[517Kid]

A junkyard has a wrecked 1996 Explorer with a 5.0. The heads are GT40 3bar, and the intake is the same as a Cobra. Is this true? I can get the engine for around $300.

What sort of power increase can I expect on a 1994 GT that has: K&N filter and a BBK 70mm throttle body?

Thanks,
Jake

P.s Dad if you read this sorry for half stealing your post.

 

[TexasMustang]

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/foru...ficial-explorer-gt40-cobra-intake-thread.html

 

[YLDPONY]

The '96 Explorer was rated at 210 HP. Just installing the engine as-is won't make for much of a power increase. If you wanted to do a rebuild with a few upgrades (such as better a camshaft, roller rockers, better valve springs, mill the heads, etc.) and a free-flowing exhaust you can expect a 260-280 HP engine.

See here for all your GT40 head information:

GT40/GT40P Cylinder Head FAQ

Even though they are 3-bar GT40 heads they are not the exact same heads 5.0 Cobras had.

 

[Saleen302]

If i were you i would buy the whole engine for 300 bucks, i would take the engine apart and inspect the bores, bearings what not and use the explorer engine over the mustang engine. Just remove your 94 gt camshaft and use it in the explorer engine. The explorer engine has hyper flat top pistons which will increase compression over your 94 engine that has hyper dished pistons. Both engine pistons have 4 valve reliefs but still the explorer is flat top piston. Also i would take off those gt40 3 bar heads and go get em shaved around .040 thou.... use a felpro 1011-2 headgasket that has a compressed thickness of around .039'' which is thinner than stock head gasket and will gain u bit more compression. Im leaning at compression here because it seems as if you aint doin boost or anything like that, so if you want the most power NA then follow my instructions. Also you would have to use your flywheel,oilpan/pickup,balancer, waterpump cover distributor, and pilot bearing if you are manual transmission. Also if you got the extra coin, go pick up some 1.72 roller rockers with that stock cam, maybe even an aluminum flywheel to gain more ponys thats in that rotating mass... there is a guy on a different form than has a 2000 explorer motor with the gt40p 4 bar heads and he put a stock 87-88 speed density camshaft in that baby and aluminum flywheel and he is pushing 301 hp and doing high 11 sec in quartermile... lot of practice i guess, plus he tuned his car on his own with a speedbrain, i think his name is NOHRSPWR ... lots of guys know of him. Im have gt40p heads ported larger valves gt40 tubular intake stock cam and factory stamped steel rocker arms and my car can pull away on my buddies 03 Mach1, and stayed side by side with other buddies 2012 5.0 mustang. So if you do as i say you will be happy Also if you dont wanna do all the work with swapping to make the explorer engine work, you can just take heads off go get em shaved like i stated above and use the intake also, it will still run pretty good. when your taking your heads to a machine shop when you get em shaved, take ur lower intake down also and have em inspect it to make sure they wont have to shave that down also if they shave off too much on the heads, if they do, they will even em both out so you wont have any sealing problems. KEEP ME POSTED!!! dont be afraid of the swap and i will be here to help any questions you may have as well as the other mustang specialists on here Also if i missed something can someone chim in lol

 

[YLDPONY]

The explorer engine has hyper flat top pistons which will increase compression over your 94 engine that has hyper dished pistons. Both engine pistons have 4 valve reliefs but still the explorer is flat top piston.

Mustangs did not have dish pistons. Mustangs are Explorer's both used flat-top pistons with four valve reliefs.

 

[Saleen302]

Mustangs did not have dish pistons. Mustangs are Explorer's both used flat-top pistons with four valve reliefs.

You probably havn't took apart either of these engines before. i will provide you a picture of a explorer 5.0 piston which is the one on top and a pic of a 94 5.0 stang piston on bottom.

 

[Saleen302]

The only mustang to have a flat top piston was the 1986 5.0 mustang and they did not have valve reliefs, they were true flat top...... 87-mid92 were forged dished 4 relief pistons,later 92-95 mustangs were hyper dished 4 relief pistons and 96-01 5.0 explorer were hyper flat top 4 relief pistons.

 

[Saleen302]

Another thing about using those gt40 3bar heads is to upgrade those valve springs. A great place to buy springs for them is alexsparts.com i bought my valves and spring kit from him, he is very reasonably priced.

 

[YLDPONY]

You probably havn't took apart either of these engines before. i will provide you a picture of a explorer 5.0 piston which is the one on top and a pic of a 94 5.0 stang piston on bottom.

I have have actually, which is why I am correcting you.

1. Those two pistons you have pictured are both flat-tops. Just because the Mustang pistons have a very shallow (~0.030 in.) crown around the edge does not make them dish pistons.
2. Dish pistons have a much larger volume relief (~15-37cc), see picture attached (Probe dish piston)
3. If your dish argument is valid, please explain to me why Explorer engines have the same nominal compression ratio (9:1) as Mustangs do when E7TEs and GT40 heads have almost the same nominal volume?

 

[Saleen302]

I have have actually, which is why I am correcting you.

1. Those two pistons you have pictured are both flat-tops. Just because the Mustang pistons have a very shallow (~0.030 in.) crown around the edge does not make them dish pistons.
2. Dish pistons have a much larger volume relief (~15-37cc), see picture attached (Probe dish piston)
3. If your dish argument is valid, please explain to me why Explorer engines have the same nominal compression ratio (9:1) as Mustangs do when E7TEs and GT40 heads have almost the same nominal volume?

You just conflicted yourself in your number 1. statement. They both are not identically the same piston lol. It seems you are getting your "same nominal compression ratio's from Ford's original advertising quotes which were not always accurate, as we all know how they also give the same compression ratio for a 96 gt40 3 bar and 97-01 gt40p 4 bar the same compression ratio when both the heads have different cc chambers. If you have a tad bit more experience in cc syringing both those chambers of both heads and piston tops of the explorer and mustang, oh and remember the explorer flat top pistons also have slightly smaller valve reliefs than the mustang pistons. allll which take account for compression ratios... Dont be offended that you are made a mistake. We all learn and carry on. Remember we are here to help this gentleman with his questions of his swap.

 

[Saleen302]

I have have actually, which is why I am correcting you.

1. Those two pistons you have pictured are both flat-tops. Just because the Mustang pistons have a very shallow (~0.030 in.) crown around the edge does not make them dish pistons.
2. Dish pistons have a much larger volume relief (~15-37cc), see picture attached (Probe dish piston)
3. If your dish argument is valid, please explain to me why Explorer engines have the same nominal compression ratio (9:1) as Mustangs do when E7TEs and GT40 heads have almost the same nominal volume?

Make sure you correct yourself when you describe a flattop piston to anyone else:smartass::nogrinner

 

[YLDPONY]

Well, it sounds like you have the situation under control. I'll kindly step away now. It sounds like you have much more engineering experience than I do :smartass:

 

[Mustangfreak196]

I'm going to agree with YLDPONY on this one. Mustangs and explorers came with flat top pistons.

There is a difference between a valve relief and a dished piston.