Ford Repair: THUNDERBIRD 3.8 TO 5.0 ENGINE SWAP, 1996 ford thunderbird, stock mustangs

Question
HI I HAVE A 1996 FORD THUNDERBIRD 3.8L ENGINE AND WANT TO SWAP IT FOR A 5.0L. IS THIS POSSABLE. IS IT A HASSLE OR CAN IT BE DONE. MUSTANGS CAME OUT WITH THE SAME ENGINES DURING THOSE YEARS AND I HEARD MANY PEOPLE SWAPED THERE ENGINE FOR A 5.0L. SO I FIGURE IT CAN BE DONE WITH A THUNDERBIRD. WHAT WOULD BE A HIGH PERFORMANCE 5.0 ENGINE. WHAT WOULD I NEED TO CHANGE. I WAS ALSO INTERESTED IN SWAPPING TRANSMISSIONS FROM AUTOMATIC TO A HIGH PEERFORMANCE STANDARD STICK SHIFT. ANY HELP PLEASE THANKS!  

Answer
Israel-

  Well...if you want a V8, one of the 4.6L motors would be much easier to swap in than an older 5.0L since a good number of '96 T-Birds came with them stock.  Mustangs had the same 4.6L motors so a Mustang motor should drop in with a few modifications.  Every motor swap ends up being a hassle in one way or another, but all in all it can be done if you've got the time and patience.  First off you'll need a new engine brace (or "K-member") out of a similar T-Bird thaty came stock with a 4.6 motor (a '96 would be ideal, but any from the same generation should work).  You'll need a computer and you'll probably need to make some wiring changes (like changing the tach to work with a V8).  Upgrading the fuel system would be a good idea, but it's not impossible to work with the stock system.  What I've found is that swaps like these go much much MUCH easier if you have a donor car.  Maybe hit up some junkyards and buy a wrecked '96 or similar T-Bird with a 4.6L motor...preferably with side or rear damage...then just take what you need from the donor car and put it in yours.  This is especially helpful if this is your first motor swap.  The first is always the worst.  The first time I swapped a motor was when I was 15 and it took myself and my brother AND his friends the better part of the entire summer (off and on) since we kept running into problems, so be prepared to think on your feet.  I'm not sure about the transmission...Ford likes to give certain models a particular engine/tranny combo so, essentially, you can have it any way you like as long as it's Ford's way.  If it's possible, the guys at Sean Hyland Motorsports will know how to get it done.  They specialize in dealing with anything with a 4.6L or 5.4L motor in it.  I'd contact them and see what they have to say.  Hope this helps.

Steve