Has anyone put a 4.6 Ford in a rod yet?

Hello all, new guy here.
As it is customary to give a little bio and background, here it goes...
I have been into cars since I was around 1.5 years old, (I have pics to prove it), so that makes it about 44.5 years.
I went thru muscle cars (Fairlanes, Chevelles and ElCaminos), on to Cadillacs, ('68 drop top, 70 CDV), trucks ('65 C10) and now I am finally getting around to getting serious with a 1939 Chevy I have drug all over the states.
At the moment (and for the past 10 years) I am an Aircraft Design Engineer.
At last I finally have the 3 big things needed for a good car build: Time, Place AND money.
So, on to my question, has anyone put a 4.6 in a 1939 Chevy?
I just about have the exhaust problem solved, the mounting is almost solved, the steering is maybe solved, and the oil filter relocation is far from solved.
If anyone has dealt with these rather large engines, you will know what I am dealing with.
As much as I hate to give up, the idea of sticking a later I6 in the car is looking more and more like a viable option.
Thanks,
Mike

Howdy Mike,

Although I've not seen it done in your specific vehicle I have seen it done in a early (1962) 60's ford ranch wagon & it looked fantanstic - right at home. Looked like it was a wiring nightmare to me.....

Good luck & post some pix.

Welcome aboard.

Ratty 46 aka/ regs

Those things are HUGE...Hard to believe they have less cubic inches than a 302 that's half the size, they do run well though..I haven't seen one in a rod yet..

They're getting to be more available locally.

Saw my first one sitting in the dirt at the local wrecking yard a few days back....

Three years ago I helped a cohort put one in a '68 Bronco (converted to 2 wheel drive with a set of late model mustang struts)...Had a local Ford mod motor whiz do all the wiring.... We used a Milodon pan and a remote oil filter mount with -10 lines. For the exhaust, we had a local laser cut company cut out some flanges and built a set of long tube headers, 1 5/8" with a 3" collector. Been awhile, but if my (feeble) memory serves me correctly we used the stock steering box, relocated the column slightly, and a double universal joint (from Speedway).

Anyway, it worked out very well, other then burning up a couple of AOD trannies till he had one built. Last year he had the same shop that did the wiring add a Procharger to it, and is now doing some research on converting to the DOHC heads, or maybe the 3 valve. It's a bullet now, but I guess there's really no such thing as too much horsepower.

Should be a bit easier now, there's a lot more parts available for the engine and the swap has been done by enough folks that there's some good information out on the "how to" part of it... Sometime this winter I'll be getting back on a guy's '67 Mustang that is getting a full chassis and a supercharged 5.3 with a Tremec 5 speed....

Sounds like you're getting close on yours! Sure would be a shame to give up on it now and do some feeble I6.... No comparison in performance, operating efficiency, and good old eye candy appeal.......

lincoln mark 8.. they have the same engine as the 95-02 cobra engine. just different heads. another bonous is that they are ALL aluminum!

Yeah, I really want that Buck Rogers looking mill in the engine bay.
Another problem is the cam bumps will have to extend out of the engine bay and UNDER the front fenders. :HMMM:
Just another factor in figuring out the "just right" locational dimensions.
As has been seconded, these are large engines for the cubes within.
I have a 289 on the engine stand a few feet away, and it gets glances when I think about installing that 4.6.
I will give it another shot this weekend to see if it will really NOT work.
Anyone know who makes the THINNEST remote oil filter relocation fitting?
That is one part of the major hurdle of this install, the steering.
As of yet, the steering shaft and the oil filter are trying to share real estate.
If I continue down this self abuse path, I may wind up tapping the oil filter fitting on the block, foregoing the adapter used to relocate the filter.
Oh, and the steering column hits the center of the left head.
The joy we all live for.
More later.
Mike

I've been toying with the idea of buying a complete '93 to '97 Mark VIII and using everything out of it to transplant into a Miata. I've found several low mileage examples locally for under $2K.

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Originally Posted by techinspector1

I've been toying with the idea of buying a complete '93 to '97 Mark VIII and using everything out of it to transplant into a Miata. I've found several low mileage examples locally for under $2K.

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That would be a really fun little cruizer Richard!!! The Miata, especially with the hardtop, is really a neat looking platform for some real performance!!!!!

A guy had one on pass time show a few weeks back in a 30's body, dont know what it was. It looked very cool with zoomies alos, but only ran a 14.550 or 15.550 pass.

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Originally Posted by mooneye777

A guy had one on pass time show a few weeks back in a 30's body, dont know what it was. It looked very cool with zoomies alos, but only ran a 14.550 or 15.550 pass.

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The guy who owns the chassis dyno we rent is a mod motor whiz!!!! He's got the 4.6 and 5.3's putting out some very respectable numbers with the Cobra style supercharger on them.... Some upwards of 500 at the wheels and still very streetable!!!!!! Then there's fools like me who still want to run a mod motor V-10 with 5 downdraft two barrells!!!!!!!!:LOL: :LOL: :whacked:

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

The guy who owns the chassis dyno we rent is a mod motor whiz!!!! He's got the 4.6 and 5.3's putting out some very respectable numbers with the Cobra style supercharger on them.... Some upwards of 500 at the wheels and still very streetable!!!!!! Then there's fools like me who still want to run a mod motor V-10 with 5 downdraft two barrells!!!!!!!!:LOL: :LOL: :whacked:

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why not 10 Stromberg 97's?

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Originally Posted by Matt167

why not 10 Stromberg 97's?

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Cuz they leak and don't work worth a poop... Thinking more like downdraft Webbers.....

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Sounds like you're getting close on yours! Sure would be a shame to give up on it now and do some feeble I6.... No comparison in performance, operating efficiency, and good old eye candy appeal.......

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Yep, I agree on these points, although...
I am well past my high horsepower days, I just want an engine to get me around, and not eat me out of house and home.
I have a .030 over 454 block, heads, crank and rods just gathering dust in the corner of the shop.
It was for my former Chevelle, just never got around to it.
The 4.6 was going to be just that, a good "small" efficient engine.
The P.O. told me it got 26 on the highway, and that was good enough for me.

the one in our lincoln gets 28 with the ac blowin! drivin 65 mph!!!

we plan to do a swap of the engine, trans and all wiring into a 51 ford f1 pickup. we paid 4 grand for ours, but its got 70000 miles, 96, spotless, loaded options. so all in all, its a very nice car to get around till we need to tear it apart!!

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Originally Posted by Mc39

Yep, I agree on these points, although...
I am well past my high horsepower days, I just want an engine to get me around, and not eat me out of house and home.
I have a .030 over 454 block, heads, crank and rods just gathering dust in the corner of the shop.
It was for my former Chevelle, just never got around to it.
The 4.6 was going to be just that, a good "small" efficient engine.
The P.O. told me it got 26 on the highway, and that was good enough for me.

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I'd consider 26 mpg to be conservative...With the right gears and tune up it should do quite well on fuel and performance....best of both worlds.

When the 196 6cyl in my Rambler starts to give trouble, I'm going to replace it with a Ford V8 with EFI.. right now considering a crown vic 5.0L, but thinking about a 4.6 as a junkyard I go to sells engines for $129 each flat rate, and they have a couple rows of cars with both at any given time.. but I can only go 4.6 if the tape measure says I can:LOL: ither way, mid 20's MPG is likely.. which is much better than the 19MPG that I get with the 196/ BW 3spd auto ( which is cousin to the Ford FMX trans )

I think you'd really like the 4.6 Matt....good solid engine with a ton of potential if you should choose to improve it......

I can vouch for that. My mothers 95 CVPI get about 25 highway, and thats with the duals, hotter cams, ect that came with the Interceptor package. FYI, also very cheap to get @ auction;)

can give me the measurments of block width, and height of the 4.6? I'd like to go 4.6L it will cost the same for me to go 4.6 as it would the 5.0 so I might as well go to a more efficent SOHC design, DOHC if I can find 1.. but the yard is always littered with the mid 90's 4.6 crown vic's

If a PI car gets 25, the regular model should get just a bit more.. also being the Rambler is 1,000# lighter than a crown vic, I should get a bit better than 27-28 I would think

Had the 4.6 been as readily available then as when I first began accumulating parts for my project, plus what I know about them now, I for sure would have put one in my '31 Ford roadster. In my mind, as long as the oil is changed regularly, they seem to go on and on - I've had 3. Two 'birds and an F150. The '94 'bird had other drive line problems(tranny and diff), but the '97 was a sweet car that got 26-28 mpg at highway speeds (72 - 76mph). The 5.4 in my '01 pickup really wasn't as good an engine, but did an OK job, tho wasn't up to pulling my big camping trailer very well. Now, as Dave S says, a V10(which is in my new PU - a 3 valve version),now that's an engine, though I'd keep the injection. Unfortunately, with the V10, gas mileage........isn't!!!!

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Originally Posted by Matt167

can give me the measurments of block width, and height of the 4.6?

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I can tell you the width is right at 29 inches.
The widest part is at the cam humps.
The coil packs stick out a little past that, but I was going to relocate those.
I can go to the shop and get some more measurements in a few minutes.

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Originally Posted by Mc39

I can tell you the width is right at 29 inches.
The widest part is at the cam humps.
The coil packs stick out a little past that, but I was going to relocate those.
I can go to the shop and get some more measurements in a few minutes.

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Thanks.. the only other measurement I think I need is the measurment of the engine from the top of the cylinder head, to the oil pan mounting surface.. depth of the pan wouldn't hurt ither... oh also the length, even tho I'm sure it's shorter than the 6cyl

gonna go out right now and put the tape measure to work.. well I just checked, and 29" at the top should fit, as I have 34" at the top to work with, but at the bottom, I have just under 27" due to some suspension parts. and the motor length is 24" but with an electric fan, I could go a couple inches longer

Matt, get hold of yourself. You don't need measurements, you just need the intestinal fortitude to go at it with a Sawzall. :LOL:

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Originally Posted by techinspector1

Matt, get hold of yourself. You don't need measurements, you just need the intestinal fortitude to go at it with a Sawzall. :LOL:

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:LOL:
I could do that, but I want a car left after I turn the sawsall off... if I was to put a MII front clip on it, then I would attempt to shoehorn a Big Block Mopar in there, and forget about MPG.. anyway.. I'm pretty sure the 4.6 would fit, even tho I may need an electric fan.. If I could find a Mark VIII 4.6 I wouldn't mind 280 HP

I found a bunch of 'em on craigslist for cheap, '93 to '97.

If you have deep pockets FMS sell that new 4.6 "Aluminator" crate engine. Supercharged 700hp @7000 rpms. Also comes as a naturally aspirated long block assy. I remember seeing a 1x4 and me thinks a 2x4 intake for these somewhere? Or was it a stack setup possibly?? Can't place it though. Unless I'm nuts and I'm thinking of something else which is always possible.

Edelbrock has a new kit for the 4.6. It's a carb, intake and computer to eliminate most of the wiring. Hotrod just did a junkyard jewel article about it. Looks almost old school that way. It even bumps the HP a bit.

[QUOTE=signshop]Edelbrock has a new kit for the 4.6. It's a carb, intake and computer to eliminate most of the wiring. Hotrod just did a junkyard jewel article about it. Looks almost old school that way. It even bumps the HP a bit.[/QUOT

Good info!!!! Thanks for the heads up, gotta go check that out!!!!!!

In case you haven't found it yet, here's the link to the article. They just did an update to it this past month too. More parts and a little better hp.

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e...ine/index.html

I did read thru the article, thanks for the link to the update!!!! The mod motors with the overhead cams are really starting to look like something to play with and make some respectable power!!! I guess most I like the idea of eliminating some of the valve train components most prone to failure anyway...... Thanks again

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

I did read thru the article, thanks for the link to the update!!!! The mod motors with the overhead cams are really starting to look like something to play with and make some respectable power!!! I guess most I like the idea of eliminating some of the valve train components most prone to failure anyway...... Thanks again

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I still like the idea of the 6.8 3valve V10 best:eek: :D :D

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Originally Posted by Matt167

:LOL:
I could do that, but I want a car left after I turn the sawsall off... if I was to put a MII front clip on it, then I would attempt to shoehorn a Big Block Mopar in there, and forget about MPG.. anyway.. I'm pretty sure the 4.6 would fit, even tho I may need an electric fan.. If I could find a Mark VIII 4.6 I wouldn't mind 280 HP

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96 and up had 290 hp. :) my old man's got 29.7 mpg on a 250 mile trip! good stuff there!

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Originally Posted by tim_bo16

96 and up had 290 hp. :) my old man's got 29.7 mpg on a 250 mile trip! good stuff there!

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but I want to retain the stock electronics, with a '96 up being OBDII, that gets much harder