Im back from the dead?

(Sorry in advance didn't know if I should put this in v6 or GT )
Anyways this is the start of a project I have been dreaming of since I got my car in 2013. I have finally purchased a used 5.0 with 68K miles from The Parts Farm (no clue if they have an account here), Either way Rob has been great and very patient with my excitement for this motor. This has been the worst wait of my life and its getting worse so I decided to share my excitement with all you fine folks on the forums. Anyway I have heard it all before, Fords told me I cant put a nav in a non-nav car, Cant replace the gauge cluster, was told by a body man a glass roof wasn't work the time and money to put in (totally way by the way) and looking through other threads where people brought up this topic of swapping their 3.7 for 5.0 they were told this was a waste of money and time and too go buy a supercharger, or trade in the car for a v8. Unfortunately for me this was never an option, too much emotional attachment (father and I spent a lot of time with this car) plus with all my added packages at this point it would be extremely hard/rare to find a car equipped like mine 401A interior, Glass roof, Nav, Shaker 1000, Backup camera, literally everything but Brembo brakes, and Recaros. Not to mention would never find a 2013 in Kona Blue Metallic. I also didnt want a v8 for the power or I would just supercharge the 3.7, I really want it for that v8 sound, something you'll never get with the 3.7. Here are some photos of how she looked before the swap

one of the only photos I have of my stock 2012 mustang, how I bought it.


How it sits now my GT Clone or 3.7 GT Premium

Old photo, This was before I put the 401A shifter on

Anyways everything worked out fantastic and I was able to buy a Gen 1 2013 mustang GT drivetrain from The Parts Farm on the 14th of October. Still awaiting delivery of it as of 11/05/2020, It was a fair deal and had free shipping. I then started to (prematurely) pull my old engine and transmission out. So far engine and transmission is out, I took them out separate as space was an issue with the engine hoist, However I am going to try and put the new drivetrain in as an assembly. I havent taken the old engine bay harness out as I want to pull the old one while I put the new one in, However the engine bay harness is disconnected from the SJB and driver side pedals and connector, something which can be done with the dash in. There is one wire I will have to run, which if for my security package hood switch, which the new harness probably wont have. I have tons of orders out with tasca and my local dealership.
Just of the top of my head you will need on top of the complete engine:
Motor Mounts - BR3Z-6038-C - $145ish x2
Transmission Support - BR3Z-6A023-B - $100
Transmission Mount (might come on engine) - BR3Z-7E373-B - $45ish
Fuel Hose - BR3Z-9J280-B - $40 (backorder had to get mine from a dealer that had one)
Emissions Hose - BR3Z-9G271-D - $45
Vacuum Hose - DR3Z-9C490-C - $35
AC Hose - CR3Z-19972-B - $45
Front AC Hose - BR3Z-19D732-B - $35
Connector Hose - BR3Z-8K276-A - $30
Overflow Hose - BR3Z-8C362-B - $30
Outlet Tube - BR3Z-18663-A - $25
Connector Hose - DR3Z-8566-B - $40
Upper Hose - BR3Z-8260-BA - $60
Lower Hose - BR3Z-8286-BA - $50
Insulator - BR3Z-3C071-B - $30
Insulator - BR3Z-3C071-A - $40
HVAC Heater Hose Inlet - BR3Z-18472-B - $40
HVAC Heater Hose Outlet - BR3Z-18472-B - $40

For now thats all I can think of that would be required that probably doesnt come with the drivetrain kit, however since this motor has almost 70k miles I decided to replace the plugs and belts too.
Serpentine Belt - BR3Z-8620-D - $12
AC Belt - BR3Z-8620-R - $17
Spark Plugs - CYFS-12F-1 - $5 x8

You will also need 8qts of 5w-20 of your favorite motor oil (Motorcraft for me) A filter (again Motorcraft) Manual Transmission Fluid (for manual) or Automatic Transmission Fluid (for auto) I have a Manual so I got this kit from LMR https://lmr.com/item/LRS-MT82SVC/mus...kit-mt82-11-18, You will also probably need dot 3 brake fluid as you need to disconnect the clutch line manuals (I grabbed Motorcraft), and coolant, this was terrible for me because Ford has superseded Motorcraft Orange(Dexcool) for Motorcraft Yellow. Since I am trying to stay true to how it would have rolled of the factory line I went with aftermarket Dexcool to stay orange in the reservoir.

All I can say for disassembly of the old engine and transmission is a Ford service manual for your model year will be your best friend unless you have taken your car apart more times than you can count, and always put loose nuts and bolts back where you found them....or keep em organized anyways. This was what I did from my memory: First disconnect and remove the battery, Remove battery tray and disconnect and remove air intake. Remove strut tower brace if equipped. (good time to mention you might want the GT one if you like the fancy plaque that comes on it)_Next Remove the radiator cover, then remove the hood insulator, disconnect washer pipes and tuck out of the way, then remove and hood and set it aside, then turn to the front bumper and remove it, headlights can now be removed and so can the bumper support bracket on 13-14s next drain the radiator(will be a drain plug on the bottom of the passenger side) while that drains turn your attention to the exhaust, I suggest a lift but I only had jack stands, I went as far up as I could with them. I unbolted the axle backs first and wrestled them out, next I unbolted the over axle pipes and fought to get them out passenger side was fine but driver side was a struggle with the low clearance. Then I unbolted the mid pipe/cats from the exhaust manifolds.(dont forget to disconnect o2 sensors) Now remove the v6 driveshaft, now the radiator should be mostly drained. You will now need to remove just about every radiator hose, careful as more coolant will pour outta these. Now you will need to disconnect the ac compressor from the ac condenser as someone that doesnt own a ac reclaimer this was hard, I ended up follow factory procedure to drain it using a vacuum pump and a manifold gauge set, I don't recommend it, as I felt like I was venting it slowly into the atmosphere as there is no catch can for the R134 refrigerant. Now I am also in a awkward rush to get everything in and drivable to get the new ac system charged at a dealership before the salt gets thrown on the roads, needless to say I am stressing out hard about getting this part done. Now we can disconnect the ac hoses from the condenser and the radiator and condenser unit can be pulled, this will open up room to drop the new engine in later. Now just go along and disconnect any hoses and pipes that are still attached to the engine like fuel line, vacuum hose, emissions vapor hose these all need longer hoses and do not get reused. Most radiator hoses also do not get reused as the engine bay will get tighter. The heater hoses going into the interior of the car also do not get reused as the new hookups on the 5.0 are in the front of the motor instead of the rear like the 3.7. Also use this time to disconnect the engine wiring harness from the engine bay harness and PCM, as well as the power steering module. You will need to drain the oil out of your old motor but I would leave the oil filter in. I did not drain the transmission as these shouldnt leak out the back like older transmissions. Next unbolted the transmission support plate and shifter nuts, and disconnected the clutch hydraulic line (no clue how this is on a automatic) next I unplugged the transmission electrical plugs and tucked the harness out of the way. now I removed the 8? studs and bolts holding the transmission on to the engine and supported the transmission with a jack and wood while I lowered it out of the car, you need to pry it back first and on jack stands this is extremely difficult go find a second person to help, then I was able to just squeeze it out of the car from the front but that was the transmission out. Now the motor is probably leaning backwards into your firewall which means you've done it right so far as it should just be on the motor mounts now, after making sure everything is disconnected (including the ground under the wiper plastic cover things) go ahead and choose your favorite way to pull it out I opted for generic brackets that came with my engine load leveler and some bolts in the factory lift holes. there are 4 in each corner of the engine near the exhaust manifolds, no I don't know what size bolt (metric) but I had to use washers with them. Now unbolt the motor from the mounts 2 nuts, and you can begin lifting the 3.7 out go slow and watch for anything not disconnected, go ahead and disconnect stuff if you forgot. If you couldn't get to the heater hoses before now is a good time to disconnect them. Anyways motor should now be out. This is about as far as I can go with the write up as I am waiting for all my parts to trickle in. But this shall be continued probably with more pictures than what I took, scroll down to see them.

Donor 5.0, going to change that CAI to the stock airbox

Farewell old friend you served me well for 48K miles

removing bumper

stripping things out, bumper removed

Draining radiator, probably should have been on a more flat or downhill angle oh well.

Tranny and exhaust removed (v6 and v8 mt82's are different)

Radiator out, you can see the motor is leaning back pretty good

Motor out

Here you can see sorta where I attached to remove it.

Waiting to clean up the wiring

Started to clean up the wiring, but I added the strut tower insulators that the v6 and early 2011 v8's were missing, first time I ever got that GT brace to fit, the lines I have left in the car are the ones that can be kept, you can see I put the new 5.0 fuel line in however.

Steering shaft will need to be unbolted and moved to the side to make room for the wider 5.0.
Now for the exciting part, on top of securing the 5.0 I was lucky enough to see The Parts Farm also listed Boss 302 side pipes off a recently stripped Boss. This was awesome for me because my dream exhaust setup has always been Quad GT500 axle backs, GT500 over axle pipes, Boss 302 H pipe and side exhaust, stock manifolds and cats. On my v6 only part of this setup I was running was the GT500 quad exhaust as I felt I would be doing the side pipes a disservice by putting them on the v6, and I didnt want to waste a kit. Now that I want to add them you cant find a kit to save your life and calling for you can only get the H pipe the side pipes are backordered with no ETA. So I grabbed those up quick. I was also lucky enough to see Midway Mustang had just purchase a beautiful 2014 GT500, and the rear end was untouched, I NEEDED the exhaust from it as Ford was only selling the over axle pipes the axle backs are backordered with one dealer in NJ having 5 driver side mufflers but no passenger mufflers in the entire country. And as luck would have it I managed to snag them, absolutely unscathed, Big thanks to both The Parts Farm and Erik at Midway Mustang for everything they are doing for this project, this really is a dream come true. I have parts coming for the boss side pipes as I see they are missing things like clamps and bolts, hopefully the GT500 exhaust comes with everything I need. Now if I can get Ford to change my vin to show it as a 2013 GT premium, doubt it would ever happen. More pictures:

Boss Side Pipe kit, replaced the cat deletes with factory cats, as I don't want cat deletes.

Axle backs and over axle pipes pristine condition

This post and thread will be updated when there is more to tell, But as far as I know this is a first, other than LEXiiON but he went above and beyond me starting with a 2010 and ending up with a full blown 2013 GT500

 

Forgot to mention, new front springs and GT front brake rotors and brackets are needed as well, Im guess with the heavier engine im going to loose some wheel gap, Over the winter I will also be changing from 2.73 Gears to 3.73 Gears as I dont think the 2.73's are even a option in IDS for the 5.0

 

fun project im still really tempted to add the glass roof into my car from seeing your build, this will be fun and with cars nothing his impossible.

 

Bet those roofs aren't fun to get ahold of now, but you're right this car's proved nothings impossible.

 

No and when you do find it they are pretty pricey now, still after getting my explorer with the glass roof I want it more now haha

 

amazing project, yes you have proven nothing is impossible if you are highly motivated!

 

Very nice work. I’m not that ambitious myself, but there was a time ...

 

Boy you went to a lot of work to get your GT. But now you knows that baby inside and out. Nice work!

 

Thanks for the kind words everyone, and yes one could probably say I know this car inside and out. Received word I’m next in line to get my donor engine pulled so just a waiting game now.

 

You sure put a lot of man hours in the engine swap, that's for sure. Needless to say, all your hard work has finally paid off, as you did such a fantastic job. So now you can finally enjoy getting her ready to be driven once again.. Congrats

 

Update: Motor has shipped, I also bought the entire rear differential out of the car (had the 3.73 which I wanted) I was going to have to rip the v6 one apart to change the pinion flange which is different compared to the v8. So instead I am just going to unbolt my rear axle and bolt the new one up. Stay tuned for more...should have motor in and running next week.

 

Its in and runs, still a bunch of work needed to button it up. Rear axle is getting replaced as the driveshaft is different and the v6 flange wont accept it, also wanted 3.73 gears anyways, plus best way I could find to get new gt500 over axle pipes in. Pats was disabled by the seller, so I need to get in touch with them so they can tell me how to re enable it because that cluster blinking is going to bother me to no extent. ABS module is throwing codes and track apps and virtual gauges are gone, only lead here is ABS and rest of car cannot communicate with the Power Steering Control Module, So I'm going to start with that tomorrow, make sure it has power and ground, It did not feel like I had power steering when I started the car. Worse case might need to buy a new ABS Module from ford, V6 one I had wont work (different part numbers) so I used the one from the donor motor. But might have gotten damaged in the crash. Those are the only things wrong so far. Still waiting on Catalytic converters (if any 2011-14) GT owners replaced theirs I might be interested in buying them off you.

Now for the good part. Install is hard to replicated because everyone's setup will be different, With two people I managed to get the motor and transmission in with a engine jack and without jacking the car up at all. Was tough but just go slow. Steering shaft needs to be out of the way or you will hit it with the exhaust manifolds. The transmission will need to be supported by a jack so you and level the motor out, or you wont get it to go far enough back to line up with the motor mounts. After the motor and tranny is bolted back to the car, time to start connecting harnesses and hoses. I had lots of engine bay ref pictures from a 5.0 to help me run everything right. Also connected the AC lines back up and removed the fuse and relay that controls the condenser until I can get it charged. Once I made sure all of the wires were connected I went a head and put the intake (need a new intake hose as they gave me one for an automatic and it came broke) on loosely to start her up for the first time to make sure she ran. At first pats was blinking like crazy so I figured I needed to program my keys, IDS wouldnt let me and was showing a super old key in PATS relearn, Then It hit me they probably changed a line in the PCM that controls pats to a car that had pats optional from the factory, Sure enough key in and turned it and she fired right up. Im thinking I can get pats back by reinstalling factory data into the PCM but Im not sure yet. Would hate to not be able to start the car if Im wrong. Also before starting I hooked my clutch line back on and put the rear O2 sensor on just dangling because there are no cats. After I knew the car ran fine, I shut it down and started to put the radiator in and some of the front end parts, all in all putting the v8 in a v6 car was not hard, and so far worth it. I will keep this updated as I start fixing problems. Now for video and pictures.


Motor almost in

Motor dropped in still need to sort wiring

Wiring all sorted out, about to start it for the first time
First Start Up(Sorry didnt catch it starting)
Filling the radiator engine bay mostly buttoned up
Motor Idling All Dressed Up, Waiting For Coolant To Cylce:

 

Congrats and nice upgrade!

 

Okay so motor is 100% working as intended, today I removed the PAT removal by reflashing the PCM to stock settings, this also gave me my soft gauges on the cluster back. Now that pats was back to normal I was able to reprogram my keys to the new PCM and it starts fine with both keys. I also was able to fix track apps not working and my power steering not working, turns out the CAN wire for it was busted out of the pin, so after fixing that power steering was back and abs module no longer was throwing a code, so no dash lights on and everything works like stock. Tomorrow I should be able to take the first drive with the new motor around the house as Im still waiting for Cats. But I will be swapping my rear axle for the GT rear axle and hooking the driveshaft up, while the rear axle is out I am putting my Over Axle Pipes in.

 

So car now runs and drives. I didn't drive it much only pulled it out of the garage and back in to clean up some trans fluid. But from what I can tell everything seems really good. Still waiting for cats before I take it on a public road. But today I dropped my old v6 2.73 rear axle out of the car and swapped it for the matching 3.73 rear axle from the donor car of my motor. was pretty straight forward not a lot holding it on. I managed to do the axle swap in about an afternoon with jack stands, longest part for me which brought me into the night was I had a frozen brake piston and ended up replacing and bleeding old breaks for the ones that came with the axle. After the rear end was back together I pulled the drain plug on my transmission and to my surprise it was still full of fluid. I was told that they would be sent drained. Not a huge deal but if I knew there was still fluid I wouldn't of drained it. It was a chore filling the transmission in the car. I might take it to a dealer so they can check the level as im not sure its filled all the way. After that I kind of loosely connected and zip tied the exhaust system and lowered the car. It was then time to start it and pull it out real quick.

Old axle dropped out
First "drive"

 

That was *fantastic* to read and look and watch!

Congrats on your overall progress. Lookin' and soundin' good!

 

Hey Alex,

I’ve been following your work ever since I got my V6 Mustang in 2014. I finally scored a 57k mile Boss 302 to put in my car (doing it now). I am having trouble finding the fuel vapor hose for my engine, and can only find the regular GT fuel line. What did you do for the vapor line? I saw it was taped off in one of your pictures.

Fuel and vapor lines

 

Just an FYI: You may want to consider submitting Alex a PM for a faster response... His last forum activity was from over a year ago on 2-4-22.