Rear end swap questions - Which way to go?

[DerekTheGreat]

The HO swap is not that hard. Depending on the engine, intakes and computer you're using, you do have to change a few things.
But the whole thing is pretty straight forward.
To get the best from an HO swap, an HO tranny would be nice.
As for exhaust I used Lincoln logs, which allowed me to bolt my stock dual exhaust system right up.
They may not be the "very best", but they are better than stock manifolds.
If you use anything else you will have to modify the exhaust.
The combination of the HO with the 3:55's did make a big difference.

Good to know that the swap is worth it. It does seem to be fairly easy, I know the TB has to be modified as well but that can't be a big deal. So the Lincoln logs are different from GM & LTD manifolds? I don't have a dual exhaust yet with this car so I may just keep it single until I decide to do the full swap, the HO manifolds fit though right? What's the difference between an HO AOD & regular?

[jaywish]

The governor is set higher. I can't remember if the Torque converter is different.

[mcninetyone]

The Lincoln Logs are like mini headers, they bolt up to single or dual exhaust without any modifications.
As you know the stock manifolds are cast iron and the HO manifolds are more like shorty headers.
But with HO manifolds you do have to modify the exhaust, which I wanted to avoid.
The ONLY manifolds that will bolt up with no modifications is either the stock cast iron or the Lincoln Logs!!
Like Jay says, the HO AOD has a different governor and other differences to take advantage of the HO's power.
But I ran a stock lopo AOD for a long time with no problems, just not the best set up I could have.
I now have an HO AOD inthe car.

[GoodSamaritan]

Oh man, if that's all there was to the HO swap I would have done it a long time ago. With the HO swap the firing order is different and the HO cam and upper intake is needed. There may be more to it than that but I have no interest in doing that swap any time soon so I don't know.

As for axle codes GoodSamaritan has a list in his signature:
Axle codes
Open/Lock/Ratio #
-----------------------
G / H / 2.26
B / C / 2.47
8 / M / 2.73
7 / - / 3.07
Y / Z / 3.08
4 / D / 3.42
F / R / 3.45
5 / E / 3.27
6 / W / 3.73
2 / K / 3.55
A / - / 3.63
J / - / 3.85

Edit: Although I believe those codes apply to boxes, I have no idea if they are the same for Aeros or newer.

They certainly don't apply to whales. I can't remember when the cutoff year is though.

Nice to see yall still remember me around here.

[VicCrownVic]

With a signature as useful as yours, of course we remember. I've seen others mention your signature as well. I didn't think I had seen you on here in a while so welcome back. Oh, and that wagon looks awesome.

Derek if you're looking for Lincoln logs check out the 90 TC at Parts Galore on 8 mile, they should still be on that car. Also I put the fan shroud in the back seat and didn't bother to take it since the coolant bottle was not with it.

[DerekTheGreat]

The Lincoln Logs are like mini headers, they bolt up to single or dual exhaust without any modifications.
As you know the stock manifolds are cast iron and the HO manifolds are more like shorty headers.
But with HO manifolds you do have to modify the exhaust, which I wanted to avoid.
The ONLY manifolds that will bolt up with no modifications is either the stock cast iron or the Lincoln Logs!!
Like Jay says, the HO AOD has a different governor and other differences to take advantage of the HO's power.
But I ran a stock lopo AOD for a long time with no problems, just not the best set up I could have.
I now have an HO AOD inthe car.

Word. If a dude wanted to run the HO manifolds there's no issue with clearance in the engine bay is there? I think I'd just yank an HO, redo manfold gaskets, VC gaskets & intake gaskets, slap it in and have the exhaust done when the time comes. Sounds like I'd have an issue retaining my Cats though, so the Lincoln Logs might have to go in place of the HO manifolds.

With a signature as useful as yours, of course we remember. I've seen others mention your signature as well. I didn't think I had seen you on here in a while so welcome back. Oh, and that wagon looks awesome.

Derek if you're looking for Lincoln logs check out the 90 TC at Parts Galore on 8 mile, they should still be on that car. Also I put the fan shroud in the back seat and didn't bother to take it since the coolant bottle was not with it.

You should start leaving a signature, like "VCV was here." Then other local grandmarq members like me could see the sig, and ad ours as we find them, like geo caching with cars lol.

So the Lincoln logs everybody talks about are found on 90 TC's only or were they on every box TC? I know the 90 is technically an aero but it's a bastard aero/box since it has a 302 lol.

[VicCrownVic]

...
You should start leaving a signature, like "VCV was here." Then other local grandmarq members like me could see the sig, and ad ours as we find them, like geo caching with cars lol.

So the Lincoln logs everybody talks about are found on 90 TC's only or were they on every box TC? I know the 90 is technically an aero but it's a bastard aero/box since it has a 302 lol.

Lol, the thought of leaving a signature had crossed my mind actually.

The Lincoln logs are one year only and that 90 TC was still there as of this past Saturday. Last time I checked the exhaust manifolds were still there but I didn't look this past weekend since I wasn't looking for anything off that car. The car is right on the main isle pretty close to where the main isle jogs to the West, it's the same color as Piranah's old 90 TC he currently has pictured in his signature.

[DerekTheGreat]

Too cold for my wussy self to go junkin' so I'll have to wait for another opportunity. Went all over the yards last winter and man, that sucks lol. Gotta find respite in other cars & wait for feeling to come back to my fingers and stuff, not to mention the tools get all snowy & rusty, not cool.

The only issue I have with an HO swap at this point is how well the LoPo runs & looks in my engine bay right now. At 90k she still pulls good, oil comes out clean, has fresh plugs, wires & all that jazz too. I mean, what would you guys do? Am I the only one who kinda thinks pulling a perfectly good running engine is on the wasteful side? Unless I purchase a used one from a trusted source there's no telling what I'm going to get..

[miamibob]

I'm a BIG believer in leaving something that works well alone! I tend not to do "nice to haves"!!

[VicCrownVic]

At 90K miles I would run it for at least another 100K miles, but that may be my daily driver mentality talking which fits right in with what Miamibob said.

As far as winter junkyard runs, as long as the temperature is at least in the upper 20's I'll go but below that I'm less likely to go unless there is something very important that I can only get at the junkyard. A lot of the stuff that I usually go for is interior stuff so as long the car has doors with windows intact the cold isn't so bad. The only good thing about temps below freezing is not having to deal with mud.

[DerekTheGreat]

I'm a BIG believer in leaving something that works well alone! I tend not to do "nice to haves"!!

I agree with that logic and it's that side of me that keeps saying, "Leave it be." I will swap in a posi though! That's a gotta have in a snowy state like mine.

At 90K miles I would run it for at least another 100K miles, but that may be my daily driver mentality talking which fits right in with what Miamibob said.

As far as winter junkyard runs, as long as the temperature is at least in the upper 20's I'll go but below that I'm less likely to go unless there is something very important that I can only get at the junkyard. A lot of the stuff that I usually go for is interior stuff so as long the car has doors with windows intact the cold isn't so bad. The only good thing about temps below freezing is not having to deal with mud.

You're right on with the no mud factor. Parts Galore on 8 Mile is usually a swap in the spring & summer. All I care about is mostly interior items too, I'm getting anxious to make another run but pizza, movies or Xbox usually win me over on Saturday & Sunday haha. As for the HO swap, my current engine looks minty, so I feel that unless someone has a nice one they're willing to sell on here or a gearhead friend of mine has one that they want to part with I can't justify swapping in some oxidized junkyard motor with unknown miles & problems ya know?