4.6 motor swap to 5.0

Unless you already have a Fully built up 5.0 waiting to go in.....Skip it and Drop a 351+ motor in. You could scrape by with a Roller 351, Intake, Swap Pan, Distributor and 302 accessory brackets (302 brackets are dirt cheap on ebay unless its 94-95 brackets)

But like i said if you have to put this together from scratch you're better off starting with the larger of the 2 small blocks. All electronics will work from the 302 on a 351. Biggest drawback on and SBF is the heads. Toss some aftermarket heads on the 351 and a good intake and you'll be very happy.

Other than that you need the K member form a 5.0 mustang like the 94/95 (good time to upgrade if you have to yank it" but i know you said budget.

Theres a good deal involved in this swap....especially if you want to stay EFI
Not sure what your budget is but i wouldn't consider this a "Budget" swap.

If you just want to put a bone stock 302 in your car in place of the 4.6 ....then just buy a 94/95 mustang and save alot of time and money. Not worth the swap unless you get a 351+

joshua.mcnair said:

done alot of work to stangs. never tried the swap. I have a 97 4.6 with an automatic. getting ready to drop a 5.0 h.o with a t5 behind. gonna be a budget project. just needing some tech info on what to expect. (motor mounts, cross member, drive shaft lenth) Im goin back with an msd ignition so im not worried about electric. Any help or advise will be appreciated.

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I have heard of folks doing this but now that I own both platforms, I can't see the point in the swap. Over the years it has been to my experiance that there really is no "budget" swap. The 4.6 has alot of potential and it looks like the same amout of money could be spent making the 4.6 faster.

Even with a 351, it's likely still not worth the time and effort. The engine, K-member, and transmission are the easy part. It's wiring it into the 4.6 car's chassis harness that may be a problem. If you're determined, your best bet would be to find a wrecked 94-95 and use it for parts. Things I can think of right now off the top of my head that you'd need, or will have issues with on the swap:

1. Electric fan - you'll need an aftermarket controller (controlled by the CCRM and EEC)
2. Fuel pump - you'll need to run a relay (controlled by the CCRM)
3. Air conditioning - you'll need to run relays (controlled by the CCRM)
4. Dash harness - this may work, but you'll need a wiring diagram for the pinout on the cluster, as it's different fron 94-95 and 96-98
5. Brakes - if the car has hydroboost and you can't adapt it, you'll need a vacuum assist booster and master cylinder

I'm absolutely sure there's more, but those are just the major components that come to mind. It will be a pretty involved swap that will consume a LOT of your time and effort. I have to agree with Chris (95Vert383AOD) that you'd honestly be best off buying a 94-95 car. Depending on where you live, the non OBD-II computer may very well cause you issues with emissions, as well. I'm not familiar with Mississippi's (at least that's where your IP resolves) emissions testing standards, so you'd need to investigate that.