[Tigers] Engine and Transmission Info

[Cullen McCann]

I'm pretty new to the Tiger scene, but I've had mustangs forever so I'll
try to supplement A.C.'s info some.

A few points to mention are that the speed density change that occurred
was from 1986 to 1987. Typically, although not always, the mass air
setups are regarded as better performance potential. You can even buy an
aftermarket mass air converstion kit to change out your speed density
car. This will require a new computer/ecm. The mass air does however
require a meter that will be slightly more obtrusive for the intake
setup than the speed density direction. Keep in mind also that the
factory upper and lower intake setup on a mustang will not by any means
fit on a tiger without major firewall modifications. You can change to
an injector in manifold setup with a throttle body setup like the old
edelbrock tb injection. This will keep you away from the firewall much
like a 4 barrel carb. You could also use a 90 degree elbow to direct the
mustang style throttle body away from the intake. These are available in
many finishes aftermarket.

Also with the change to the roller cam setup came the addition of
factory forged pistons and a steel crank shaft. This should be avaible
from 1985 all the way up to 1992. 1993 mustangs and also lincoln mark
VII lsc's)DID NOT receive the forged pistons in 1993, but instead
received a hypereutectic piston which changed the alloy in the piston to
be composed of 25% more silicon, reducing the strength of the piston.
I'm not sure what the motivation ford had to do this but it should be
noted that the piston is not as strong as the forged type. May be
slightly stronger or equal to a traditional cast piston.

The transmisson info that A.C. gave is also correct. The higher torgue
rating for the t5's around 1990 was due to a "steel bearing retainer"
rather than the aluminum one it had up to that time. You can convert a
non world class t5 to a wc t5 with the right rebuild kit and the steel
bearing retainer.

In conclusion, the best efi 302 5.0 high output and t5 combo, without
having to upgrade anything, would come from a mustang in the years
1990-1992. this setup will give you the best of everything if you are
planning on building some real serious horspower. I have run a
supercharged 5.0 on a mustang all the way up to 14 lbs of boost and 500
horse on a daily driver street car and put 75 thousand miles on it, with
a stock shortblock and never had problems. The motors are really strong,
and the parts are readily available for it. factory horsepower rating by
the way for this setup was 225 horse. 275 horse can be easily achieved
with only a few hundred dollars worth of bolt ons and removal of certain
factory components.

It should also be noted that as I mentioned the lincoln mk VII, lsc
only, received the same motor setup in the same years as the
aforementioned mustang. I have found that this donor vehicle is often a
cheaper place to locate a h.o. 5.0, because of its lesser known
appreciation for performance. Often these motors arent as worn out also.
You wont however find a t5 in a lincoln, or at least I've never seen
one. Only automatics with overdrive. Also note that the same years in
pickups and maybe some passenger cars may have the roller cam, but
didn't receive any of the goodies in the rotating assembly, so steer
clear of those. If you are planning to build 350-400 horse, you should
set your mind on the high strength setup. If you are content with more
like 250-300, which in a light tiger will be still quite a bit, then the
lesser built setups may work well for you, and will likely be cheaper.
If you shop carefully you should be able to buy a rebuildable engine and
transmission combo pulled from a mustang for less than a thousand bucks.



Good luck, hope this helps.
Cullen McCann, oklahoma city
B382001452


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