Hoping to go Modular

Garrettn · May 24, 2006

I am 18 years old and next year will be going to college. I hope i can drop a 4.6 SOHC or DOHC to replace my 289 with a C-4 for more fuel economy and power. I understand that this will be incredibly hard but i have spent over two years working on it and would hate to give it up. My question is what all do i need to swap to modular and what would it cost. i know i need a crate engine, new tranny, Mustang II front end, and i need to cut off the shock towers in the engine compartmen tot make room.

302 coupe · May 24, 2006

well, you won't get much better mileage or any more power. Rebuild the 289 with an emphasis on street friendly power and economy, then swap in an AOD or T5. You'll be getting 25 mpg and making an easy 300+hp, while saving a fortune. Just because its a more modern engine doesn't mean its better for your application.

bnickel · May 24, 2006

get a set of afr 165's, do a mild hydraulic roller cam setup and run about 10:1 cmopression. the more compression you can run the better the mileage will be in general. also do some imternal engine coatings to reduce friction and the coatings for the piston face and the combustion chamber of the heads to hold the heat in the chamber. this will also help the engine run a bit cooler as well.

next install the above mentioned aod or t5 and a decent set of gears in the 3.25 to 3.55 range. anything lower like 4.11's will kill your mileage on the highway but a higher gear such as 3.00 or 2.79 will kill your low end power making the engine have to work harder around town.

you should also consider a conversion to fuel injection as well. there are a ton of choices, stock 5.0 efi system, mass-flo, edelbrock, holley pro-jection, etc.

personally i would go with either the stock style 5.0 system or the holey pro-jection if you want to retain a more stock looking engine compartment. the holley commander 950 digital system is what i plan on putting in my car when the time comes.

the only other big thing i would recommend is to run as tall a tire as you can as well, since that reduces the revolutions per mile a lot.

jcode68 · May 24, 2006

If you are dead set on going modular, then you should read the sticky post for Reenmachine. He has done a great job documenting and sharing info on his project.

jbuening · May 25, 2006

http://www.dvsrestorations.com/

Talk to Dave, he has done many modular swaps and could help you along the way. You'll have to cut out the shock towers and install a Mustang II suspension ($2-3k alone). It is not an easy task to put a modular motor in. If you are going for the wow factor, then great. If you are wanting power, put all that money into a stroker 351w and the suspension.

LMan · May 30, 2006

Heres why you might not want to do this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/arthurdent/4.jpg

Same HP, twice the size, 1/3 again the weight....

DukeGnarley · May 30, 2006

yep, less displacement, same hp, much heavier, harder to fit, and more expensive to upgrade. Also the MII suspension isn't really the best handeling suspension out there, so if you're looking for a corner carver then that's not the way to go.

tamadrummer88 · May 30, 2006

18, and you want to go to college, and you want a mod motor in your car?!

well, the MII suspension will run you at least 2.5k, and the motor will run you 6k+. Really, you should look at your budget and see if you really have the money. Ive had my 68 for 2 years, and I havent done anything to it, and im 18 and going to college in a few months, and I have been saving for parts, but all i have money for is a MII suspension, and maybe some interior parts. I wanted to do a Eleanor clone, but i dont have the money, so all i can afford for now, is a MII suspension, and the interior. You should really rethink your project. BTW, a 289 will make more power modified than a stock 4.6, and it would have costed less to modify than buying a stock 4.6.

John

jadesville · May 30, 2006

People have got DOHC's to fit with just tower modifications. You don't have to go out and spend a couple grand on a MII.

DukeGnarley · May 30, 2006

if it's a 65-66 there's no way to fit a mod motor and still have shock towers.

5.0ina66 · May 30, 2006

DukeGnarley said:
if it's a 65-66 there's no way to fit a mod motor and still have shock towers.

Bull$h!t I saw DVS restorations' 65 4.6 2V Fastback up close and personal a few years ago, it had shaved stock towers. Theres a good pic of it out there somewhere.

To the OP, a mild 302 or 289 would keep up with, if not beat a mod motor and cost THOUSANDS less, be easier to work on, and simpler in general. Spend $3600 on a 302 and you'll eat the mod motor for lunch. A sensibly driven built 302 with a T5 will pull down 23mpg. Mod motors aren't horribly more impressive MPG wise. Dunno where you got that idea?

washMO66 · May 30, 2006

Don't do it, modulars are not superior to a cam in block motor. If anthing they are more complicated and harder to work on for sure....

In a 65 -66 a push rod motor can't be beat........

stangonline · May 30, 2006

First, the aluminum blocked 4.6 w// aluminum heads is almost the same weight as a 302 w/aluminum heads.

Just because I like to be the devils advocate... The mod motor is going to have a unique sound to it, and will run smoother to higher RPMs. People are getting insane power out of these as well.

I am considering building a turbocharged 4v 4.6 to put in my 67. However, I am also looking at the griggs suspension which will make some room AND handle well.

Jeff

85 Turbo Bird · May 30, 2006

I'm looking into engine choices to put in a 67-68 whenever I get one and had some of the same concerns as people here already posted.

I'm torn between a 302 and a 4.6 also... I have seen some buildups of the 4.6 motors and the power they can make with "simple" mods is awesome which is why I'm looking into it as well as the "unique" factor.

FordMuscle · May 30, 2006

I wouldnt do it, you have significantly more power advantage with a pushrod 302 block; go to EFI and your fuel economy is there too...and ultimately at a lower overall price.

with that said, I can understand personal challange, so if you really want to do it, go for it.

here is a writeup on a 4.6L buildup:
http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2006/04/2VOrNot2V/index.php

jerry S · May 31, 2006

another way to look at a modular engine in a classic Mustang is that it gives you all the weight of a 429 up front but with only 1/3 the horsepower.

C0V3R · May 31, 2006

You can use RRS struts so you can scallop the shock towers to fit a mod motor. I saw an eleanor replica out here with a 4.6 cobra motor in it using RRS suspension.

stangonline · May 31, 2006

Wow, you guys should venture out of the classic forums once in a while and realize what kind of power people are making with the mod motors. 302 block has more potential power?? I don't think so. The weight is also a non-issue when using an aluminum 4.6 block. The only thing above that is true is that a 302 based motor would be cheaper (and easier) to install.

NasaGT · May 31, 2006

Ugh - all the mod motor hatin' in here.

As said above, you can get a 4v motor with an aluminum block if weight is a concern.

In stock form the 2v mod motor put out more hp than any stock 5.0 motor ever did. The 4v blows the 5.0s away.

Yes, its a lot of work, its been done before. Who wouldn't want to have a Cobra block and a KennyBell supercharger pumping out 700+ rwhp in a classic Mustang? Power, reliability and drivability all in one package.

jerry S · May 31, 2006

stangonline said:
Wow, you guys should venture out of the classic forums once in a while and realize what kind of power people are making with the mod motors. 302 block has more potential power?? I don't think so. The weight is also a non-issue when using an aluminum 4.6 block. The only thing above that is true is that a 302 based motor would be cheaper (and easier) to install.

Yes, a 4.6 modular block can make some awesome power. I know of a US soldier here with a 4.6 that makes 459 rwhp. This is about 515 hp at the fly. Of course he also has ported FR500 heads (not cheap), a ported FR500 intake (also not cheap) and FR500 cams (not cheap either). I estimate his engine cost him not less than $15,000 at the end of the day. I can build a 515 hp 408 stroker for less than half the cost of that modular.

As far as weight being an issue, you toss out there that an alum. block weighs less than an iron block. Although true, a aluminum modular block costs close to $5000. Don't forget who asked the question: an 18 year old kid. Unless he is the spoiled son of a rich man, none of those things is ever gonna happen. He can build a 347 stroker and get 450 hp out of it for a hell of a lot less than the 500 hp modular and still outperform the modular because of the weight advantage. Throw in there that he will have to do some serious mods to his front end to get the modular to fit, he will spend more on this old car than it will ever be worth. At that point, I would tell him to spend the same money on a new Vette.

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