RWD Conversion for Gen 3

[HotRodKid]

eventually, alex and i have to get around to seeing what it will take to make a TC fit, and we also have to see if a stock water neck will fit, and then figure out where the tranny case needs to be notched to make the engine-to-adapter plate bolts fit properly.

and i have to devise an adjustable set of locating pins between the adapter and tranny so every tranny can be adjusted to being perfectly centered on the crank centerline so that people aren't shredding transmissions during 9000 rpm runs

 

[mustangracer91]

I'm seriously wanting a trans adapter for a 3.4L gen3 motor. t5/c4/gm, I don't care, I just wanna put it n/s in my project chassis.

7k rpm runs is really all I'm wanting it to handle...hehehe

 

[Laminar]

Here's another question: Should the oil pan be modified for a longitudinal application? I ask this because the 3.0 Duratec in the Lincoln LS has a markedly different oil pan and sump system than the normal transverse 3.0 Duratec. Here's what the Lincoln LS's pan looks like:

There's almost a separate tank on the front of the pan where the sump pulls oil from.

Would it be a good idea to modify the 3.4 V8's pan in a similar fashion to prevent any kind of oil starvation of would it be okay?

 

[mustangracer91]

as I can tell, the pan is a rear sump arrangment, with a nice little windage tray...so frankly unless it's a front sump chassis it's being installed into, like how the 3.0L LS is, I don't see any reason to modify the oil pan.

 

[Tyler Colley]

This thread is long abandoned, I know. OP probably doesn't even have the car anymore. I'm replying because I am actually planning a RWD conversion on my 99', and the people in this thread are the only ones I've seen that haven't dismissed the OP as ridiculous.

My 99 belonged to my grandfather. When he developed dimentia, the car was given to me. I used it as my daily for a year, until the salt ate away the rocker panels. I now have another DD and, like my other 5 cars, can modify and dump money into the Taurus to my hearts desire.

The question on my mind first and foremost is, what rear end would fit into my car the best? Obviously nothing is a direct fit, and the frame rails would need to be modified, but I'm thinking that either a Lincoln LS, or MKVIII would be close.

I've already decided to remove the spare tire well, flatten the trunk floor, and mount a fuel cell under there, and also will need a custom low-profile exhaust a-la 3rd gen camaros. I intend to do these modifications and install a rear end in the car all while leaving the FWD intact...so the car will still be usable until I decide I want to start hacking at the engine.

 

[stephen newberg]

Best of luck with it.

pax, smn

 

[98SF19]

I scanned through these posts and was expecting to see either Kirk or Doug chime in or at least mentioned. I remember Kirk had done a manual conversion, but not sure about the RWD. Anymore, these guys probably groan at the mention of a Gen3. BTW, I'm talking about Kirk Doucette (Northeast sho, New England) and Doug Lewis (FPS, Atlanta). There are no doubt other enthusiasts (aka chronic-compulsive SHO-obsessed) that will chime in.

 

[stephen newberg]

Well, Kirk has not been about here in years. Doug shows up every now and then, but its rare and I do not remember the last time for sure. Might be years now too. I suspect this turned out to be a far more difficult project than any anticipated when they started it.

pax, smn

 

[E1]

I looked at this seriously a few years back.

For ease of use, I would recommend taking the entire floorpan from a MN 12 platform car - i.e. a 1989 - 2007 Cougar, Tbird, or Mark 8 Lincoln - and splicing your Taurus upper body to it. You said your rockers were gone anyhow, so make whatever joining panels you need.

You get a choice of V8's = 5.0 or 4.6 and a fully independent rear suspension. Wheelbase is almost identical.

Easy Peasy.

 

[Tyler Colley]

I agree with taking the rear end and probably rear frame rails out of a mark viii....even gone as far as making an offer on one for the parts years back. But cutting the whole bottom of my car off and trying to fit a lincoln floor in just sounds dangerously complicated for both my resources, and my confidence in fabrication. I work at a resto shop, so I know full well anything can be fixed, and anything can be modified.

Were you suggesting taking the entire bottom of the car out, or just swapping key parts? First thoughts that would come to mind for me, in cutting out a floor, would be trying to get the taurus interior to fit back in after, trying to adjust the geography of the lincoln floor to the taurus body, and figuring out how to keep the ridgidity and form the body from moving while the work was in progress.

 

[Off Road SHO]

Ok, this is a really ambitious project so I will throw in my 2 cents worth. You are going to go through a lot of fabrication and end up with a rear wheel drive Ford. There's a zillion of those out there. For all the effort, you could take another engine, transaxle and subframe and put it in the rear, giving you something that only a few people have ever done. With automatic transaxles, there is no need to worry about sync'ing drive lines together. The rear drive could be welded so that it doesn't steer or you could get really crazy and make it all wheel steer.

Or you can make a Thunderbird.

Tom

 

[E1]

Anything one does like this is going to be complicated, and require some sensitive geometry. I would probably chop out a rear floor section that holds the rear end in the MN 12 car, and then again borrow from the front for the trans tunnel.

Love the twin engine idea. Like the thought of a trunk too. What do you want to do with the car is the next question I guess?

 

[Off Road SHO]

The only problem with front engine, rear wheel drive setup will be the tunnel. The Taurus uses multiple layers of sheet metal under and in front of your feet as a "frame". If you attempt to take those out or modify them, you will first have to build a new frame somewhere else to support the left and right halves of the car. The nice thing about the twin engine idea, is that you don't. You just add in a rear subframe support system. What a sleeper that would be! About 470 hp, all wheel drive and very very quick launches.

Tom

 

[stephen newberg]

I think Tom just above makes a huge amount of sense when discussing this overall concept, and if I were doing such a major modification, would be inclined to go that way. As it is, my 997.2 is already all wheel drive and 408 hp, so I think I will keep the SHO more or less as from the factory, plus its few minor mods.

pax, smn

 

[Tyler Colley]

Sounds like the MN12 rear end is estimated to fit more favorably than the LS...when i feel like braving the cold again ill have a drive to the scrapyard and measure up a mark 8...there's about 10 of them there.

If i could just get a rear end installed, and my sheet metal fixed...i'd be very happy for a while.