hp. Note the abundance of cooling passages between block and heads. In addition, 11-mm head bolts reach deep into the bottom of this block, which prevents deck distortion. Some engine builders have concluded that you don’t need torque plates for honing with this block. It is still suggested, however, that you use a torque plate for cylinder honing.
The Coyote block is easily identified by its deeply webbed valley, which is designed to clear almost any induction system. It has two knock sensor bungs, one for each bank. Also note the crankcase ventilation “chimneys” (arrows) known as “bay-to-bay” breathing. These chimneys also provide excellent oil scavenging.
Here’s another look at the “bay-to-bay” ventilation chimneys, which improve crankcase breathing and oil drainback at high RPM. This ensures oil reaches all the right places at high RPM, when an engine is most vulnerable.
Block Modifications and Improvements
Although Ford has come up with a virtually bulletproof engine block capable of withstanding outrageous amounts of power, it does have its weak spots. Coyote blocks suffer from cylinder wall failures due to excessive heat issues, primarily in high-boost situations. Modular Motorsports offers a Head Cooling Mod Kit (455478), an easy bolt-on that improves coolant flow where it is needed most at the back of the engine.
If you’re planning more than 800 hp you should opt for a sleeved block from Modular Motorsports or Holbrook Racing, which are purpose-built blocks for racers. These blocks are machined for the thicker cylinder liners, and they can be bored to a displacement as high as 5.2L. Thanks to the way these sleeves are configured in the block, they’re virtually indestructible, which means they can withstand 1,000 to 2,000 hp. This is a remarkable statement for a lightweight aluminum block. Ford has never produced a stronger block; you can build your Coyote with confidence knowing it will stay together.
Holbrook Racing Engines re-sleeves Coyote blocks with thicker cylinder liners for those of you seeking in excess of 800 to 1,000 hp. Holbrook can take your stock Coyote block and re-sleeve or can take a block from its inventory.
Traditional engine building technique applies to the Coyote block. As with any other production casting, you can expect to find flaws that can lead to engine failure. Deburr the block and remove any casting flash in your block preparation. Remove stress risers than can lead to cracking and failure. Thoroughly examine oil and cooling passages and chase them to remove debris that can do engine damage. Oil galley passages should be massaged to eliminate turbulence. All bolt holes should be chased for more accurate torque readings during assembly.
Here’s a closer look at the Holbrook thick-sleeve Coyote block. In the background is a stock bored block. Closer is the Holbrook sleeved block. Because Chris Holbrook is himself a long-time avid drag racer, he understands what works with the Coyote and what doesn’t. The Holbrook block isn’t purchased from a supplier. It is bored, sleeved and finish-honed in the Holbrook shop where everything is closely monitored and inspected.
This close-up of the Holbrook block demonstrates what you’re getting for your money. Cylinder bores are bored and step cut to the point at which there’s no chance of cylinder movement. Cylinder bores in the Holbrook block are siamesed for security.
The Ford Performance M-6010-M50R Coyote race block enables you to take peak horsepower well into four-digit territory for just under $3,000. What makes this block stronger isn’t so much the bottom end, which is the same as the stock block, according to Jesse Kershaw, drag racing parts and competition manager at Ford Performance. It is the block deck and thicker material around the thin-wall cylinder liners that give this race block extraordinary strength. Cast-in cylinder supports on the intake side help hold things together. (Photo Courtesy Ford Performance Parts)
This 2011–2014 oil filter mount with filter and dyno cell connections is different from the 2015–2016 version because it does not have the oil drainback provision.
The arrow indicates the additional block oil return passage along with a revised oil filter adaptor (not pictured) for 2015–2016. This change was adopted to improve fuel economy. The block and oil filter adaptor must match.
This Modular Motorsports’ Head Cooling Mod Kit was developed to solve cooling problems at the rear of Coyote engines. It installs where the rear cylinder head freeze plugs are located, which allows improved coolant flow. The weakness is excessive heat around the number-4 and -8 cylinders, primarily in boosted applications.
A nice option is to stud your Coyote block’s main caps for improved durability. ARP and/or Ford Performance can help with main stud packages engineered to hold things together under extreme conditions. These engines are already rugged and use factory torque-to-yield fasteners. Studding the block makes them virtually indestructible.
The 5.2L Voodoo block looks like the Coyote block at first glance. It is, in fact, a different block with larger 3.700-inch (94-mm) sleeveless cylinder bores. When you think of sleeveless cylinders in an aluminum block, it sparks memories of Chevrolet’s sleeveless Vega 4-cylinder engine, which suffered from grave durability issues. Such is not the case with Ford’s state-of-the-art DOHC V-8. Cylinder walls are finished using the Plasma Transferred Wire Arc (PTWA) coating process developed in a cooperative effort between Ford and Flame-Spray Industries. The result is a super tough, lightweight, low-friction surface also used on the 5.4L DOHC engine in the Shelby GT500. This process sheds 8.5 pounds from the 5.2L Voodoo block.
PTWA is nothing new in the aerospace and heavy-equipment industries. However, it is surely new for Ford Motor Company. PTWA uses compressed air along with high-intensity electricity to create an extremely hot, 35,000-degree F plasma jet that coats the aluminum cylinder wall. This, of course, is an oversimplification of the PTWA process. Suffice it to say, PTWA gets the weight out and durability up by spraying on the sleeve as a coating instead of inserting an iron sleeve. Where this process gets challenging for Ford is the amount of time spent per cylinder. PTWA is a very time-consuming process and is therefore costly. The PTWA process takes more time than just inserting an iron sleeve. This is something Ford and Spray-Flame are working on at press time.
Here’s the PTWA cylinder-liner process being applied to the
