I worked out the best trade ever with a guy on craigslist - my 400K 2002 focus for his 85 mustang - which actually cranked and I drove onto the trailer. This is my first 4 eyed car. It's an 85 LX coupe 5 Liter. It runs poorly, has a dirty faded interior, and needs a lot of TLC but I love it already. From what I understand the orginal engine was replaced. Hopefully has roller lifters/camshaft and E7 heads. BTW how to I check to see if these are E7s? Is the part number stamped under the valve cover? No mechanical fuel pump. Has a fairly crappy looking fuel pump thats mounted to the fender. Engine has a weiand 2P-180 manifold and 80457-2 (4160) 600 cfm holley carb. Also this car is has a c4 auto. Some of the electrical system does not work (gauges, interior lights, power door locks). Also someone has added some auto parts store cheap-o gauges under the dash. My other car is a stout '01 Cobra. I want to work out the electrical problems both under the hood and in the dash and get this car driving decent. My tentative plans are too just get the car running good and drive it to work a few times a week. This is not a full restoration project as of now, just want to get her running smooth. I was planning on pulling the engine soon so I could work on the wiring and clean the engine bay. My first main question is about the distributor. It seems that the distributor has a TFI module like the fuel injected models. Is this not the right distributor for a carbed '85? I have a vac advance distributor out of a mecurcy capri that could be used (steel gear needed?). Also I have a DUI HEI distributor that could be used. The coil mounted on the fender also looks like an EFI coil. Is this right? I'm afraid the previous owner(s) may have done some screwy work. Also I traced the passenger side wiring harness into the car and behind the kick panel is the bracket for the computer for the EFI cars and a what seems like the computer wiring connector. Since 85 were not EFI, why is this computer connector even in the car??? What parts do you think I need to get this car going? I'm already thinking the pitiful fuel pump needs to go and I either need a holley electric pump or the mechanical pump. I have both, what do you recommend? Also I'll be using EFI stock headers and an o/r H pipe and twin flowmasters. The engine will remain stock shortblock with E7s (if thats what I have). I was planning on swaping the weiand 2P-180 (8006) for a weiand stealth (8020) which I have sitting in my shop. Also I not real familiar with carbs but I have this 4160 already on the car but I also have a 4150 650DP in the shop which I could clean up and put on. I'd like to change the stock HO cam out for a little thumper cam. I know the stock HO cam is a good cam but I'd like a little thump thump. Pretty much I'd like y'all to look over the pics I've attached and tell me what you see, especially electrical wise and let me know what you think about my possible enigine combo. Link to pics --> Picasa Web Albums - John - Blue Coupe
Externally it don't really look bad for how old it is, that engine bay def. needs a cleaning though haha. And ya that distributor is for efi, if you say he has the computer and the harness ran to it and everything, he may have been doing an efi swap and just didn't finish. If anything you could just fix the wiring and get the right parts in and just sell the computer and harness if it ain't be used.
Their is no computer in the car it's just the white plastic bracket where one bolts too and the large computer wireing harness just sitting their not plugged in. I'm planning on staying carbed for now, but I do have a complete EFI system stored away for a rainy day.
I just found out this car was equipped with a CFI system. I wonder If I should just pull out the passenger side wiring harness.... what do y'all think?
85 5.0 Yes the Heads will have a casting number under the valve covers. Does the fuel pump have a filter between the pump and carb. You should not be pulling fuel through a filter on the vacuum side. I cant remember where the filter was on an 85. Later cars with an in tank fuel pump pumped the fuel through a filter under pressure. If the motor has a roller cam it needs a steel (not cast) distributor gear. The roller cams are a harder steel than tappet cams thus requiring the harder steel gear. The others question is personel perference but I would put on the double pump Holley and the better intake manifold. Another thing which rear axle does the car have 7.5 or 8.8. If you build the motor you will need the 8.8.
Automatic 85 mustangs were equiped with CFI and were way down on power (like 165 hp) compared to 205 hp for the 5-speed cars. it had a computer in it at one time, but probably taken out when the put the c-4 in. The motor is not a roller originally, another option that came with the auto tranny. The casting numbers are under the head. And the rear end is a 7.5, the 8.8 didnt come out till 86. with the computer out that might be why some of your gauges arent working. they ran through the computer. Also the filter is in front of the tank. just like a efi car. you will have to put a fuel pressure regulator on the fuel line infront of the carb or it will screw up your carb.( if not done already) You will aslo need to put a "T" in the fuel line, back to the tank. being that it is has a return system on it. Good luck. if you decide to go back all original, i have the cfi unit, computer, and the aod. look me up.
