Tiger 5.0 Conversion
An Article by Curtis Fisher
Sept., 2001
Page 6
Vrooom:
Behind the CAT headers, I replaced the H-pipe and exhaust with 2 1/4 inch tubing and Flowmasters Series 3. This sounds real serious under WOT. At idle it’s a healthy thumpity-thumpity, real noticeable all the time. I sometimes wish for a quieter exhaust, but not too often. Nine times I’ve been to the gas station since the installation. Eight times people walk up and ask about the motor, so it must be making some noise! Per Tom’s advise the exhaust is hung with SS isolators and distributing pads on the body to prevent tear out.
I replaced the previous Unilite with a MSD 8352 model. It fits closely to the water temp sensor. The MSD with external boxes offer more features (RPM control, adjustable advance, more spark energy). I wanted a simple one part installation without extra boxes.
The starter is a compound reduction gear starter from Ford. Much lighter than the stock starter. If I had checked on buying from the electric rebuilding shop, I could have saved about half the price. The reduction starter solenoid does not have isolation so you’ll need an isolating solenoid. I ended up adding the stock solenoid in series to make it work properly. This is a potential extra failure mechanism.
Getting Power to the Wheels
I bought my engine and transmission at the Mustang Ranch in Santa Clara. Knowledgeable folks who knew what this was going into and had suggestions. Highly suggested was an aluminum flywheel (#563102) for faster acceleration. It replaces the stock steel 157 tooth perfectly. The clutch is a Centerforce II Gold. The release is a McLeod annular throwout bearing, the hydraulics are routed through the aluminum bellhousing and presented to the stock Tiger hydraulic clutch master cylinder. Since the slave cylinder and clutch arm are gone, there is more potential foot area (about 4inches) if you want to adjust the area for your comfort. (I did : )
An extensive modification done concurrently was a TR-3550 5 speed transmission. This required tunnel mods will be described in the upcoming Tremec conversion article, currently in preparation. Check "Restoration Tips" for release listing. I used the rear stick location and it comfortably aligns with the car seating. The original top loader shifter was too forward for comfort (IMHO).
Now with the engine in the car, and all systems connected, it still needed exhaust and mufflers. This is a quandary because you need the exhaust to do other things (check cooling, adjust carburetor, move the car, etc.) The first drive was to the muffler shop. That involved driving open collector to the muffler shop. I choose 9 AM since the neighbors should not be sleeping and the ticket writers would be soaking their doughnuts in coffee. No problems. After the exhaust was installed, time was given to breaking in the new engine and checking the new accessories (clutch operation, alternator, radiator cooling).
The new motor drives great, very strong acceleration. New installations come with minor adjustments needed. The spark plugs were incorrect and fouled out in 50 miles. I’ve put about 500 miles on and it runs great. I’ve been to one auto-cross and did ‘OK’ without pushing it. I’m still adjusting things to get it as perfect as possible as all Tiger owners tend to do.
In combination with the motor installation, several other modifications/repairs were undertaken. The result was a wide digression from the primary goal of a motor swap and back to fun driving. Once you begin a project, keep in mind your goals and resources. I did not have a schedule or exact plan when I started. Later it was discovered many more repairs were needed that were not known when the project started. In retrospect, it would have been better to focus on the frame and engine repair only. Once you get started, its easy to get carried away.
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