4.6l sohc or dohc

[johnboy89]

Not sure of your location but I have a complete 94 Mark VIII drivetrain, wiring everything needed to do the swap that I would sell for cheap.

 

[59flatbedford]

well thanks for the offer but im in wyoming. lol. ok so do the explorers do or do not have aluminum blocks. seems like some people say some of them did and some say that all of them do and some say that they were all cast iron. and i would consider a 5.4 but i think they are even wider than a 4.6 dohc so that would cause some issues

 

[59flatbedford]

also how much advantage would the variable valve timing system be. would it be worth it to get a newer motor with it.

 

[Twisted_Steel]

302
27-1/2 Inches L
20-3/4 Inches H
18-3/4 Inches W

351W
27-1/2 Inches L
23-3/4 Inches H
21 Inches W

4.6L SOHC
28 Inches L
26 Inches H
28-5/8 Inches W

4.6L DOHC
28 Inches L
29-7/8 Inches H
30 Inches W


There are your dimension comparisons.. good luck with your build!

 

[Mac]

Thrown some info out there on the 4.6 but the easiest and cheapest, fastest way is to just use a good Windsor motor.
Dave

 

[Nater]

+1....

 

[Teddyzee]

well thanks for the offer but im in wyoming. lol. ok so do the explorers do or do not have aluminum blocks. seems like some people say some of them did and some say that all of them do and some say that they were all cast iron. and i would consider a 5.4 but i think they are even wider than a 4.6 dohc so that would cause some issues

They were aluminum block and heads. (4.6)
I get that info from many sources, but here is one that mentions it, happens to be a T-bird site, and it's a thread about PI head swaps in particular.

http://forums.tccoa.com/showthread.php?t=94152

 

[59flatbedford]

ok so i should be able to find a wrecked explorer and get the motor out of it and then get the trans and tcase out of a f150.(happen to know where one is) and be set except for the wiring snafus.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Well if space was an issue, a 5.4L would be a extremely tight fit. It was a tight fit when I put it in my mustang.
As far as the heads go, in 99 they put the PI heads on the mustang. If you really want, you can use a 96-98 4.6L block and put the 99-04 heads and cams on it and have about 20 more horses from a stock 99-04 setup.
In my personal opinion, I think you might be asking for problems by putting a 3v setup. Either way either 2v, 3v, 4v, you are looking at a lot of time tuning the truck.

I don't think it would be any wider than a DOHC 4.6.

Personally I would love to drop a 2v 5.4 in my Ranger. But a decent one is worth twice what the truck is in perfect running condition. The powerband is phenominal for a 4x4 in my F-150, and the 3v really doesn't have much more torque and is much more complex both mechanically and electronically.

 

[Mac]

ok so i should be able to find a wrecked explorer and get the motor out of it and then get the trans and tcase out of a f150.(happen to know where one is) and be set except for the wiring snafus.

You talking about a 5.0 or 4.6 Explorer? The 5.0 done many times and all the wiring problems been worked thru. With the 4.6, think you would need that Ford stand alone computer and wiring.
Dave

 

[59flatbedford]

well im pretty much decided on the 4.6l. not sure why really im more into the old school stuff but the ideal just intriges me. although i have driven an expedition with the 5.4 and it was really powerful. Just off hand would anyone have the specs to compare the 4.6l and 5.4l. Like the dimension LxHxW for both sizes and head arrangements as well as wieghts for both cast iron blocks and aluminum ones. They didnt make a widely produced cast iron 5.4 did they?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

well im pretty much decided on the 4.6l. not sure why really im more into the old school stuff but the ideal just intriges me. although i have driven an expedition with the 5.4 and it was really powerful. Just off hand would anyone have the specs to compare the 4.6l and 5.4l. Like the dimension LxHxW for both sizes and head arrangements as well as wieghts for both cast iron blocks and aluminum ones. They didnt make a widely produced cast iron 5.4 did they?

5.4's have had cast iron blocks with aluminum head for years, just like the most common 4.6's. I am pretty sure all the 2v SOHC engines, and anything out of a truck is cast iron block.

 

[281Ranger]

Flatbed,
A couple sites that might help you in your quest for 4.6/5.4 info would be:

www.modularfords.com
www.modulardepot.com

Modularfords has a section just for conversions. People are stuffing these motors into everything. Heck, if they can put a supercharged 4.6 into a Focus (there's a bolt-in kit available) what won't they fit into?

 

[59flatbedford]

hey thanks for the links i will have to check them out.