4.6 reliability and peformance over the years

[Dino]

I've been out of the Mustang scene for a while now but am hoping in the next few years to pick a used one up to have something fun to drive.

My first Mustang was a 86 GT Convertible and the second was a 96 GT. I much preferred the 4.6 over the 5.0 because I found it much smoother. At the time there wasn't much of an aftermarket for the 4.6 and everyone was trashing it saying it wasn't as good as the 5.0, etc..... My father still has the 86 GT and someday it will be handed back to me. I sold my 96 GT in 2002 and have missed driving a stang since.

I'm sure the aftermarket is still cheaper for the 5.0 but at least parts for the 4.6 are around now. Has the 4.6 been a reliable engine over the years? When I sold mine it had about 60,000 miles on it and had zero issues. From what I've read it looks like the 4.6 is seeing pretty good gains for cams. If I found a high mileage one what would be involved in rebuilding it and the approx price?

If I was to get another one I'd likely look at doing much the same mods I did last time.... gears, pulleys, MAC cat-H, MAC catback, CAI and bigger MAF, steeda shifter, s/f connectors, lower springs. Plus I'd likely add longtubes and some cams.

 

[StangSims39]

I had a 95 Tbird, with the 4.6L and 4R70W trans, let me tell ya, i beat the piss out of that engine, i went through 3 trannys but the engine was still solid when i sold it with 135k on it. That engine was one of the first Romeo 4.6L thrown in. Even though my 04 Stang has the PI heads and intake, to me its the same motor, and even though i just got it a month ago and has 31k on it, i know this engine if treated right will last me a very very long time. I have blown engines before also a 3.0L DOHC in a mazda, a 2.4L in a Grand Am and a 3.8L in a Grand Prix, To me these Modular 4.6's are bullet proof.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

No worries. The 4.6L is a tough little engine. It may not stand up to a power adder in stock form as well as the last 5.0L, but it'll still take you well into the 400rwhp range without a hiccup should you choose to go there and give you trouble free service along the way. The thousands, upon thousands of Taxi Cab and Civil Service vehicles that patrol the streets on a yearly basis over the last 20-years have proven as much.

 

[Mel96GT]

A rebuild shouldn't be too much if you are going to keep the stock rods, crank and pistons. Are you going to do it yourself? However if you plan to go FI in the future then forged rods and pistons should be installed. If you do a rebuild on a 96-98 NPI engine, you should at least install PI heads and cams while you're at it. The PI cams and heads will give you A LOT of bang for the buck. If you really want to go cheap just install some used PI cams with the NPI heads (that is what I did) but get it dyno-tuned to get the most out of it! The aftermarket 4.6 cams are a little pricey compared to 5.0's but they take advantage of the higher-rpm potential of the 4.6.

Overall I also enjoy the smoothness of the 4.6 and they seem to be very durable. The dealer told me they can easily reach 200,000 miles with regular oil changes. YMMV.

 

[Mustang92]

In terms of longevity the 4.6 is a step above the 5.0 and that doesn't mean the 5.0 isn't good. I've owned both and abused both pretty well. From my experiences the 5.0's seem to start running into oil pressure issues around 150-170k miles. The 4.6's on the other hand can go into the 200k mile range before you get excessive blow by or oil pressure issues. There are always exceptions to the rule. Nick from ModularHeadShop used to regularly pull PI heads for cores and taxi's with 400k miles on them had cam journals in better shape than most 150K mile Mustang's with PI heads. Taxi's run pretty much 24 hours a day and get regular oil changes while in service.

My 2000 GT took a serious beating while I had it. I bought it new and hit the track the first time with 1k miles on it and didn't stop till 5 years later, 113k miles miles and over 1000 passes. Many of those passes launching off the rev limiter and shifting at 6800 RPM. The bottom end was in great shape when I took it apart the only real sign of wear was the valve seals were starting to go.

 

[mr-mike]

the 4.6 is a solid engine take care with regular oil changes they will run 200,000 plus I swore by 5.0 & 351 truck motors even when beat on the keep going ! so I will chime in the 4.6 is OK

 

[5.0Torx]

i think theyre both durable engines.

Aside from that, my brothers '00 GT has 155k miles and still pulls like brand new. Its still on the first clutch lol.

 

[Dino]

Thanks for the replies. If I decide to jump into another Mustang in a year or two it will likely be a 99-04 since I prefer that look to the 05+ stangs and I wouldn't want to go any older than that because it wouldn't have the PI heads.

 

[sneaky98gt]

Thanks for the replies. If I decide to jump into another Mustang in a year or two it will likely be a 99-04 since I prefer that look to the 05+ stangs and I wouldn't want to go any older than that because it wouldn't have the PI heads.

Good plan. Knowing what I know now, I would have waited and bought a 99-04 GT instead of a 98.

And yes, they are very reliable. Mine has just shy of 100,000 miles, and I've had it for 40,000. It has been driven pretty hard while I've had it, and it has NEVER given ANY trouble, except for the intake manifold crossover cracking, which was expected.

 

[Dino]

Would it be better to get a 99-04 GT or a 05 GT? I realize the 05’s got a healthy bump in power to 300 but does it make it much faster or is it a heavier car? What would a 99-04 take to be able to equal an 05 performance wise. Are there any other benefits to going with an 05+?

 

[BurningRubber]

I'm spraying a 100 shot, basically untuned, through my 145k stock engine, clutch, and transmission.

The car didn't start getting modded until almost 100k, seen a few autocross events and quite a few passes at the drag strip. Nothing has actually broken so far.

The 05+ cars respond better to modifications because of the 3v engine. They are a much more refined car, not as "raw" feeling as ours. They are heavier but they also have a better suspension setup, more responsive motor, highly updated interior, etc. It's all about what you want. A bolt on 99-04 can run with an 05+.

 

[Dino]

I'm spraying a 100 shot, basically untuned, through my 145k stock engine, clutch, and transmission.

The car didn't start getting modded until almost 100k, seen a few autocross events and quite a few passes at the drag strip. Nothing has actually broken so far.

The 05+ cars respond better to modifications because of the 3v engine. They are a much more refined car, not as "raw" feeling as ours. They are heavier but they also have a better suspension setup, more responsive motor, highly updated interior, etc. It's all about what you want. A bolt on 99-04 can run with an 05+.

I really liked that raw feeling of my 96GT. I'm not terribly fond of the look of the 05+ but it grows on me everytime I see one. As for the interior. I don't like the look of the new interior and gauges but 40 more hp could make me overlook that.

 

[ninjastang125]

I love my 2v but those 3vs are impressive cars where performance is concerned. A cammed 3v with longtubes with suspension and slicks and there are guys breaking 11s with ease. Of course there is a driverf mod involved with that, but I don't like how heavy those cars are, I would personally get a 99 to 04 or wait and get a 2010 3v. Or if you are feeling really froggy get that new 5.0 monster

 

[Gearbanger 101]

Would it be better to get a 99-04 GT or a 05 GT? I realize the 05’s got a healthy bump in power to 300 but does it make it much faster or is it a heavier car? What would a 99-04 take to be able to equal an 05 performance wise. Are there any other benefits to going with an 05+?

The '05-up GT's don't necessarily "feel" much faster per say. The power tends to come on more smoothly and they do pull a lot harder in the upper ranges. That being said, the clocks don't lie.....they're still a good .3-.5 tenths faster in a quarter of a mile than their SN95 predecessors.

Let’s be frank. From a technical standpoint, the '05+ GT's are superior to their Fox 4 ('79-'04) predecessors in every respect. The '99-'04 Models were about the best that the SN95 chassis had to offer, but the S197 ('05-up) is a step beyond that.

Even with the additional weight, the S197 GT's out accelerate, out handle and out stop any GT before it. Their suspension geometry is better, the brakes are bigger, the interior ergonomics are better. Hell, the all around fit and finish of the car is better.

If this sounds like a downplay of the SN95, it’s not meant to me. Like I said, they were the best Ford had to offer at the time, the S197 just takes it a couple of steps further.


If you like the look of the SN95 better, that's one thing. To some, the look of a car is going to be top of the list no matter how much of a performance difference there is between the two. But if you're as content with the look of one, as you are with the other....the S197 is a hands down winner.

 

[trombonedemon]

The '05-up GT's don't necessarily "feel" much faster per say. The power tends to come on more smoothly and they do pull a lot harder in the upper ranges. That being said, the clocks don't lie.....they're still a good .3-.5 tenths faster in a quarter of a mile than their SN95 predecessors.

Let’s be frank. From a technical standpoint, the '05+ GT's are superior to their Fox 4 ('79-'04) predecessors in every respect. The '99-'04 Models were about the best that the SN95 chassis had to offer, but the S197 ('05-up) is a step beyond that.

Even with the additional weight, the S197 GT's out accelerate, out handle and out stop any GT before it. Their suspension geometry is better, the brakes are bigger, the interior ergonomics are better. Hell, the all around fit and finish of the car is better.

If this sounds like a downplay of the SN95, it’s not meant to me. Like I said, they were the best Ford had to offer at the time, the S197 just takes it a couple of steps further.


If you like the look of the SN95 better, that's one thing. To some, the look of a car is going to be top of the list no matter how much of a performance difference there is between the two. But if you're as content with the look of one, as you are with the other....the S197 is a hands down winner.

Well said.
You have to look at how much it would cost to mod too. I found cheap cheap prices for Fox's and just for a few bucks more the SN95's. To mod those 2005+ would be spending much more than you would gain in HPs speaking comparitively of money and HP. For example, I can find a 26 dollar CAI on ebay, besides the crappy paper/cotton filter, the CAI is spot on, can't find one for the 2005's and up for that price. My next new car purchase will be something like the 2011 gt. Only Mod would be CAI, until its paid for and the warranty runs out.