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S197 Badger - 2011 S197 Gen3 Swap Build Thread Profile - S197 Mustangs

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This is the Build Thread for Badger - 2011 S197 Gen3 Swap.

Hi Folks,

This car has been around for a while but I figured this would be a good point to start a build thread.
2021 Season:
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Out of the blue I got hold of the Motortrend/Enginelabs Gen3 test mule incl. control pack. Now I am starting my journey to make this swap happen.
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Couple articles utilizing this engine:

Dropping the motor in will be the easy part but sorting out the electronics will be a bit of a challenge.

I am looking to maintain the following systems and will spend the some time researching and testing what it takes:
  1. Electric steering rack (Boss 302R)
  2. ABS (Boss race module)
  3. Functional tail, signal and headlights
  4. HVAC and AC. SoCal gets hot and this would be a big plus.

Happy to get feedback and ideas on how to make all of this happen!
 
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I happened to see you at my first trip out to Buttonwillow in May. I even snapped a pic of your car because I love this build SO MUCH. Looking forward to seeing all the details of this one!
Haha, nice! Car had a blown shocks and rather imbalanced aero that day. Hopefully I have the car ready for the next event =)
 
Cool project. Wish I could tell you exactly what is needed, but I’m not yet done figuring out the wiring and programming of my gen3 swap. Mine is into an S550 but similar idea.

Not sure about AC as I’m not attempting to retain that.

ABS another member here got it operational in his S197 by wiring up to the RCM as they share one of the canbus networks in S197’s.

Steering rack will require a Cortex EPAS stimulator as you will have removed the canbus network which runs that system.

Lights are run through the BCM in your car but you cannot likely retain it and need to rewire those.

Also the fuel system will need to be changed to a return system as the ford control packs are designed to run a return system not a returnless as you currently have (I presume).
 
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Cool project. Wish I could tell you exactly what is needed, but I’m not yet done figuring out the wiring and programming of my gen3 swap. Mine is into an S550 but similar idea.

Not sure about AC as I’m not attempting to retain that.

ABS another member here got it operational in his S197 by wiring up to the RCM as they share one of the canbus networks in S197’s.

Steering rack will require a Cortex EPAS stimulator as you will have removed the canbus network which runs that system.

Lights are run through the BCM in your car but you cannot likely retain it and need to rewire those.

Also the fuel system will need to be changed to a return system as the ford control packs are designed to run a return system not a returnless as you currently have (I presume).

Dude, this is some fantastic info!

I will likely have to make some kind of switch box to control lights, AC, etc. Lets see how it goes. Biggest question though, are your brake lights working?
What fuel system did you go for?
 
Here's the thread about the ABS BTW:


I'm attempting to use all the factory electronics from the donor GT I got the engine from. But all the modules are not jiving yet, will see if I can get it to work. If not I'll most likely PATS (anti-theft system) delete the PCM so I can use that along with the OEM fuel system and some of the OEM wiring. Then rewire the body of the car like you are planning to do for lights, climate control, wipers, etc. This also most likely requires a new/different dash/gauge cluster as well. So the cost rises quickly. Which brings me to my final consideration which is the new AIM Sports PDM. If I need to rewire the car anyways and need a new dash display as a result, that system seems to be a really sweet setup which accomplishes both with solid state power distribution, no relays, fuses, etc, but with a fully configurable dash, GPS, data logging, etc.

Keep this thread updated with your progress, there is very little written on this subject. Most people either leave all wiring stock or the race car builders go full standalone with Bosch ABS, etc.
 
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Good news, I think this might be less complicated than expected.

I did some testing today to see what interior and lighting systems work without the ECU, gauge cluster and various harness strands disconnected.
I am sure this might be old news for many here but I`ve never seen a list, so here you go:

ECUNo ECUNo Gauge ClusterNo C210No C2280ANo C2280BNo C2280ENo C211
HeadlightsAlways on
High beams
Signal lights
Emergency
Brake lights
Window Lift Motors
Door locks
Remote door lock
Mirror adjust
Wipers
HVACActuators onlyActuator only
TrunkOnly onceOnly onceOnly onceOnly onceOnly onceOnly onceOnly once
Gauge cluster✓ - but complains?
Signal light click?
Anti Theft Protection
Fuel pump

I could try more plugs but I think the pattern is pretty clear. Overall it looks like that the majority of creature comfort will stay in working condition as long as the interior harness is intact, powered and attached to the fuse box.
Only the trunk release was the oddball. The release would pop open without ECU connected, but not close again. So it only could be opened once.

My thoughts so far:
  • Move original fuse box into the passenger footwell and remove all engine related wiring.
  • Extend headlight and signal light wire harness to cabin.
  • Redo trunk open button.
  • Rest depends on what the control pack will take care of.

ABS, electric rack and AC will have to be dealt separately.
 
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Waiting for parts so I’m doing smaller stuff and added the MMR head cooling mod while it`s easy to do.

8BF4AC1F-1D2D-4DFB-8A6A-C8FDBCD0FE10.jpegCF756AFF-E8F9-42DD-B0D7-35CA7DF61103.jpeg
They also seam to have changed the design on the passenger side, utilizing a bigger bolt to accommodate newer blocks.

I heard these might be hard to mount due to the tight fit. Just put them in the freezer over night and give them a couple gentle tabs with a rubber mallet. Could not be easier.
Honeybadger did a fantastic video on how to do it:
 
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Pulled the old engine today. First time doing this and it was quite the undertaking. The ARH headers were a tight fit but dropping the k-member solved it.
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Funny enough, the AC condenser had the outlines of my oil cooler lines embedded. That thing was completely smashed. On the upside the radiator is absolute mint.
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Started tackling the GT500 oil pan but the pickup tube turned out to be a bit stubborn.
Ordered pickup tube M-6622-M52RR, which is supposed to be the correct one for the almost identical FP350S pan. Does not fit the GT500 pan on the Gen3 though and I can't quite tell yet if it's due to it coming without hardware, if the wrong tube was sent or something completely different.
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Replaced the 11 year old stock motor mounts with some BMR ones. 3.6lbs vs 7.6lbs nice.
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Started tackling the GT500 oil pan but the pickup tube turned out to be a bit stubborn.
Ordered pickup tube M-6675-M52RR, wich is supposed to be the correct one for the almost identical FP350S pan. Does not fit the GT500 pan on the Gen3 though and I can't quite tell yet if it's due to it coming without hardware, if the wrong tube was sent or something completely different.
From here : https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/engine-rebuild.14264/page-3
How did you purchase it? Other than the hex spacer at the rear, FP shows hardware included. Others have still had fitment issues.

gtorpedo.jpg
 
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The hardware was hiding between some packaging material. Once I found those the install made a lot more sense.

That said, the Gen3 pickup tube M-6622-M52RR does not work with the GT500 oil pan. There are some baffle winglets inside the pan that are in the way of the tube. These winglets are not present in the FP350S pan. The Gen3 tube is also long enough to hit the bottom of the GT500 pan.

GT500 tube in GT500 pan:
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Gen3 tube in GT500 pan:
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Referencing the mounting bracket, both tubes come in at completely different angles on all axis.
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Getting to the mounting bolt for the tube itself also requires minimal trimming of the scraper/gasket:
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(the wet stuff is just brake cleaner)
 
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Question: Is it worth swapping the stock alternator or using different pullies?

Pulled the wiring harness and cleaned out the engine bay to start laying out new new harness.
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Scavenged a bunch of parts from the old engine. The Exedy Hyper Single single is still good and the oil cooler should be plenty good for the time being.
The bolt of the Mishomoto sandwich plate was barely torqued when I took it off. Should be a reminder to check the bolts torque with every oil change.
The AC pump is a lot heavier than expected. 13.4lbs right there.
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New ABS plug to get the wiring done without cutting the old harness apart:
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TMSBOSS

Spending my pension on car parts and track fees.
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If you are still on your original alternator, I would swap it out and keep the old one as a spare. A few of the folks here have had weekends spoiled by a bad alternator. They don't like spinning at the RPMs we subject them to.

I have a Hyper Single on order. 3 Month delivery time.
 
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If you are still on your original alternator, I would swap it out and keep the old one as a spare. A few of the folks here have had weekends spoiled by a bad alternator. They don't like spinning at the RPMs we subject them to.

I have a Hyper Single on order. 3 Month delivery time.

I`m a bit mixed about the Exedey. Super sturdy race clutch, but also quite harsh and chatty. That said, it does work great!

Yea, the alternator is 11 years old. I assume the Boss alternator is the go-to unit.
 

TMSBOSS

Spending my pension on car parts and track fees.
7,529
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Illinois
I`m a bit mixed about the Exedey. Super sturdy race clutch, but also quite harsh and chatty. That said, it does work great!

Yea, the alternator is 11 years old. I assume the Boss alternator is the go-to unit.
Yep, the Boss unit comes with belt and pulleys. Surf the next by part number and a deal may pop up.
I run the RST now and have the moan at low speeds. Not that I am at low speeds often. :cool: Performance usually has a price in comfort and quiet.
 
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I explored a bunch of different routing layouts for the control pack harness. The best fitting one I could find was having the new fuse box in the passenger footwell / behind the passenger dash and routing the harness by the right front tire towards the PCM. Just like the OEM harness.
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The protection the OEM harness came with will have to be added here.
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A new or modified bracket will be required to make the Gen3 PCM fit into the s197 chassis.
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I started to group and decipher the OEM harness to extend wiring in order to keep basic body functionalities such as lights, doors, etc. working. Part of this is to find a good way to deal with the ABS.
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The control pack requires a return style fuel system, which I am currently piecing together. I decided do add a Radium surge tank and built return style system around that.
@80KM2E but together a fantastic post outlining how to install a surge tank in a return less system, which as been fantastic in getting started:
https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/diy-fuel-surge-tank.18269/#post-273360

Edit: Solved the question I posted here initially. Going this route:

Basic surge tank and fuel regulator at the fuel rails:
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1641265482034.png
 
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