Durability of the 5.0...

[xxtavixx]

Alright, here are just some basic questions I would like answered that seem to vary, so I figured I'd go to the best source, the people who have the car.
A lot of the 5.0's around my area (Jacksonville, FL) have 130k or more miles on them. Exactly how long can this motor stand up to high miles? Would it be a better choice just to purchase a high mileage vehicle and begin planning a mild crate motor swap? My questions are how long does the engine, the transmission (most likely the t5), axles and electrical system hold up. Is there any particular part of the motor that usually causes failure (other than the radiator)? Thanks for all of your help

 

[jmuva44]

I'm curious as well. However, one thing you have to remember is that these are sports cars. They are in no way, for the most part, babied. 75% are tested daily for performance. This being the case, you see why they arent condsidered reliable and why they dont last as long as they could if they actually were babied. I think that 150,000 miles is probably fairly realistic if you actually take care of your car (oil every 3000 miles), fix problems as they arise rather than ignoring them hoping they go away, and you drive your car carefully, but still romp on it from time to time. That being the case, I think thats a fairly impressive case and says a lot about the "rustang". .

 

[wytstang]

The 5.0 motors are champs they can take the abuse given to them on a daily bases. Hell a friend of mine owened an 88 gt and with 130,000 miles on it sprayed a 150 shot all day long and not on puff of smoke every left those tail pipes. the t5 are more prone to break the more power that is introduces to them. all in all they are pretty solid motors and parts can be found for them at every corner. mine has 115,000 on it with no motor, electrical probs. buy one build it and they will come ( races that is )

 

[Joes95GT]

Asking how long a motor is going to last is like asking the guy at the shoe store how long your shoes are going to last - it depends what you do to them. The 5.0 motor has the capability of living to see 200,000+ miles, as long it is taken care of. The balancers usually crap out on our cars right around 100k miles, as long as they are replaced, no harm is done. The T5's only bust when you abuse them. Lift before you shift and nothing will get broken. Ugly stuff happens when you keep your foot in it.

Joe

 

[194stang]

i ran mine with tes stock motor for 210,000....it still ran great then just the valve guides and seals were shot...the cylinder walls still had hone marks in them

 

[Car Nut]

I've got over 130,000 miles and my engine stills feels as strong as it did a few years ago, especially with the few mods I've done. It's a stock engine for now, but minor things like exhaust and overall care have ensure that it runs quite well. I figure if I still get 16/18 mpg city and 20/23 mpg highway, things must be going well. On real long tips, I've seen north of 24mpg. Idle is absolutely perfect and after driving the car for a while, once I turn the key to off, there is not a single second of extra noise or any type of "engine run-on." I tell people at work how old the car is and they can't believe it cause it's clean and sounds meaty. Of course, I keep it in a garage whenever I'm not using it, so it doesn't see a lot of the day to day weather/environmental stuff that a lot of cars experience (hoses/belt lasts longer and engine bay stays cleaner longer, in my experience). However, it should be noted that I take the car through it's paces fairly often and I show off the exhaust note for myself and others.

Some guys on here have over 200,000 miles and many are well over 130,000 miles. When I do look to increase the engines power to over 300hp, I will take the extra caution and have the engine rebuilt with new H/C/I and most everything else. In fact, I've got some quotes on some "turnkey" engines that are fully complete including 306's and 351's that will pass emissions (blocks are new along with all other parts AND still way cheaper than a new car. Engine will have more power than most new stangs and/or it will at least be unique).

 

[swingline]

Common sense says that when the motor has over 100,000 miles, it's days are numbered. That's not to say it won't be dependable but if you beat on it, it will break. That is especially true if you are going to spray or run boost.

 

[Car Nut]

swingline is very correct.

It really depends on what mods will be done and how severe the driving will be. A low mileage motor can usually be torn apart with the right combination of mods in the wrong situation. With power adders, anything is possible, but a good foundation has to be planned in advance and taken more seriously than the power adders themselves.

I guess chaulk it up to the foundation you require. It all depends and there are at least 50 different circumstance to consider.

Do some searches on here and see what others have in their sigs and also what others have talked about. Crate motors or turnkey motors usually save you money in the long run cause you start with everything new. I like turnkey cause you get more choices.

 

[whitesnake94]

My motor has 144000 miles on it and I ran a 14.0 second 1/4 at 98 mph about two weeks ago. The motor uses a quart of oil between changes and still running hard. I have a nitrous kit going on the car in the next month and I aint worried. Good luck

 

[1o1PRooF]

I am not even sure how many Mustang 5.0s I have owned over the years, but I can say for a fact it is one of the toughest motors I have ever beat on. For example, I bought an 85gt in 1988 and the motor is still going today(in my old truck now) even though I ran a 125 shot for 3-4 years. When I pulled it out of the gt it had 180k on it, 2 years later she still runs great. Also had a 93gt that clocked 210k and as far as I know it still runs...maybe not like she used to but still going.

I have had balancer problems like someone else mentioned, but other than that I have never had one lay down before 150k. Can't be beat IMO.

 

[xxtavixx]

Can someone please fill me in on the balancer problem? What exactly is that? Do you mean the engine has to be rebalanced, essentially taking it down to the crankshaft or what?

 

[GTJake]

Can someone please fill me in on the balancer problem? What exactly is that? Do you mean the engine has to be rebalanced, essentially taking it down to the crankshaft or what?

No, just the harmonic balancer craps out. Usually the rubber comes out the back of it. You just need to replace the balancer with a new one (preferably a good aftermarket unit).

Jake

 

[Snagged]

I have had my 94 GT for 8 years in which it has 93,000 miles on it. During that time the only problems that I have had with it is the alternator going bad around 82,000 miles and my balancer crapping out at the 92,000 mile mark (all the rubber was worn away from it). This of course is not including regular maintenance.

It is garage kept and I baby it some what.

Now don't get me wrong, it gets put threw its paces, just not on a daily basis .

Other than that it runs as strong as the day I got it.

 

[stang_gt_1994]

I got 187,000 miles on my motor and T5. Dynoed 222hp with underdrive pullys, homemade CAI, and a OR H pipe. It was dynoed when I had 183,000 miles

 

[xxtavixx]

Alright, so would it be easier for me to just put a crate motor in it soon after purchasing it? Most of the ones around here don't meet what I would called babied at all. I drove one the other day that seemed extremely under powered in third gear. Watching th Speedo, the fifth gear in my MX6 would have torn it apart. That was third gear at around 4800rpm in the stang. I used to have a thread book marked about swapping a v6 to v8, and it did not sound that difficult at all. But I can't find that thread anymore, I've been searching for the last hour on it. If I do get a Mustang and plan to put the crate motor in there, it would probably take me a few months to get all the parts and money. I'd probably do the swap myself and try to get some help from some people but I'm not sure. Anyone by chance know where that thread is? And what would everyone reccomend doing?

 

[WMDPALMER]

I would say if your looking for a stang and they all have high miles then go ahead and get a good crate motor. Then you may get some sort of warranty instead of piecing it together. Heck, you might as well get a sixer and do a swap even cheaper! And maybe the car won't be as hard driven.

 

[331 cobra]

If you are dead set on an engine swap, look at the used explorer engines. You get a bunch of performance parts and less miles for about the price of a cobra intake and ported heads.

You might want to expand your search to mustangs with engine trouble, since you are going to fix that right away.

 

[xxtavixx]

I'm also searching for rolling chassis, I'm not sure if junk yards would be a good place to look or not. I'm really in a bind between swapping from a v6 to a v8 currently. From what I've gathered, the only real changes that would have to be made are as follows...

1. Engine (Crate or used 5.0)
2. ECU
3. Fuel lines going from the rail to side (I could rig one if I cant find one)
4. Rear end, the v6 axles fit and the spline is identicle.

The advantages to this are that it could be cheaper, the insurance would be cheaper and I would have a sleeper. The car possibly might not have been run quite so hard, and I could pick up one with lower miles. The disadvantage is that this could present a lot of new problems. There's a chance the front suspensoin will be different, in which case I could put aftermarket GT springs/struts in there but that costs more money. Also this leaves a lot more things I could screw up on during the installation. Also if I get in a wreck I'm not sure that my insurance company would like this. Of course they would cover it, but maybe not after that or they could claim insurance fraud or something like that. This could also cost me quite a bit more than just buying a GT and replacing the motor.

 

[stang_gt_1994]

Also full wiring harness, motor mounts, bellhousing if your using V6 tranny, and some more things I forgot to mention.

 

[xxtavixx]

I just automatically assumed wiring harness with the ECU, and I don't see a single way the motor mounts would be the same lol but thankyou, I need as much information on this as I can. Do you know about the suspension, if it is different?