, it wouldn't be one of those.
bmw88rider said:I guess the question is why? What are you get from the Ford swap vs the other swaps already on the market? If you don't want the V8, which really is wonderful in a miata btw, then build a lfx or rocketeer kit. don't want a turbo, build a K-miata and get a similar HP. I really don't see too many gaps in the miata swap market right now.
I'm also of the "Why?" opinion. They only make 200hp. You can hit that with boost easy. I'm making 245whp on a Rotrex blower on a stock NB motor and haven't had a lick of trouble. If you want a V6, the Honda J-series is more modern, more powerful, lighter and more plentiful in junkyards. Plus there is a kit for it.
As an pushrod alternate, what about the Cologne based 4.0l found in Explorers? I don't know much about that engine family, but it sure seems that the Cologne family of V6's have a pretty strong reputation for power and speed. And given the number of explorers made, there HAS to be a ton of them out there. Some even had a manual transmission.
In reply to alfadriver :
No real aftermarket compared to the 3.8/4.2 Essex
In reply to NickD :
Well for starters, I'd be having one less line of cylinders off the front-end (I know, it's still an iron block). I'd rather be making that power naturally-aspirated than boosted.
It's way more pricey to do a J-series swap, and the aftermarket is not there really compared to the Essex. Heck, the 3.8 is only 10 hp off from the 1st-iteration J30 and makes a ton more torque.
In reply to MrChaos :
I heard about that, but the website that made the kit went down. Maybe some Miata guys know how to hit them up?
https://engineswapdepot.com/?p=42860
The Super Coupe guys have a bunch of info about making these motors not blow up, and the head gasket thing seems to be mostly resolved...I'd say go for it, but only because I like weird swaps.
I did a fwd 3400v6 converted to rwd in mine. If you ENJOY fabrication and problem solving, iys fun. If you just want simple and easy-ish, find a common swap where information is actually available.
NOHOME said:What are the electronic engine controls like to get working? Guy on the Miata V8 forum spent five years trying to get his to run and never did succeed.
Thats surprising since the EEC-IV is one of the easiest to tune control modules from Ford. If he does a 3.8/4.2 swap the computer is actually the easiest part of the equation. You can delete most of the crap(EGR, IMRC, FPDM, PATS) that needs to come out of a swap quite easily using the SCT pro racer software.
The only reason I can think to do this, you can handle your own fabrication and want a cheap engine.
Personally, I want a K24 swapped Exocet.....but who knows when/if I'll ever get to build that.
Because 3.8 ford. Next question.
This thread is of interest to me. There's a Fox body sedan with a 3.8 nearby cheap. I'd need to know what to look out for and what upgrades are within Challenge budget. I was wondering about the feasibility of swapping to a 5-speed manual from a Mustang.
What about something from the Duratec family of V6s? They made them in RWD and manual in Rangers and Mustangs, and the later 3.5 and 3.7 versions make 250-300hp. They got put in lots of Tauruses, Edges, Escapes, so they should be fairly easy to find. Aluminum blocks, much more modern, etc.
I would be more inclined to use a J series Honda engine. Not much aftermarket but reasonably inexpesive even in big displacements.
But where would the automotive hobby be, let alone the whole world if we only took on sensible projects! Go for it if it makes you happy.
Adrian_Thompson said:But where would the automotive hobby be, let alone the whole world if we only took on sensible projects! Go for it if it makes you happy.
Then buy stock in felpro and a machine shop
Stampie said:Saw this at a car show about a month ago. For this guy it was availability and cost of the engine plus ability to add factory supercharger later.
Look at how far forward it has to be for the oil pump to clear the rack.
Tom_Spangler said:What about something from the Duratec family of V6s? They made them in RWD and manual in Rangers and Mustangs, and the later 3.5 and 3.7 versions make 250-300hp. They got put in lots of Tauruses, Edges, Escapes, so they should be fairly easy to find. Aluminum blocks, much more modern, etc.
Huh? Not that I know of.
The Duratec in the Ranger is the I4, as the V6 remained the Vulcan 3.0 and the Cologne 4.0 (which were auto only).
And I'm not aware of any Duratec in a Mustang of any style. The V6 was either the 3.8 here, the 4.0l Cologne, or the 3.7- which isn't the duratec family. And the current I4 are sort of lineage to the duratec.
Now there IS a RWD 3.0l vehicle out there, but it's a Lincoln LS, and it was available as a manual. And that HAS been put into a Miata before- roughly the same time the 4V V10 went into a Mustang in the other thread. But the 3.5/3/7 isn't related to the 3.0l.
The few 3.8 cars I drove, none of which had a blower, felt kind of lethargic. Like they had an 80 pound flywheel. They don't sound that great, they don't get great gas mileage, etc etc.
I think I would rather put together a turbo setup on the stock 1.6 or 1.8 Mazda BP instead of messing with one of these. Like, by a landslide in favor of not playing with the 3.8.
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