Temp. sending unit on a Mustang engine.

[cougarboy]

I was wondering if someone can tell me where to locate the temputure sending unit on a Mustang engine...I'm not sure what year it is because the engine is in my Cougar, but if someone can give me an idea I would be much greatful.

[SkylineUSA]

Hey Cougarboy,

I have a 1970 Cougar Eliminator with a Boss 302.

What year cougar do you have?

Just remember, there is no such thing as a Mustang engine, they are either 302s, 351w, 351c, etc

If your talking about the older model 302s I believe they are on the intake manifold, should be a wire coming back to the fire wall. I could be mistakin, I have been working on my '87 for so long I am kind of rusty on the old ones.

[cougarboy]

Sorry, it's a 5.o liter 302, and I really have no clue what year the engine is from, but the cougar its self it a 1986. I might have found the sending unit, i'm actually going to go check it out right now. After my job this summer i'm going to use that money to buy a 350, yea people are already giving me shit for putting a chevy engine in a cougar, or actualy maybe I want to find another 302 and get a kit for it. The 302 in it now is all funky and needs to be worked on alot, i think i'm better off finding another engine.

[SkylineUSA]

Your not going to put a 350 in your car, it would be too much of a pain in the butt. It would not be cost, or time effective.

Find either a 302, or a 351W.

What is wrong with the one you have? Is it a Mass Air or Speed Density?

[cougarboy]

Whats wrong with it you ask? Well i'm not exactly sure, is what i was saying befor is that im afraid to spend money on this engine because I think it was beat around befor I baught the car for 350 dollars...the only thing i have done to the engine since we baught it was replace to valve cover gaskets and it stoped leaking oil after that, and then well we had an unfortinate accident involving a ditch, we got the body work done on it and it looks even better then it did befor, but the engine is leaking pretty bad, i don't yet know much about engines so i took it to a elder freind and he said i might be better off finding a rebuilt 302.

Mass air or speed density??? Man i have no idea what you are talking about..ha ha, I know just about nothing about Mustang engines, all i can tell you is that its got a big illuminum thing on top that says Ford 5.0 liter...ha i feel like a fool...

Well the cougar its self is a 1986, but I don't know what year of Mustang the engine is from.:o

[SkylineUSA]

Trust me, I am still learning.

If you a sensor on your intake pipe, it will be a MASS. If you do not its a speed density.

Mass Air is the perferable system for upgrades, but the SD is pretty good as well, you just cant realy crank up the power like you can with a mass air. If I remember you can get about 300-350 to the ground with a SD if its set up right. Mass Air you can get over 1000hp when set up.

I will tell you, get the 350 thing out of your head. If you want to build a 350, buy a chevy it will be easy and cheaper in the long run.

FORD or CHEVY, it does not really matter. Both companies have there good points and bad points, what it really comes down to is which cars you learned on first. Me Ford, but I really do not put people down if they drive either. I even like some of the import guys, as long as they are cool and not going overboard with the rice theme.

If you have the time and means, tear that 302 down and learn first hand about how that things tick. You will learn volumes.

[cougarboy]

Oh don't worry I got the 350 out of my head, besides i was told you can buy kits for the 302 and I could make it somthin like a 357 anyway. I'm actually in the process of tearing this engine down, i'm trying at least to get to the head gasket (wish me luck) but I need a torque wrench now to put it back together so I don't strip the bolts like I always did working on my dirtbike.

It must be a mass air, again if you remember right, because it does have a sensor on the intake.

[SkylineUSA]

The sensor should be on the right after the air cleaner. Not close to the intake.

Also if you ever build a stroker, I would not go over a 331, any more than that you will drastically increase your side load. For a 351 I would not go over a 377.

[cougarboy]

Well shizzy um well i'm just going to tear the engine down, so you think it would be a god idea just to replace every seal or gasket I come across when i'm tearing it down? If so where is a good place to order that junk from?

[speedfreak]

Originally posted by cougarboy
Well shizzy um well i'm just going to tear the engine down, so you think it would be a god idea just to replace every seal or gasket I come across when i'm tearing it down?

Well, if you take the engine apart, you'll HAVE to replace all the seals/gaskets. You'll need a complete engine gasket kit. Pep Boys has them, but at $150, its a ripoff.

[cougarboy]

Those bastards...that is a rip off, i'm going to O'Riely...

[DRW1000]

To SkylineUSA,

Just curious. You said there was no such thing as a Mustang Engine just 302s, 351s........

I almost agree but if I remember correclty in 1986 there was the 5.0HO -200hp that was in the Mustangs and Capris but the 5.0s for the rest of the Fords was 180 hp or so. In other Words The Mustangs had their own flavour of 5.0's.

In 1987 the Stang 5.0 went to 225 hp and the Lincoln MarkVIII got the use of the 200 HP version and the rest of the line got something else.

I am not sure I f I am totally confused herebut it does seem that there are engine differences that are not attributed to simple bolt ons.

Am I missing something?

[SkylineUSA]

Talk about moving some cob webs I wrote that a while ago.

Like said, there is no such thing as a mustang engine, Ford designed the engine, not a company named Mustang, that was my point.

[DRW1000]

ah okay..................

I just wanted to point out that there were specific Ford designed engines specifically for the stangs and it seems like you agree and were not saying anything to the contrary.

Sorry about bringing up ancient history. (LOL)