Find a being junked 81 Fox body car that has passed its IM test, and do this....
Here's my
℞ prescription for a car which really needs another 50 hp like the Aussie Ford 3.3 or 4.1 with the cross flow head had. They were 121 to 164 hp, depending on induction. Basically puts a 3.3 into 4.2 and 5.0 territory. The bare minimum for a 3.3 to survive.
Although I liked my 81 3.3 automatic Mustang Hatch. It was butter smoooth, and would cruise at 85 all day until you met with a steep upgrader or big truck on a slope. I got 20 US mpg best at 55 mph, not wonderful. And 13 around town in San Francisco steep Dunedin.
Stock 81 Mustang even with power windows, a/c, light group, etc. was only 2640 pounds before driver an fuel. Stock box tops were about the same, but the 81's got pretty heavy in some versions...a station wagon or four door would be pretty heavy, and the Mustang Hatch is the slickest car, with reduced frontal area from less height and width, and the sedans and wagon’s won't do 95 mph all out like mine could do.
When driven in modern traffic, the 3.3 is Heavier on gas than any Auto or Manual 5.0, (which is probably the stock Fox Ford engine with the best hp mpg balance).
Which wasn't an option that year on small Foxes.
The C3, C4 or C5, or 4-speed T4 1981 3.3 was rated better MPG as the 4.2 C4 or C5 for fuel economy, but was less powerful than that engine.
The C3, 4 and 5 speed 2.3 was rated way higher for fuel economy, but it doesn't have the torque of the 3.3.
It depends on how it was rated (there are a few different figures for the 1978-80 T, 1981-82 B and 1983 x -code), but one things for certain,
1981 was the year when it got at least 91 stunning horsepower, at least up 7% and 6 hp on the 85 hp 1978-1980 T-code.
1982-1983, the B and X code again lost 4 hp with slightly different emissions gear, so you'll have gotten a real
hot machine there!
If you get one, do this.
1. Safely take a 9" grinder to it, make a plate, and DO THIS
http://sport.motiontopic.net/355428139465-200-log-milling
2. fit a 38 DGES Electric Choke to it. Be sure and fit it so the 2-bbls are cross wise, as the 1970 onwards carbs require the stock across valve cover cable, and the way they are commonly bolted on will create problems.
Don't fit it the same way as everyone else.
It’s a 140 hp carb that is used in the 3 liter European Capri engine. Use the stock air cleaner assembly with the base cut to suit. No-one will know its 2-bbl.
3. Add a Clay Smith 264-110, Schneider 270, or Oregon 268 cam.
A good example of cam, valve springs, lifter type, and set up is
MT63AFX,
Rod C on this forum
http://www.network54.com/Forum/7418...inions+on+my+Oregon+cam+currently+in+my+66+SW.................
Don't fit the carb the same way as RodC did because he runs a rod throttle linkage.
Do it the way former member 250mav does
4. Shave 90 thou off whatever head you use, and back cut the intake valves. Use a composite Victor Reinz gasket. If you can find them, Thomas 1.6:1 rockers and adjustable valve gear from a 1960-1966 Ford will work. The stock rocker cover will hit the baffles, so you'll have to get a 10 mm alloy spacer made up to raise the rocker cover on two cork gaskets, or rtv it on. Valves need new seals, and a 3 angle valve grind to improve port flow.
5. Duraspark II requires huge initial advance (15 to 20 isn’t too high), and pulled back total timing to no more than 34 degrees.
6. Use a Twin row timing chain set.
7. Make sure (if you want to the engine swap to pass an IM test) your primary light off cat is not choked up. If you have to run cats, check if you can run a no CA approved replacement.
Exhaust header is 4 -1/4" diameter, the world’s biggest ever passenger car cast iron down pipe. It’s a great lumping hunk which is mainly why the 81 made such A 7% power increase.
The log heads have peak flow limits, but the head itself can breathe quite well. A cam will bring out every ounce of power the stock item is losing.
The original carb doesn't work well enough without modification.
The stock cam is way too tame for power.
8. The stock C4 or C3 transmission holds it back. The in line six has great torque offline, even with a bigger cam. If you drop the stock 2.73:1 gears for 4.10's, you can use the stock moon shot top ratios 2400 rpm at 65 mph, and get a 3600 rpm kick down, and 5300rpm if you’re really game. Up changes in drive are normally 4400rpm, sometimes more held using the 3-2 shuffle. Remember, stall is normally 2350 in the HO/3.8 stall ratio converter, which is cheaper than the stock 1650 rpm one...and a lot 'betterer"
9. Add the 2350 torque AOD converter, the Canfield 2.3 to SBF block plate adaptor
(which needs redrilling to the 3.3 block, and then grinding with a big abrassive disc to get clearance for the starter motor).
You then find either the Grey B or X code engines 164 teeth 3.3 flexplate. (Or, as it's not a common item any more, the FoMoCo Basic Part Number is E1BP-6375-AA, but the Pioneer Y code 4.9 164 teeth flexplate can be slotted down to suit, and is like 35 bux ).
The 1989 F150 transmission, it has the 7 teeth drive driving the speedo gear. You probably need a 21 tooth purple gear, and then a $100 "reducer adapter" from a speedometer repair shop.
10. Then add some 4.11:1 gears in a transplanted Maverick 8", or Ranger 7.5" or 8.8" axles. The upshifts are limited to a certain rpm, the AOD requires a certain axle ratio and stall rpm to cope with a small 3.3 in line six, but the gears are the solution, and still allow you to cruise and down change without spending dollars correcting the standard problems.
11. The AOD Throttle Valve linkage can use the early AOD 4.9 truck TV linkage. It runs off the base of the 1-bbl carb for the 1983-1986 1-bbl 4.9L 300CI L6 Carb VIN Y which came with the first year the 4.9 got the aod, it has a Throttle Valve TV kick down cable, rather than a linkage setup... rod lever.
The witness mark, if your car is IM tested, needs to be indicating 9 if they check it, so here’s the deal. The stock crank balancer is 9 times out of ten totally shot, so have its elasmer inner rebound, and ask the binder to have its outer ring remounted 11 degrees off so it reads 9 dbtc at 20 degrees.
The key to making this all work is that only the Australians ever got the factory automatic in line small sixes Ford sixes to perform, and these modifications are what Australians and smarter Americans do.
There is another 65 hp hiding there for later, (91hp net stock, plus 40, plus 65 is 205 hp or more) when you get the funds. It comes via a special AOD shift kit, a wilder 274 degree cam, and modifications to the internals of the 38 Weber 2-bbl carb. Some underdrive pulleys and a special modification to the stock exhaust system. Most of these have been done on this guy’s 2640 pound, two barrel 15.17 second automatic car...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjQJ8btRbLY&feature=youtu.be
