what year is 3.8 interchangable with?

Hello y'all

i am considering buying 1995 windstar with 67k miles and i was told the motor is bad (the rod?) and I will need to replace the motor.
I have been doing lot of reading and saw that FWD and RWD 3.8 are different... so I have zero'd down to FWD only and tried to find out if I can put the 1996 motor (200 hp more than 1995 motor) and i see that the 1994-1995 has E9DE or F1DE blocks and '96-'98 uses F68E or F78E blocks but I have NOT found anything on internet about putting 1996 motor in 1995 Windstar... is this possible? Is there any concerns about wiring harenss? OBD II? motor mounts?

Any info would be very much appreciated!! I have strong mechanic experiences so I should be able to approach this without difficulties if there is not much modifications needed.

ta-ta

I don't have any answers for you ... but another question. Tranmission hook-up. Was there a tranny change? Is the rear of the engine compatible with your tranmission?

while calling around, i learned that 3.8 engine can be used off taurus and sable... wonder what year does it ranges? also i was told police package will still fit???? im sure will have to change emission, exhaust mainfolds, and intake mainfolds... and what else?

3.8 FWD has different bellhouse size from 3.8 RWD... RWD has bigger transmission bellhouse than FWD 3.8L bellhouse.

There are significant differences between the '95 and '96 models, including different PCMs (the EEC is incorporated in the '96 series PCM, for example) and wire harnesses. I don't know if there are physical differences that would prohibit it, but you would have to deal with some harness issues and you would need a different computer.

ok... found something interesting today... there are different models that has similar engine as windstar and these are 1991-1995 Taurus / Sable and 1991-1994 Lincoln Contiental 3.8 engines would match ONLY 1995 Windstar 3.8 engine (naturally will have to swap the exhaust and intake systems as well as emission system).
As matter of fact, Taurus engine are little somewhat cheaper than Windstar engine so I started hunting for one and came across to good deal for this engine... but its "police package". Boy, what a nice little boost in horsepowers (still not enuff compared to those 1996 3.8's).

Sooo.. I know what police package is and its good deal but has anybody out there has done this? police package engine in windstar?? I have read somewhere on internet that windstar motors are same as taurus' police package... but only could confirm that with one source. Anybody could help me out here? I am gonna swap the motor this weekend so it would help to hear something soon =)

ta ta

A Windstar Police chase vehicle ... what an image! Perhaps they are used as service or support vehicles.

One thing you might expect on a Police engine is an oil cooler mounted between the engine front cover and the oil filter...with coolant hoses attached. I guess this extra cooler is needed if the vehicle must idle, or be in city traffic, for hours on end.

I am also hunting down a '95 3.8 for my Windstar. I expect to change out the intake and exhaust, but does the alternator from the Taurus/Sable and other parts switch over? Or do we have to mount the existing Windstar parts there?

And how bad was the swap?

Josh