Ok, so I aint been on this board in forever (says 12-13-2001). That being said, the search tool aint picking up much on using a ford 3.8 in a Zuk. Ive got an 87 Zuk that I paid next to nothing for and just picked up a 89 T-bird super coupe for less than that. The car ran good, the guy who had it, split the tranny case wide open street racing. Yes, I do know it will be just a bit over powered. Hell, I wont need the front driveshaft becasue the tires will never be on the ground. :bounce2: Wiring will be a PITA, but I have plenty of duct tape.
So if anybody has put a 3.8 into a Zuk, are there any major tips or warnings other than I think its gonna need a good sized shoe horn for the super charger stuff. My trusty tape measure puts it being very tight fit in every direction after it gets a body lift.
wayne

sounds like a perfect mud-whumpin setup... lots o' torque to keep the tires clean, but would grenade the stock trans.. and the axles & birfs would vaporize in fear at seeing what was being lowered into the engine compartment before you bolted in the first mount...

That sounds like some fun! Thunderbird's are pretty heavy, and that 3.8 can get them moving pretty nicely.

The engine is going to suit mud and sand...is that what you were planning on? Not sure how much low end torque is has.

I dont think it will push through the woods like it does now, but it should be great for mud and picking on the ricers. I wonder if they will let me run in the street 4 and 6 cylinder class at the local mud bogs or push me to the modified classes.
As far as power goes, stock its supposed to be 210 hp at 4000rpms and 315 torque at 2800. But the car aint stock. Before the tranny broke and the car got shot at (not the engine) it would get squirrly at 70 if you floored it. I was expecting to need dana 44s out of a cj and a good C4 tranny.

Hmmmmm....

Lets see.....

a 3.8 SC, into a built C4 trans (2wd) into a Divorced Toyota t-case(s) into D44 axles or Toy axles......


sounds like a good time to me....... :smokin:


just be sure to stretch the WB before you go and light up the tires or you may find yourself shiney-side down on the pavement. :eek: :laughing:

Post pics...sounds like a good plan.
while the engine is out though, you may want to check the head gaskets, change 'em now while you have the room to work.

that is gonna be FUN :D
I was planning on a 13b turbo rotary swap but i gave up on the idea (no time and it;s alot of money)
make sur eyou post pics along the way

I will post pics along the way, dont worry. This shouldnt be the most expensive project ever because I already have the whole car for $150. I just need to figure out witch tranny, transfer case and axles to use. And all of the little stuff like how much duct tape it takes to make a driveshaft out of a cardboard tube. As far as mixing parts and making it work, right now I have my friends junky 93 ranger formerly 4.0 and 2x4 now with 78 wagoneer axles and a 304 halfway bolted up sitting in the barn.
Back to the Zuk.
Right now I have all these parts laying around to use or real easy to get ahold of.
89 T-bird with a super 3.8 and no tranny IRS 8.8
87 Zuk
dana 44 quad track rear axle
quad track transfer vaccume shift
spare NV4500HD for my Dodge, it tends to break them alot
ranger 2.9 tranny and transfer (electric or manual shift)
J10 axles front hog head on either side, transfers and one 3 speed(1974 and 82)
Wagoneer quad track axles, auto tranny and transfer(1974)
Cj dana 44 front and rear
94 cherokee auto tranny, transfer and axles 2 bad front control arms needs spindles

this aint gonna be a rock crawler, but a very fast mud and a few trails Zuk, so I dont need to double the transfers.
lots of duct tape and JB weld Who knows what else I can turn up If I look harder, this is just off the top of my head.

It appears that I will need to do some creative plumming for the radiator and intercooler. The car already had electric fans so could I mount them above the engine like a h1. The brush wouldnt get it easily that way too. It needs a new gas tank. I ripped the stock skid plate off on a stump and when my birthday comes around in a few weeks, it will have a Alumnium tank that holds 16.5 gallons and labeled anhauser bush in the bed. Already gave up on the back seat when it broke jumping through a dry mudhole. A friends head bounced off of the roll bar, luckly it didnt break the roll bar. If you knew him, you would understand.
I dont see why it needs to be streched if I can get it to fit in there. I havent flipped it yet doing e brake slides, just close when the tire blew off the rim.

Does any of that make any sense to anyone other than me?

Isn't the 3.8 ford pretty long, as far as V6's go? .....lots of stuff sticking out on the front of the motor? I'm thinking the overall length is about the same as a V8.

Do you have any pics of your engine?

it aint that long. Oh wait, maybe it is.
http://home.earthlink.net/~jff24gordn/zuk/t-bird_3.8_front.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~jff24gordn/zuk/t-bird_3.8_side.jpg
It looks like the pullys will be right at the grill. A nice snug fit.
well, here is what the zuk looks like.
http://home.earthlink.net/~jff24gordn/zuk/zuk_right.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~jff24gordn/zuk/zuk_rear.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~jff24gordn/zuk/zuk_engine_left.jpg

Those are courser 31x10.50x15 STD's. My friend I bought it off of gave me STD's. lol

kicking around ideas, I think the 94 cherokee axles with stock style 4 link would be a good choice with a 4x4 c4 and what ever transfer case is layin around on it.

To explain the other stuff in the pics, the green ford is a 2k PSD with a TS chip, 39.5 boggers, 1980's model dana 60/70, crossover steering and a broken pitman shaft. My truck is the green Dodge, and the truck in the barn is a 93 ranger described a little above. And of course the mighty rochester carb siliconed to the zuk.

the exhaust is going to be your biggest P.I.T.A.Ive got the 4.3 in mine, not a whole lot of room left.

Go for it.. Doesn't sound like you are looking for the ultimate install, just a fun beater rig with enough power to kill all, including passengers and bystanders. :) Will be a tight ass fit, that is for sure, but sounds like you will enjoy the process.

Also keep in mind that 3.8 weighs a lot. Damn near V8 weight isn't it?

-Wayne

The motor has problems, burns oil and leaks oil and water from everywhere and the carb was junk. So I am fixing the problem the fun way, the tim the tool man way. F* the bystanders, they were too skeered to ride with me. And thanks for the support.