[330CubeGt]

I don't know if this is good enough for a "sticky" but i have had many PMs over the last year with questions about the 5.4 swap so i put together this little write-up.

Brought to you by 330CubeGt and R3dn3ck.

Also Posted on the new 100% Tech only web site 100% 94-04 Mustang Tech, Articles, Help | SN95Mustangs.com

4.6 2V to 5.4 2V

Power Returns:
For those wondering the swap can be done for cheap, and has the "Budget Builder" in mind. You will see a greater gain in Performance when swapping a 5.4 (Rated at 260hp/350tq) to a say 1997 Mustang Gt (Rated at 215hp/290tq) than a 99-04 but both deliver considerable SOTP and dyno gains. A gain of 45hp/60tq right off the bat is common for NPI, stock for stock; not to mention the added cubes make the power earlier in the RPM band. With a 99-04 Mustang Gt (Rated as 260hp/300tq) your gaining ~50ft/lbs or more, usually a little bit of HP (depending on MANY factors) and the added cube effect.

HPS intake vs. Adapter plates:
If you use the HPS intake then the top end picks up quite a bit and you can see gains of 15-30hp or more. Each engine is different so there's no guarantees but these are numbers that are not uncommon and won't set you up for disappointment. The current record NA that we've been able to find is 340/340 to the tires on ported PI heads. The HPS intake allows better underhood clearance and helps stretch the power band on the 5.4 back out to a useful point. Adapter plates move the injector up higher and fuel no longer sprays unimpeded at the back of the valve. This results in higher fuel consumption and a requirement for a good bit more fuel in the tune. The plates are simply a band-aid that has been superseded by the HPS intake. Adapter plates average about 250-375 bucks depending on which brand you get. The HPS intake is 695 and ADDS on average 20-30hp. When's the last time you were able to make an honest 30hp from a bolt-on part for 400 bucks? Exactly. It's worth it and it's stupid easy to bolt up.

Just to give you an idea of cost:
1. motor (330CubeGt) complete from top to bottom with all pulleys, belts, wiring harness, computer, ECU, etc with 40k miles on a "tested" motor got dropped off at my house freight for $1400.
2. motor (r3dn3ck) complete (550) + complete forged rebuild incl. parts (2400) + cams (400) + heads (400) + tuning (500) + injectors (100 used) + fuel system (350 rails,pump,hoses)+ install (1000 ) = $5700.
3. motor (former member) complete (200) + adapter plates (200) + misc (probably around 300 for gaskets, bolts, etc...) and installed himself = < $1000


Technical:

Difficulty:
It’s pretty much a direct swap besides the intake needing the 5.4 to 4.6 adapter plates to use the PI style mustang intake or the use of the HPS intake.

Oil Pan:
With the oil pan you need to use the 4.6 oil pan along with the 4.6 pickup tubes, both bolt directly to the 5.4 with only MINOR modification to the pan. The 4.6 pan has two fins on the shallow side of the pan they need to be bent over about 1/4". Just take a rubber hammer and whack at em' a couple times. Check your crank throw clearance before you install permanently. This needs to be done in order to clear the crank throw. If you don’t do this your crank&rods will hit them and could damage something severely.
Before you put the 5.4 in the car if you're going to use stock manifolds, you need to grind down the passenger side manifold on the flange that the mid pipe bolts up to. (The side that’s closest to the frame rail)
If you don't do this the header/exhaust manifold will hit the frame rail especially if you’re using the stock rubber mounts. You don't want to have to fix it. Do it or get the bang-rattle-bang.

Motor Mounts:
While the motor is out it would not hurt to upgrade to polyurethane motor mounts or a set of solid motor mounts. The 4.6 motor mounts need to be used because the 5.4 truck mounts will not work and yes the 4.6 mounts bolt right to the 5.4 block they share the same bolt pattern.

Exhaust:
The 4.6 and 5.4 are basically the same motor, besides the added deck height (hence the extra stroke). Due to the added deck height the pipes are spread apart a little more and they don't line up in the stock humps (In the transmission cross-member) but they’re close. Look at it like this the motor is a V shape so the taller the deck height the further away the two points become therefore making the motor wider and taller and making your existing pipes effectively shorter. It can get the pipes kinda close to the floor-pan which is a good reason to add some length to the down angled portion of the mid-pipe. When you put the mid pipe on you have to fuss with it a little to get it in the right spot, so be patient. Sometimes simple persuasion will get it there, sometimes you have to cut and weld in a bit of tube and often you'll need to extend the crossover in the stock H-pipe. Not always but often enough. I (330CubeGt) was able to run my Mac pro-chamber and Cat-back with no modification, so any Mustang Mid Pipe or Cat-Back will work with minor modification at worst. Muffler shops can do this for 50-100 bucks if it becomes necessary for your case. Just letting you know because I have heard some people saying you always have to cut/hack/weld your exhaust to make it work and you don't always have to.

Just an FYI: 4.6 long tube headers will absolutely not fit with a 5.4 simply because of the added height/width it will put the headers up into the floor and they would hit all kinds of stuff. 5.4 Long Tube headers are made by FTP. PM Myillwillinc for contact info for FTP. For shorty headers you can use JBA or FRPP right out of the box. BBK's have never fit well without being modded that anyone has reported. Custom longtubes can easily cost several thousand dollars so save the time and money and just call up FTP and get theirs.

Heads:
As far as the heads the 4.6 and 5.4 are the same, so you can use your 4.6 heads if needed.

Clutch/TC:
You will need an 8 bolt flywheel/flexplate. 96-01.5 cars have 10.5" clutches. 01.5-04 have 11" clutches. As far as I (r3d) know the TR3650 trannies are the ones with 11" clutches. You can buy an 8-bolt flywheel for 10.5 clutches, and a 10.5" clutch of your liking, a new TOB and a new pilot bearing (5.4's usually DO NOT come with them) and it'll connect right up. 10.5" clutches are cheaper and easier to find but the 11" will work just as well. This is only really a matter of decision for 01.5-04 cars. r3dn3ck retro-fitted his 11" to a 10.5 and it was stupid easy. Auto's will need the correct flex plate. Details on which one for that should be updated in this post soon.

Fuel System:
Stock rails fit the HPS intake most times. If the crossover tube is too short you can chop it off and replace it with a longer section of high-pressure fuel line. Cost for that fix is usually about 10 bucks. You can buy aftermarket fuel rails for a 4.6 and use those just as easily but for substantially more cost. You get EXACTLY what you pay for in fuel rails. Buy nice ones with screw on brackets. No half-round hold-downs, real brackets. I (r3dn3ck) recommend aeromotive.

Most cars can technically use the stock 19lbs yellow top or 21lbs pink top injectors but they tend get to 100% duty cycle around 5000rpm which is bad. 24lbs is plenty for most applications but 30's are fine as well. If you have heads and cams and headers and bolt-on's then you should definitely step up to a minimum of 24's and really, get the 30's. If you use a power adder, get an injector that can feed it. If you need help figuring out your fuel delivery needs, then ask in the big 5.4 thread.

Your stock fuel pump is enough for direct swaps. If you're doing anything more than that (big heads, cams, nitrous, etc...) then you really need to start with an SVT focus pump and possibly go much larger depending on what power level you're looking at. Don't underestimate the need for fuel delivery. 5.4's are thirsty at high RPM's. A failure to provide enough fuel will stack harm up on your motor.

Tune:
A tune is really a must; just a little mail order street tune to dial in the air fuel ratio is fine (If you have a wide band air/fuel gauge). Or you can put the car on the dynamometer and make a few pulls and get a dyno sheet with your RWHP/RWTQ and AFR read out. Original ECU/computer can be used along with the original engine harness. Use all the sensors from your 4.6 as some of the 5.4 sensors are different even though they share a connector (usually the signal voltage range is different when they're different). Save the hassles and use ALL of your stock 4.6 sensors. Crank position, cam position, FRPS, O2's, water temp, oil pressure, etc...

[dannyboy281]

nice short and sweet i wish you had some pic's for those that are considering the swap maybe just of the grinding you had to do on the passenger manifold other than that an average wrencher should be able to follow this with out much problems at all.... please post a pic your #'s from the dyno.... as for it being a sticky i dont see why it shouldnt be its a pretty straight forward swap and you stated it correctly and i dont think you left anything out nice job 330

[330CubeGt]

Thanks!

thats what i was hopeing for out of it so someone that had a little bit of know how could know all they realy need to know to do it. if i had pics i would have posted them for sure but at the time i never snaped any pics because i never planed on doing a write-up (Stupid Me)...

No Dyno numbers yet

Write up Edited...

[dannyboy281]

Originally Posted by 330CubeGt Thanks! thats what i was hopeing for out of it so someone that had a little bit of know how could know all they realy need to know to do it. if i had pics i would have posted them for sure but at the time i never snaped any pics because i never planed on doing a write-up (Stupid Me)... No Dyno numbers yet Write up Edited...

nice edit man alot more informative for those that want to do this and i have a feeling some one might say its worthless without pic's but i have to say if that is posted they are wrong it not its a good write up and should be added to the "how to sticky" mods can you add this

also 330 post a vid then if you can id like to hear it and see a burnout and a pass by if you can haha

[1TITAN]

dude your in orlando.... i wonder if you know the guy that built my motor for me, he builds only 4.6 and 5.4 motors and says he does quite a few 5.4 builds (the guys name is nick)

[1TITAN]

Originally Posted by dannyboy281 nice edit man alot more informative for those that want to do this and i have a feeling some one might say its worthless without pic's but i have to say if that is posted they are wrong it not its a good write up and should be added to the "how to sticky" mods can you add this also 330 post a vid then if you can id like to hear it and see a burnout and a pass by if you can haha

no offense but damn the pics, damn the burn out, damn the drive by sound clip... if that s.o.b. performs and puts the numbers down and obviously has far more potential for power then the 4.6 thats all the reason i need.
i will most deffinitly be lookin into this a bit more

i love this post ..... somethin strange for a lot of change (i actually wanted to do the v10 but god and all creation is against me, ill do it eventually just because)

[dannyboy281]

^ i know it does put numbers down better and performs better, i just wanted a vid for viewing pleasure haha

[330CubeGt]

Originally Posted by 1TITAN dude your in orlando.... i wonder if you know the guy that built my motor for me, he builds only 4.6 and 5.4 motors and says he does quite a few 5.4 builds (the guys name is nick)

Yea Nick lives over in Longwood and owns the Modular Head shop?

Originally Posted by 1TITAN no offense but damn the pics, damn the burn out, damn the drive by sound clip... if that s.o.b. performs and puts the numbers down and obviously has far more potential for power then the 4.6 thats all the reason i need. i will most deffinitly be lookin into this a bit more i love this post ..... somethin strange for a lot of change (i actually wanted to do the v10 but god and all creation is against me, ill do it eventually just because)

LoL I have had alot of pics but most are offline now i have (3) in My Garage. Link in Sig.And yea i once thought of going V10 but i just never did.

Originally Posted by dannyboy281 ^ i know it does put numbers down better and performs better, i just wanted a vid for viewing pleasure haha

Go to youtube,search "5.4 Mustang".There are 2 clips of mine running N/A a few months back.just search "330CubeGt"

[rider4life350]

very nice write up, very informative. thanks

[cruizer]

great writeup. Just one question for now. Could you use a tubular k member to lower the engine to help fit it under the hood or at least a hood scoop?

[the misfit wolfie]

good write up. you answered a few questions i had about that swap. and +1 on putting videos up. (new videos )

[330CubeGt]

Originally Posted by cruizer great writeup. Just one question for now. Could you use a tubular k member to lower the engine to help fit it under the hood or at least a hood scoop?

The motor fits under a stock hood. With little to no modification to the hood support just to clear the CAI Somtimes you have to, sometimes not. Depends on what kind of CAI it is.

The tubular K member will not help to drop the motor any lower you can keep your stock K member and get a set of k member spacers.

[Thumbie]

But a tubular would still fit, right? I've always wanted to do this (no time or money) but was thinkin if I'm doing something this big a tubular might support the weight and help the car handle better.

[jarhead2269]

How big of a hood would you need if you were gonna put a KB 2.6l SC on it? Thats what I plan on doin. As far as the sensors, you said you could just use all the stock 4.6 ones, so if you were upgrading your sensors you would buy ones for a mustang since your usin that computer right? How does it handle on the street? Is the extra weight noticable?

[quiksilver225]

Originally Posted by Thumbie But a tubular would still fit, right? I've always wanted to do this (no time or money) but was thinkin if I'm doing something this big a tubular might support the weight and help the car handle better.

its a good purchase, FOR SURE. i have been told by a few people that the tubular actaully does lower the motor a tad. the big benefit is having all the extra room to work with. when used in tandom with a set of spacers you'd have plenty of room.

[quiksilver225]

good write-up, by the way. this really did need to be done. im gonna chronical my entire 5.4 4V swap with pics all along the way. I figure with all the contributions that have been made to the 5.4 swapper community by guys like you and r3d that its the least i could do.

[Thumbie]

And should this be stickied?

[Mr.Soup]

i have an 01 cobra and since i allready have an aluminum block, is there a 5.4 4v aluminum option and if not does anyone know the weight difference?

[jarhead2269]

if you were to get a windage tray for the oil pan would you buy one for a 5.4l because of the added stroke? would a tray for a 5.4l fit inside of the oil pan for a 4.6l?

[1TITAN]

i looked up 5.4 aluminum blocks and ford makes em but they dont come in any production car other then the supercar ford GT..... the block is hella expensive