packs to individual coils), throttle-by-wire (no more cable controls), and variable valve timing (moving the camshaft to improve emissions and performance). Every new technology required new data to make it viable for conversion projects.
Engine dimensions play a role in placing the modular engine in the engine compartment. The footprint of the LS platform is similar to its earlier cousin’s; the overhead-cam engines are considerably wider than the original small-block Ford. Although the big-block Ford had been stuffed into small street rods for years, the size and perceived complexity of the modular engine put off some builders in favor of the older engines.
The modular engine conversion became a genuine alternative with the introduction of the Coyote engine in 2011. It wasn’t so much about the Coyote engine as it was all of the pieces coming together. In Ford, we had a magnificent engine in the Coyote four-valve, putting out more than 400 hp without breaking a sweat. We’d had the control computers in place for several years, the aftermarket was rolling along with a good database, real conversion products were starting to hit the market, and this engine was winning. Winning big. It was time for this engine, which had been around for 20 years, to come out of the shadows and be a viable option to other conversions.
Whereas most conversions are done for the horsepower gains, the modular engine conversion offers the builder much more than an eye-popping set of hemi heads under the hood. These engines are capable of tremendous power while being amazingly efficient and easy to maintain. The control systems are excellent, and when done properly, require less maintenance than their earlier cousins. More and more components are being introduced to install these engines in different chassis, and the number of vendors supplying products will continue to grow now that the conversion is seen as something more than a novelty idea. The modular engine conversion can provide amazing looks, big horsepower, fuel efficiency, and trouble-free operation, all in one package.
Why a Modular Engine Swap?
The best reason for upgrading to a modular engine is that it is an incredibly efficient, low-friction engine that lends itself to both performance and reliability. Builders have been pushing limits with the modular engines that they couldn’t try with the old pushrod engines. Because of the nature of the overhead-cam technologies, it has been banned from some “heads up” engine builds against its rivals in other brands.
Now in its second quarter of a century, the modular engine provides a balance between efficiency, horsepower, and reliability not found in pushrod engines. The bugs are worked out and it is rolling right along. The modern computer controls help you get every ounce of performance and efficiency out of these engines.
I admit it: The main reason most enthusiasts perform a modular engine swap is the WOW! factor. That’s it. There is nothing like opening the hood of your car and seeing those overhead-cam covers sitting down in the engine bay. But the modular engine provides so much more than looks.
Reasons for a Modular Engine Swap
Reasons to consider a modular engine swap for your next project extend far beyond the eye candy looks of the engine in your engine bay.
Overhead Camshafts
The Ford flathead had its camshaft in the same basic location as most overhead-valve engines, and moving the valves over the top of the cylinder heads improved the fuel and airflow as well as improved the combustion process. Pushrod engines still relied on valve lifters and pushrods to transfer camshaft motion to a set of rocker arms that pushed the valve in the opposite direction of the camshaft lobe lift. This means a lot of valvetrain inertia loss and energy loss through mechanical transfer. The overhead cams in the modular engine eliminate a large amount of this valvetrain loss by eliminating items such as the lifters (though they use a hydraulic slack adjuster to maintain valve lash) and reducing the size of the springs; the valvetrain is virtually maintenance free.
Low-Friction Design
Ever look at a new engine and wonder how they can run a thin, 5W-20 weight oil? Computer design and tighter tolerances mean you can run lighter-weight oils, which means it takes less energy to spin an oil pump, which means less lost power and better efficiency.
No Distributor/Engine Timing
Instead of a distributor, the modular engine features a computer that controls engine ignition with a greater range of fire. The computer can adjust the trigger and fire the spark plugs when it is optimal, rather than when a mechanically rotating electric circuit gets into position under the distributor cap. The new engines can even adjust the position of the camshaft relative to the crankshaft via a system called VCT (Variable Camshaft Timing) or TI-VCT (Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing). By retarding or advancing the camshaft timing, performance is optimized and the emissions can be reduced, eliminating some emission equipment for the drivetrain.
Durable Bottom End
The skirted block has a cross-bolted main cap system, similar to the big-block Ford FE 427’s. The head bolts extend down into the block webbing, providing additional strength. The results were evident as Ford pushed 15 pounds of boost through the stock engine in a 2013–14 GT500, and the performance world is pushing the envelope further.
The last U.S.-built Ford pushrod V-8 was a 5.0 small-block and was installed in the 2001 Ford Explorer. It came with a low-friction roller valvetrain, multi-port fuel injection, and distributorless ignition. It was still no match for the efficiency of the overhead cam modular engine, and the 39-year reign of the small-block Ford came to an end.
The modular engine is an extremely reliable platform. The last-generation of the pushrod 5.0 V-8 was reliable as well and featured electronic ignitions and fuel injection. Installing a pushrod Ford small-block in your car is a popular swap that’s been done extensively for years, and the parts are available to make it a much cheaper option than a modular engine swap. But with the modular engine you get a pound-for-pound more efficient engine and drivetrain combination.
Modern Diagnostic Support
The latest computer systems can tell you exactly what is going on inside the engine, and aftermarket tuning and programmers make these engines scream at the same time they are efficient.
One last thing to consider is that the last factory pushrod engines came out in 2001. Some new auto mechanics may have never worked on a pushrod Ford, tuned a carb, or even owned a timing light!
What You Need to Know
Before jumping into a modular engine project, some important guidelines and points need to be considered. Some outside services may be needed to assist in completing the project, and you need to understand your own skill set before beginning. My hope is that by buying this book that is just what you are doing. Perhaps you are looking at purchasing someone else’s project and need to find out if it is worth finishing. Knowledge is king, the more you know up front the more success you will have in the end.
If you are looking for high horsepower, a traditional pushrod engine can make more horsepower for less money than a modular engine. It’s simple math: four cams instead of one, and the cams are more than just four times the price. While the modular engine can make a huge amount of power, and in some cases exceed the capabilities of older engines, it does come at a price. Fuel injection is more expensive than a carburetor, but fuel injection is much more versatile. Unlike installing a small-block in your favorite 1949 Mercury, it may not be possible to phone up your favorite parts supplier and order engine mounts. It is going to take more planning than most Ford builds, and more than some other company swaps that are old pushrod technology repackaged and re-badged.
