5.4 in a 69 stang

mustangmike6996 · Mar 13, 2007

what is needed for the swap as far as electronics and intake? i am looking to do some struts in place of the control arms and notch out the shock tower with RRS stuff.. my question is what is needed to put a newer (05 i think) 5.4 navi engine in it... i still want performance can i use a cobra intake or computer and harness? what about headers?

what are the issues with a mod engine in an older stang?

are there performance parts availible for the 5.4 or is the some parts that are interchangeable for other mustangs??

cause i can get this whole thing for 1500 bucks

also will a t56 bolt up to the rear of it ??

ForceFed70 · Mar 13, 2007

You'd be better off asking most of these questions in the modular forums.

The biggest issue is space, there's not alot of it in the early engine compartments.

I doubt you'll find off the shelf headers that will fit. You will probably need to fabricate your own or have a custom set built. As far as electronics, intakes, and performance parts... I can't help you there. My knowledge ends at the pushrod.

68rustang · Mar 13, 2007

I am pretty sure you will need about a 12" cowl hood to fit over thething. I remember a picture on Windsor-Fox's page showing one sitting on a pallet next to a 65 or 66. The car was on its wheels and the engine was directly on a pallet so what, 4" off the ground, and the intake was still much higher than the top of the fenders.

67 Evil Eleanor · Mar 14, 2007

You will need to do a lot of mods and fit and cut. Shock towers will have to go. If you use a 03 Cobra S/C, you will need intake adapters. Height will be an issue too. Also some type of ecm to run it. Look on the modular conversion section. 1500 may buy an used navi engine.

mustangmike6996 · Mar 14, 2007

RRS makes a shock tower cutout plate to clear the mod engines so that shouldnt be an issue... i was just wondering if anyone had done it before....

68rustang · Mar 14, 2007

Width isn't a big deal with the various kits out there. The height of the Navigator engine is the problem. That is why I don't think you will find anybody that has done it. I don't know if they are different from the early ones but check the height before you buy anything.

Rusty67 · Mar 15, 2007

Aren't the 4.6 and the 5.4 the same motor with a different set of bottem end internals ? Any particular reason you want to use a mod motor instead of a pushrod ? Do you have the hole car or just the engine itself ?

StangDreamin' · Mar 15, 2007

If, after all the bad news you've gotten so far, you still want to do this; do one thing first:

If the motor is an '02 or earlier, look up "Time-Zert" and put in their grip-zert thread replacements (like a Heli-Coil, only much, much better) in all the spark-plug holes. Trust me, I've already found out.........

(#8 is a real biotch with the engine in the truck - and it's the most common one for spitting out its plug under moderately hard acceleration).

68rustang · Mar 15, 2007

Rusty67 said:
Aren't the 4.6 and the 5.4 the same motor with a different set of bottem end internals ?

No, well at least not the truck engines. They use a taller deck block.

xoxbxfx · Mar 15, 2007

geeezzz..where to start

The 4.6 dohc barely fits with notching the shock towers and you will never pull the valve covers with the motor in. Now add an inch of deck height on both sides and you can see its not going to fit.... then like someone said above, teh stock truck intake is tall. There are aftermarket intakes out there to swap injections systems and go carb'd if you want to do that. If you dont know electronics and wiring DONT MESS WITH IT. You will be doing this swap for years and not get anywhere with the wiring. Its very complicated tracing pinouts trying to find out all the needed and not needed hots. There are aftermarket harnesses out there that you build for cobra motors...this is close to the same.

This is one hell of a project. I had a hard enough time trying to get a 4.6 in a 66 with a MII front suspension...Im still not finished with the wiring.

mustangmike6996 · Mar 15, 2007

well i cant seem to find too much performance for the 5.4 so im thinkin a 4.6 4v or 3v either is nice.. i want this mod engine in mine for something a little different. i have had this car since i was 16 (im 21 now) i have almost 26,000 into it so far . the only original parts are the roof and firewall as well as the drivers 1/4 panel. so id like it to be something more than a build up small block or a gas guzzeling big block. you dont really see too many mod engines in old cars... i think its a brilliant idea...

as far as electronics i know cars very well i just dont know what is available for the 5.4 mod engines

68rustang · Mar 15, 2007

Your money and you car do what you want but if you ask me the mod motor swap isn't worth the trouble. It is big, heavy, expensive and full of compromise. There are enough of them out there now that the "gee whiz" factor is wearing off. A well built small block (302, 331, 347, 351, 392, etc) is lighter, less expensive, fits without surgery and can make as much if not more power. To top it off in the end you have a better balanced car. If you want something a little different run EFI. Not different enough, drop an LSX motor into it. It has all the benfits of the SBF, more power out of the box, lighter and nobody else at the car show will have one

NasaGT · Mar 15, 2007

Thanks to the new GT500s there are a significant number of performance parts becoming available for the 5.4 mod motor. I'm guessing the GT500 lower intake and blower is going to be as tall as the truck intake though. Kenne Bell has a new blower for the GT500 (it made 800+ rwhp on stock internals!), so you'll probably see used stock blowers show up on ebay and other places soon.

Another option is that a couple companies make billet adaptors to put 4.6 intakes on a 5.4. If you are interested in this option search for "5.4 swap" in the modular 4.6 2V forum. There's alot of info over there. I think you'll find wiring info there as well. I seem to recall a 4.6 2V computer can drive the 5.4 with no issues, but obviously you'll need a tune of some sort. So the cheapest path would probably be a 2V harness and computer.

As others have siad, your biggest hurdle will be to get it to fit. Good luck!

Rusty67 · Mar 15, 2007

When you say you can get the hole engine for 1500 bux does that mean complete with intake, accessory drive, wiring, ecu, sensors ?

I'm going to be converting my 2000 v6 to a v8 and I've determined that the only sane way to do it is simply to buy a wrecked GT and canabolize it. You have no idea how many small things you need to make these mod motors work. Since its gonna be an EFI motor, you will need to put an electric fuel pump in and return lines. There are a lot of little things that really add up. I'm not saying don't do it. What I'm saying is that if you are serious about doing this, you need to find a setup that is runing right now. Get a hole damned wrecked car that still starts and idles well that way you know you have everything you need to make this setup run.

There are a lot of small/annoying things to do like the fuel pump and lines or the O2 sensors you need to put into yer exhaust pipes. These are standard for MAS Air EFI conversions. I'm telling you right now that this is going to be a sawp with a LONG downtime for your car. If you REALLY want to do it, thats fine, but don't go buying just a motor. You are going to spend WAY more then buying a wrecked runner and the frustration of hunting down the parts you need is going to drive you to the insane asylum.

Step 1, find your donor and go buy a shop manual for that car. And when I say shop manual I don't mean some stupid POS Haynes or Chiltons. Spend some money and get the REAL one. Its totally worth it. The true shop manuals are like the Bible.... for your application.

chromedog · Mar 15, 2007

mustang monthly did an article (feb, 2006), the fellow in the article used the entire drivetrain, suspension,(front and rear) ecu, shock towers, etc. from a 99 cobra svt. let me see if i can scan it, and pm it over to you.in the meantime, his website is dvsrestorations.com

xoxbxfx · Mar 15, 2007

I understand where you are coming from on wanting to do something different but Im tellin ya, its a PITA. The wiring is the most complicated. If I were you, buy yourselfs a Helms manual for the year motor you are getting and read through it and make sure you understand the schematics and everything. The wiring is the hard part

mustangmike6996 · Mar 15, 2007

well i cant stress enough that i have a GREAT understanding of electronics and fuel injection systems i was just wondering if there were any other major complications with this project.. i do know that it will be worth the time spent just as far as self accomplishment. but to know that you have a DOHC in a early mustang i think is sweet..

i think i saw an aftermarket harness available for this same type of project.

67 Evil Eleanor · Mar 15, 2007

Heres my 5.4 in a 67. There is only a quater inch clearence between the hood and pulley and crossmember to the oil pan. The 69 should have more room than a 67 asnd the 65 about 2" less. I used an Accel DFI Gen 7 to run this engine, easier than fooling with the factory ecm. Have at it and keep us informed.

xoxbxfx · Mar 15, 2007

mustangmike6996 said:
well i cant stress enough that i have a GREAT understanding of electronics and fuel injection systems i was just wondering if there were any other major complications with this project.. i do know that it will be worth the time spent just as far as self accomplishment. but to know that you have a DOHC in a early mustang i think is sweet..

i think i saw an aftermarket harness available for this same type of project.

aftermarket harness runs about $800... you will need to pull the shocktowers, I dont think a 5.4 DOHC is going to fit. You already have to notch for a 4.6 sohc... a dohc can still be notched but most of the shocktwer will be gone with another 3/4" on each side.

67 Evil Eleanor · Mar 15, 2007

Oh yeh, if you need any other photos of the build or how I solved some of the problems, let me know. Another photo.

5.4 in a 69 stang

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