I Need Advice!

wmburns said:

Electrically the 1999-2004 is a very different car than the 2005+ model year. Unless you are trying to re-engineer the whole car (electrically) the way to do a 3V swap is to retain the ORIGINAL wiring harness and PCM. What most people do is to use the 3V cam phases lock outs to "fix/lock" the cam timing. The 2V PCM will run a 3V motor with a tune.

Expect some issues with the fuel rails, fuel pressure sensor, intake, exhaust manifolds, drive shaft (length). The swap has been done and there are kits out there to help.

BUT........This still leaves the problem of passing inspection. The 3V motor does not have an external EGR system. Where as the 2V does. The problem just begin with the lack of an EGR port on the 3V exhaust manifolds. Of course it's possible to disable EGR in the tune but this will stop the readiness monitors from becoming "ready".

If you are dead set on swapping in a motor from a different car consider a Romeo PI from a 2001+ Grand Marquis, Crown Vic or Town Car. The swap is straight forward and will give the HP bump that the PI heads provide (with a tune). The PI 4.6's are readily available in the salvage yards for very good $$. Best of all the car will pass any inspection after done.

Click to expand...

wmburns said:

Electrically the 1999-2004 is a very different car than the 2005+ model year. Unless you are trying to re-engineer the whole car (electrically) the way to do a 3V swap is to retain the ORIGINAL wiring harness and PCM. What most people do is to use the 3V cam phases lock outs to "fix/lock" the cam timing. The 2V PCM will run a 3V motor with a tune.

Expect some issues with the fuel rails, fuel pressure sensor, intake, exhaust manifolds, drive shaft (length). The swap has been done and there are kits out there to help.

BUT........This still leaves the problem of passing inspection. The 3V motor does not have an external EGR system. Where as the 2V does. The problem just begin with the lack of an EGR port on the 3V exhaust manifolds. Of course it's possible to disable EGR in the tune but this will stop the readiness monitors from becoming "ready".

If you are dead set on swapping in a motor from a different car consider a Romeo PI from a 2001+ Grand Marquis, Crown Vic or Town Car. The swap is straight forward and will give the HP bump that the PI heads provide (with a tune). The PI 4.6's are readily available in the salvage yards for very good $$. Best of all the car will pass any inspection after done.

Click to expand...

wmburns said:

Electrically the 1999-2004 is a very different car than the 2005+ model year. Unless you are trying to re-engineer the whole car (electrically) the way to do a 3V swap is to retain the ORIGINAL wiring harness and PCM. What most people do is to use the 3V cam phases lock outs to "fix/lock" the cam timing. The 2V PCM will run a 3V motor with a tune.

Expect some issues with the fuel rails, fuel pressure sensor, intake, exhaust manifolds, drive shaft (length). The swap has been done and there are kits out there to help.

BUT........This still leaves the problem of passing inspection. The 3V motor does not have an external EGR system. Where as the 2V does. The problem just begin with the lack of an EGR port on the 3V exhaust manifolds. Of course it's possible to disable EGR in the tune but this will stop the readiness monitors from becoming "ready".

If you are dead set on swapping in a motor from a different car consider a Romeo PI from a 2001+ Grand Marquis, Crown Vic or Town Car. The swap is straight forward and will give the HP bump that the PI heads provide (with a tune). The PI 4.6's are readily available in the salvage yards for very good $$. Best of all the car will pass any inspection after done.

Click to expand...

wmburns said:

Electrically the 1999-2004 is a very different car than the 2005+ model year. Unless you are trying to re-engineer the whole car (electrically) the way to do a 3V swap is to retain the ORIGINAL wiring harness and PCM. What most people do is to use the 3V cam phases lock outs to "fix/lock" the cam timing. The 2V PCM will run a 3V motor with a tune.

Expect some issues with the fuel rails, fuel pressure sensor, intake, exhaust manifolds, drive shaft (length). The swap has been done and there are kits out there to help.

BUT........This still leaves the problem of passing inspection. The 3V motor does not have an external EGR system. Where as the 2V does. The problem just begin with the lack of an EGR port on the 3V exhaust manifolds. Of course it's possible to disable EGR in the tune but this will stop the readiness monitors from becoming "ready".

If you are dead set on swapping in a motor from a different car consider a Romeo PI from a 2001+ Grand Marquis, Crown Vic or Town Car. The swap is straight forward and will give the HP bump that the PI heads provide (with a tune). The PI 4.6's are readily available in the salvage yards for very good $$. Best of all the car will pass any inspection after done.

Click to expand...

wmburns said:

Adding PI heads onto a non-PI motor will increase the CR by a full point. This is not the modification to do if considering adding boost.

Further. Knowing what I know now I would never perform a head swap with the motor still inside the car. Access is a PIA. IMO the chances of success are higher with the motor on the engine stand and access is soooo much easier. Frankly it's not that much work to pull the motor in a Mustang anyway. Tons of people have done the job in their driveway with nothing more than hand tools and a rented engine crane.

IMO the whole motor swap makes more sense because:

• The cost of the PI heads are often greater than the cost of a whole salvage yard motor. Many people will buy a salvage yard PI motor just to get the heads.
• The labor and cost of parts (head changing kit) need to be factored in. The head swap itself is not a trivial job.
• The whole motor swap is straight forward. Mostly swapping bolt on parts/wiring from one motor to the other.
• Possible to get a donor motor with much lower mileage than original.
• Much easier to perform some preventive maintenance while on the engine stand. Think seals, gaskets, timing chain (anytime motor has 150K+ miles).

When swapping in a PI motor into a non-PI application a tune is needed to get the full benefit of the PI motor. Note, the PI motor will run and will give some additional power with the stock tune.

Click to expand...

wmburns said:

Adding PI heads onto a non-PI motor will increase the CR by a full point. This is not the modification to do if considering adding boost.

Further. Knowing what I know now I would never perform a head swap with the motor still inside the car. Access is a PIA. IMO the chances of success are higher with the motor on the engine stand and access is soooo much easier. Frankly it's not that much work to pull the motor in a Mustang anyway. Tons of people have done the job in their driveway with nothing more than hand tools and a rented engine crane.

IMO the whole motor swap makes more sense because:

• The cost of the PI heads are often greater than the cost of a whole salvage yard motor. Many people will buy a salvage yard PI motor just to get the heads.
• The labor and cost of parts (head changing kit) need to be factored in. The head swap itself is not a trivial job.
• The whole motor swap is straight forward. Mostly swapping bolt on parts/wiring from one motor to the other.
• Possible to get a donor motor with much lower mileage than original.
• Much easier to perform some preventive maintenance while on the engine stand. Think seals, gaskets, timing chain (anytime motor has 150K+ miles).

When swapping in a PI motor into a non-PI application a tune is needed to get the full benefit of the PI motor. Note, the PI motor will run and will give some additional power with the stock tune.

Click to expand...