4.6 2V Roadsters

[Racee75]

I'm looking for advice from Roadster builders who have used 4.6 2V motors in their build. Were you happy with the end result ? And is there anything you would have done differently ?

[FFinisher]

I have built a few. The engines are butt ugly, but run fantastic, have good power and are smooth as silk. If you want a nice drive and have a lead on a mustang donor, newer than 99.. go for it. Pre-99 were not performance improved head design and are not as desireable. Still run great, but less powerful.

I would do it again.

DOHC is more desireable, less unattractive, but more money.

[ram_g]

I started down the path of building a 4.6 SOHC powered roadster. As chronicled on the other forum, I had an issue that I could not resolve - the engine smoked heavily from one bank of cylinders. Compression seemed fine and I replaced the valve stem seals, but I could not get it to stop. Finally I abandoned that engine and had a complete change in direction, ripping out the EFI wiring and fuel system and replacing the whole shooting match with a new carb'd crate 302. My car is now finished and I'm very happy with my 302.

if the 4.6 engine wouldn't have had the problem, I probably would have finished my car 2 or more years earlier and been very happy. This might have also been the outcome if I would have embarked on rebuilding the 4.6. As it was, I was leery of any engine work as I had never done that before.

So that leads me to my conclusion. The 4.6 engines (SOHC or DOHC) are a good choice but they're not available as new crate engines (having been supplanted by the Coyote). If you have the competence or interest to rebuild an engine, you might have yourself a nice powerplant. If not, assuming that a junkyard motor will run right "out of the box" might be a risky bet, as it was for me.

[Racee75]

Thanks for the feedback ! I started out looking at doing a full donor build but I am now torn between a 4.6 build and going a bit more old school. I agree the DOHC looks better than the SOHC and have been looking into using a Lincoln Mk Viii DOHC.

[CraigS]

My wife's previous 2010 mustang w/ the 4.6 had about 310-320 hp. It was fun in that car and would be more fun w/ 1000 lbs less weight.

[Cobradavid]

I love my SOHC 4.6L. It has decent power and torque (even with sticky performance tires, it's still easy to break the tires loose). It sounds cool through the side pipes, and it's very reliable. I built my roadster to drive (not to mess with tuning carbs), so I love walking out to the car, turning the key, and driving away.

It's from a 2001 Mustang GT and I got it with 46,000 miles on it back in 2008. I finished my roadster in 2009 and have put over 9000 miles on it without any problems. Rock-solid.

Downside is the looks. I did a beautification project to make the engine bay look nicer:
http://www.ffcars.com/forums/45-ford-modular-engine-roadster-builds/310777-mod-motor-beautification.html#post2854721

David

[bucketlist]

i have a 96 mustang gt 4.6 non pi heads, came from a donor car, i running cats, sounds mellow, smooth power up to 4000 rpm
runs on 87 octane, runs cool, 3.27 gears, 22 mpg, installed all the the bolt on performance upgrades,
C&L intake, 70mm throttle body, underdrive pulleys (no charging or cooling issues) SCREAMIN Demon Coils,
yes the motor is not to attract, i used a cover from a 4.6 crown vic police intercepter

[Racee75]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.... Bucketlist... like the engine cover you used. I am still investigating the Lincoln Mk Viii engine option as well. Not looking for hugh horsepower but also want a decent kick in the pants when you hit the gas.