Triton V8 swap?

[bluef250]

I asked the question a while ago. Have a 5.4l Expedition and it seems to have adequate power.
http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... highlight=

[averagef250]

I had an idea the 4v heads would kill low end torque. I'm not at all looking for a high rpm screamer engine. I do alot of heavy towing, but for the most part I just drive the truck. City, freeway, mountains, light offroad, wherever. My current 390 is a great engine likely in the 375 horse, 500 lb/ft range and really gets the job done pretty good with the 5 speed. I've put nearly 180K miles on the truck with FE power and I think I've come to a point where I've done nearly everything I can do to squeek the best balance of performance and mileage from it and I keep trying to push the envelope in the mileage department because FE's will actually tolerate running pretty lean. Then I goof and cook the valves. With the engine in it's happy spot of tune and cruising RPM I can get a consistant 15 MPG freeway, which isn't bad at all for a 7500 pound brick of a truck cruising at 65. Seams to me though that lately I've been taking more and more short trips and when the 390 is cold the mileage is considerably worse.

I would really like to get a 6 speed in the old truck which is entirely impossible to mate one to an FE. The 6 speed would definately help out in the city driving and short trip mileage department and the 5.4 with it's modern design should get up to temp and be far more thermally efficient than the FE.

Being in the business of aftermarket fuel injection and installing many Ford EEC IV conversions it's been my experience that a stock EFI engine with all the emissions components removed really comes alive in both the power and mileage departments.

I'm a little confused as to what the NPI and PI heads are that you're referring to, but as I understand it, my best option will be an '04 and newer 3V 5.4. Less emissions parts, add long tube headers and 2.5" duals and an aftermarket engine management system and would 350 horse and 450 lb/ft from a 5.4 be acheiveable?

AS far as the electrical goes, all modular engines use Ford's EDIS ignition system. Coil on plug or otherwise. It's a stand alone ignition system that's seperate from the EEC. Many aftermarket engine management systems can interface directly with EDIS to control ignition timing. EDIS is by far the best ignition system OEM or aftermarket ever made IMHO. It's bulletproof and very easy to work with.

[Galaxie64]

Stock a 3V is 300hp and 365Lb/Ft. With headers, more agressive timing, Efans, UD pullies and a nice freeflowing intake I would think you may get close to 350hp.

PI heads are more freeflowing than NPI heads and allowed for 25 more HP in '99 they also have a more freeflowing intake. Both of which are 2V heads.

I know a guy who has gotten 350hp out of a 2V 5.4L Naturally aspirated but he had to do head work and tear into the engine to do it.

[Big D's 69]

Start looking in Classic Truck there is probably gona be a mod motor going in one of these.

[averagef250]

If stock is 300, my guess would be 350 would not be hard at all with an aftermarket engine control and headers.

Those of you that drive trucks with these engines, where is the power at in the RPM range? I used to own an E-350 box van with a 5.4 and for a 10K pound brick it was pretty quick. It sure seamed that the engine was turning scatter speed most of the time, but it didn't have a tach and I didn't really care.

My 390 makes brutal torque in the 1500-3000 rpm range which makes driving a heavy truck with a stick real comfortable. I'm curious if the little 5.4 would even come close to the bottom end of a big block.

[Galaxie64]

Peak power on the 2V's is right around 3K rpm the curve picks up around 2K and drops off around 3500.

[averagef250]

That doesn't sound bad at all. Thanks.

[got_no_clue]

What about the actual swap? Just as a thought experiment I was wondering if a 4.6 and 4 speed auto would make a nice swap into my '70.
I don't plan on any major towing, as I plan to just use the truck for around town. Maybe pull my small pop up camper.

Would the engine/trans fit without major rework?

This just seems like an interesting project. I don't have the funds to make it happen, unless the swap was REAL easy...

I drove a 2003 Crown Vic with the 4.6l and the sucker got over 26 MPG on the highway at 75+ MPH. Even with the, um, poor aerodynamics of an F100 it seems to me that it should get somewhere in the high teens with that same engine/trans.

Just a thought.

[pat67shorty]

I would do it with a ZF 5 speed out of a superduty. The autos they put behind them are junk and will blow the first good load you pull with them unless you invest about 2K into them with hard part upgrades.

[averagef250]

Gaurantee it would not be anywhere close to a bolt in. Ever done a highboy 460 swap? Probably alot like that only 10 times worse.

I'd probably just start by taking the body off and after figuring a way to mate a 5.4 to my NV4500 if it's possible, I'd dangle the engine at the correct angle and build towers to fit. Set the body on and see how terrible the fit is.

I'm not willing to body lift my truck so if that doesn't fit I won't do it.

[adrianspeeder]

Couple things on the tranny aspect. The M5OD-R2 was behind the 4.6L from 97 till 03. Rare, but they are out there...



(Dad had to special order it)

In early 99 only, the superdutys with the 5.4 and 6.8 could get a ZF-5, but I have only ever seen one on ebay. Other than the mustang tranny, these are the only five speeds with modular motor pattern. Late 99's and on have the ZF-6. While both the ZF's are super tough, they are NOT speed shifters and are for big towing. Without a custom adapter, the NV wont bolt up.

Here is a mostly complete install of a 4.6L into a 95 F-150. Lots of fab work, and you better be sharp with wiring.

http://www.f150online.com/forums/showth ... p?t=238128

Adrianspeeder

[averagef250]

The wiring shouldn't be that hard. I've done nearly a dozen EE-IV swaps and 2 megasquirt powered swaps. I'm not a fan of the M5OD's. Seen alot of the early ones give out early and just the small size of them alone tells me they weren't meant to take much. The ZF's hold up well, but the 6 speeds are very tall, alot like the NV5600's and won't fit under an early tunnel cover without dropping the engine, body lifting or serious hacking.

I might be able to have a modular bellhousing cast if I can make up a pattern, but that does put a serious dent in my plan.

I'll just have to buy a junker modular and see if I can fit it.