We will be covering the major ideas you need to do a Coyote Motor Swap into a Fox Body Mustang & SN95 Mustang. Follow along in this multi-part series of videos and tech to learn all about Mustang Coyote Swaps.
Scott Hubbard, long time friend of Late Model Restoration President Shannon Guderian, approached us with a problem. The track car he maintains and drives, owned by Warren Hall and sponsored by Late Model Restoration, had just laid it's 32V 4.6L powerplant to rest. Unfortunately, a connecting rod broke and the aluminum block now had a nice new external window for added ventilation. A problem indeed.
The car in question is a 1997 Mustang Cobra that started out life as a white exterior/tan interior coupe. Before it was delivered to its first owner it was painted orange, received a vinyl decal treatment, and was treated to a host of suspension and safety mods. Why would someone do this? Well, if you were the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, you wouldn't know any other way. After the cars tenure at Bondurant it was sold off and turned into a full fledged track car. The original B-head 4.6L 32V gave up the ghost and was replaced with a C-head 4.6L 32V out of an 03-04 Mach 1. Eventually it was up for sale again, which is where Warren, Scott, and Late Model Restoration entered the picture. For years, the #75 Bondurant Cobra performed flawlessly. As with all good things though, an end is inevitable.
So, that brings us back to the broken engine. What to do? Obviously, a new engine was in order. The problem was whether to replace the 4.6L with another 4.6L, or do something different. A pushrod motor was considered, but ultimately we landed on a Ford Racing Coyote 5.0L TiVCT. The allure of 400+ potential horsepower with stock reliability and driveability were just a few of the deciding factors. The fact that we could retain the existing k-member, clutch, flywheel, and transmission were huge pluses as well.
Now we know what we wanted to do, but what would we need to do it and how long would it take? The "what do we need" list started out looking like the one below.
- M-6007-M50 - Ford Racing Mustang 5.0L Coyote Crate Engine
- M-6017-A504V - Ford Racing Mustang 5.0L Coyote Crate Engine Control Pack
- M-9680-M50 - Ford Racing 5.0L Coyote Crate Engine Cover Kit
- M-8600-M50B - Ford Racing 5.0L Coyote Crate Engine Alternator Kit
- M-8511-M50BR - Ford Racing 5.0L Coyote Crate Engine Power Steering Pump Bracket
- SVE 1979-2004 Mustang Coyote Swap Control Pack Pedal Mounting Bracket
- Moroso - 20571 - 1979-2010 Mustang Coyote Swap Engine Oil Pan
- BBK - 16430 - 1979-2004 Mustang Coyote Swap Ceramic Coated Long Tube Headers
- BBK - 1787 - 1979-2004 Mustang Coyote Swap Off-Road X-pipe
On the question of how long will it take, well, we're about to find out. Stay tuned for Part Two, and be sure to check out our complete offering of
Mustang Coyote Swap Parts.
Thinking about a 5.0L Coyote Engine Conversion?
