Some of the GTs and Cobras of the SN-95 era were equipped with a hydroboost power brake assist. The hydroboost was nearly a bolt-in with this install and allowed for the wide 4V engine to fit in the 1968 chassis. Other than matching the mounting holes to the firewall, the hydroboost system works with the original 1968 Mustang non–power brake pedal pin location.
MODULAR ENGINE FEATURES AND IDENTIFICATION
The Ford modular engine has a long, varied, and unique history that has spanned more than 25 years, with many component, year, and factory of manufacture differences. With this storied and distinguished history, you need to recognize that all modular engines were not created equal. The only thing these engines really have in common is that they are all overhead camshaft V-8s (or V-10s). They come in three base varieties: the Single Overhead Camshaft (SOHC) produced with either two or three valves and the Double Overhead Camshaft (DOHC). Three block heights were used: the smaller displacements (4.6, 5.0, and 5.2), the large displacements (5.4, 5.8, and 6.8 V-10), and the “midsize” deck height of the 6.2. After that the similarities start to fade.
Ford Performance Parts offers both a production and modified version of the 5.0 Coyote engine. The M-6007-M50A is rated at 435 hp and 400 ft-lbs of torque. It has an aluminum block and DOHC heads, forged steel crank and rods, and features 11:1 compression. It shares the same mounting pattern as earlier modular engines so it transplants well. (Photo Courtesy Ford Performance Parts)
The two-valve version of the SOHC started out in Ford big cars and was then used in Ford trucks. It was delayed in the new Mustang platform until 1996 and a GT version was used up until 2005. Both 4.6 and 5.4 SOHC versions were installed in Ford trucks up until 2005. The 4.6 and 5.4 2V continued its run in big cars and trucks up through 2014. The 6.2 F-150 Raptor and truck engine uses SOHC heads on the taller block. The three-valve version was introduced in 2005 and was used in the Mustang GT through 2010. The 4.6 3V was dropped in 2010, but the 5.4 3V continued in some trucks until 2015.
The first DOHC engines were installed in Lincolns way back in 1993. The 4V became the basis for all the performance-based modular engines. The First Mustang Cobras got the 4V engine in 1996. A 5.4 version of the DOHC was built for some big Lincoln Navigators, the 2000 Cobra R, and the 2007–2010 GT500s. In 2011, Ford introduced the now famous “Coyote” 5.0 4V, which replaced most of the 3V applications in trucks and replaced all the 4.6 and 5.4 engines in all the Mustangs. The Boss 302 and Cobra Jet performance versions are based on the Coyote, and the Coyote platform is also the basis for the 2013–2014 Shelby GT500 5.8 engines, which use the taller engine block with improved heads. The Coyote is also the foundation for the new 5.2 flat plane crank Shelby engine. For big truck application, Ford made a V-10 that uses modular engine technology. The displacement is 6.8 and it came in 2V and 3V SOHC configurations. It was used in trucks and vans up through 2015.
Later three- and four-valve engines produce far more horsepower and torque than earlier two-valve engines. The later two-valve engines produce much more horsepower than the earlier engines. Keep this in mind when you’re sourcing an engine for your project car.
This chapter gives you a brief history of the modular engine, and it highlights the major differences among engines in the series. I do not have the space to cover all differences because that would require a book all its own, and it would be obsolete once it was written. Because Ford frequently makes changes to this platform, fitment and components often change. And what is true today may very well not be true tomorrow.
This chapter provides a comprehensive guide to the range of modular engines and should help you to identify what you have. And whether you are well-versed in modular performance or a complete novice, remember this one rule: You need to know the engine package you have; it not only determines the suitability for a particular engine swap to a chassis, but with all the changes and inflexibility this knowledge keeps you from making a very expensive mistake.
You would think that an engine labeled “modular” would easily interchange within the engine family and that the parts would interchange between platforms with ease. But nothing is further from the truth. As you will discover, the modular engine family has tremendous variety among parts and little commonality. The “truth” is that unless you are knowledgeable about these engines, very little interchanges. These engines were assembled in different plants, and parts were built differently at the various locations. These engines are matched components to a specific platform. In part because they do not interchange well, Ford put out several Technical Service Bulletins (T.S.B.) to assist mechanics in working on these engines. It is important to know what you have. If you plan on doing performance upgrades, it is important to partner with people who are versed in these engines and read the books recommended in Chapter 1.
Ford manufactured the modular engine at the Windsor, Ontario; Romeo, Michigan; and Essex, Ontario, factories. All of these plants have different specifications or blueprints and, as a result, the modular engines built at the various factories are often different. To give you an idea of how complex these engines are, here are just a few of the many changes between the Romeo and Windsor SOHC engines:
• Valvecover bolts: Romeo blocks use 11 bolts to hold the passenger-side valvecover; Windsor blocks use 14.
• Main caps: Romeo early blocks use a smaller main bearing than Windsors. The Romeo uses a single thrust washer; the Windsor uses two thrust washers. Early Romeo blocks used a jack screw between the main cap and side skirt; Windsors used a dowel system. In 1999 Ford began eliminating the jack screw system in favor of interference-fit main caps on some blocks.
• Crankshafts: Windsor blocks use six bolts to hold the flywheel or flexplate to the crankshaft. Romeo can be either 6- or 8-bolt depending on application. Most performance engines use the 8-bolt crank.
• Connecting rods: Windsor pistons use a floating pin; the Romeo is a press fit pin.
• Camshaft sprockets: Windsor is a press on; Romeo uses a bolt and spacer.
As you can see, it can be difficult to interchange parts between assembly plants.
If you are not purchasing a crate engine or buying from a known source, it’s important to be able to identify what engine you are contemplating. Ford has not been particularly consistent in its means of identifying the modular engines through the years, and what works with some engines doesn’t work with others. An engine cobbled together by someone unfamiliar with the platform can end up an expensive boat anchor. In the end, if you can’t identify the engine, walk away from the deal.
If you are looking at a complete donor vehicle for your swap project, two pieces of information from the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) help you figure out what you have and what you need. The first is the 8th digit of the VIN that specifies the engine installed in the vehicle. The second is the 10th digit that denotes the model year of the vehicle (not the year it was built). The VIN is
