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Originally Posted by mark@stangtv  So what do you prefer? I think Ford has come a long way with modular engine combinations but I think they are still not comparable to conventional Ford Blocks. What do you think? |
The 4.6 block itself is far superior to the tried and true H.O roller blocks.
My biggest issue with 4.6 motors are the size of the heads and the limited engine bay space they consume. Anyone who has put long tube headers on a 4.6 engine knows where I am coming from. You can not remove the tranny to do a clutch job with out removing the passenger side header tube,.. as luck would have it,. that side is also impossible to remove the last 2 header bolts. You simply can not get a wrench on it. In order to get at it,.. the k-member must be dropped,.. the engine lowered about 6 - 8 inches and then you can get at it.
Performance wise,.. the 4.6 is on pretty equal territory as the 5.0. A 2V 4.6 will make about 270 RWHP using typical bolt ons and a tune. Thats comparable to the 5.0. The 4v 4.6 with B heads can make between 310 and 320 rwhp. With C heads and compatible intake can make 320 - 330. This is stock long block and cams,.. just using bolt ons and a tune. The 4v motors go beyond what a stock 5.0 long block is capable of. You can throw a 4v motor into and fox or SN95 car,.. throw a 100 shot on it and you have an 11 second car all day long and still get 25 mpg on the highway. My 2v 4.6 when I had the 3.27 gear could do almost 400 miles to a tank. A fox car with 5.0 will never see 400 miles to a single tank.
As for reliability,.. tons of 96 - 98 GTs out there with and with out PI head swaps that have been beat on and are showing upwards of 130k - 150k miles. So they are also on par with 5.0 engines on that level also.
The only thing I think the 5.0 has the advantage is that it is cheaper to build a 5.0,.. there is a larger after market,.. you can do a cheap carb swap if you dont want to fool with EFI,.. so for the poor guy who wants to race on the cheap,.. the 5.0 is a very good option.
In stock form the 4.6 is good to about 430 hp. After that they are on borrowed time. The 5.0 in stock form seem to be very comfortable making 500 hp using stock internals. How ever,.. with forged internals and supporting mods,.. a 4.6 can be taken to well over 1200 hp,.. any block. The 5.0 block cant even hold half that together.
On a budget,. I'd say the 5.0. Money no object,. the 4.6 hands down.
Hurst
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