How to Swap Ford Modular Engines into Mustangs, Torinos and More. Dave Stribling
to match the longer 1968 chassis, and the outlets were custom bent to match the original GT exhaust cutouts. The car retains the sound of the 1999 Cobra.
The 1968 chassis was then fitted with every available option in 1968: deluxe interior and exterior, tilt-away steering, upper and lower consoles, fold-down rear seat, and air conditioning. The modern A/C components were combined with the original underdash components, and the speed control circuit was grafted to an original 1968 speed/turn signal stalk and underdash control switch.
Components not taken from the original donor car include the Alpine stereo and remote CD player (the original AM radio is still in the car; the Alpine deck is hidden in the center console and operated by remote), aftermarket power windows and locks designed for the early Mustang chassis, and a custom-made speedometer from an AutoMeter 160-mph digital unit with a stock-style Mustang face. The original (and rare) 1968 deluxe seats with headrests were eventually replaced with matching black and charcoal high-back seats from a 2003 Mach I.
The car is painted in BASF Glasurit paint, with a custom C stripe that matches the charcoal on the Bullitt rims purchased from the Roush factory from some of its conversion cars. No Shelby styling cues on this car, rather it is full Mustang. While the running horse is still installed in the grille, the corral was removed and a pair of Hella Black Magic fog lights are installed in the grille (attached to a stock 1968 fog light switch).
In keeping with the “factory” look, the stamped-steel shock towers from the SN-95 Cobra were incorporated into the 1968 chassis. Because the 1999 chassis is wider, the towers are inset similar to the 1969–1970 Boss 429s. The front suspension was not altered, so the factory geometry remains. Hotchkis caster/camber plates were installed.
The stock 1999 Cobra fuel pump was fitted into a replacement 1968 Mustang fuel tank. In 1999 Ford went to a returnless fuel system, and by mounting the pump into the stock tank the engineers were able to take advantage of the returnless design.
MIB can be taken to any Ford dealer and serviced: during the final build stage, the car was taken to the dealer for a DTC (diagnostic test code) cooling fan test, and the scanner detected a problem with an oxygen sensor that happened to be unplugged!
The builders of MIB succeeded in showing the world that all the technology from the newer cars could be incorporated into a conversion project, not just the engine. The editor of Mustang Monthly described the ride simply: “The senses struggle with conflict because the view from behind the steering wheel is all vintage, yet mashing the 1968 accelerator pedal results in the smooth, powerful rush that comes only from a modern four-valve modular engine.”
As a result, in 2009 Mustang Monthly selected MIB as one of its 45 Most Significant Mustangs of All Time.
A custom, fully adjustable transmission mount was designed to allow 6 inches of movement in three axis. With this mount and with the front strut system, no tunnel trimming was necessary with this T-45 transmission. A 1-inch cut was trimmed out for the shifter location, but the shifter still works with the 1968 stock console. The factory Cobra H-pipe was used with the stock oxygen sensors.
Some of the GTs and Cobras of the SN-95 era were equipped with a hydroboost power brake assist. The hydroboost was nearly a bolt-in with this install and allowed for the wide 4V engine to fit in the 1968 chassis. Other than matching the mounting holes to the firewall, the hydroboost system works with the original 1968 Mustang non–power brake pedal pin location.
MODULAR ENGINE FEATURES AND IDENTIFICATION
The Ford modular engine has a long, varied, and unique history that has spanned more than 25 years, with many component, year, and factory of manufacture differences. With this storied and distinguished history, you need to recognize that all modular engines were not created equal. The only thing these engines really have in common is that they are all overhead camshaft V-8s (or V-10s). They come in three base varieties: the Single Overhead Camshaft (SOHC) produced with either two or three valves and the Double Overhead Camshaft (DOHC). Three block heights were used: the smaller displacements (4.6, 5.0, and 5.2), the large displacements (5.4, 5.8, and 6.8 V-10), and the “midsize” deck height of the 6.2. After that the similarities start to fade.
Ford Performance Parts offers both a production and modified version of the 5.0 Coyote engine. The M-6007-M50A is rated at 435 hp and 400 ft-lbs of torque. It has an aluminum block and DOHC heads, forged steel crank and rods, and features 11:1 compression. It shares the same mounting pattern as earlier modular engines so it transplants well. (Photo Courtesy Ford Performance Parts)
The two-valve version of the SOHC started out in Ford big cars and was then used in Ford trucks. It was delayed in the new Mustang platform until 1996 and a GT version was used up until 2005. Both 4.6 and 5.4 SOHC versions were installed in Ford trucks up until 2005. The 4.6 and 5.4 2V continued its run in big cars and trucks up through 2014. The 6.2 F-150 Raptor and truck engine uses SOHC heads on the taller block. The three-valve version was introduced in 2005 and was used in the Mustang GT through 2010. The 4.6 3V was dropped in 2010, but the 5.4 3V continued in some trucks until 2015.
The first DOHC engines were installed in Lincolns way back in 1993. The 4V became the basis for all the performance-based modular engines. The First Mustang Cobras got the 4V engine in 1996. A 5.4 version of the DOHC was built for some big Lincoln Navigators, the 2000 Cobra R, and the 2007–2010 GT500s. In 2011, Ford introduced the now famous “Coyote” 5.0 4V, which replaced most of the 3V applications in trucks and replaced all the 4.6 and 5.4 engines in all the Mustangs. The Boss 302 and Cobra Jet performance versions are based on the Coyote, and the Coyote platform is also the basis for the 2013–2014 Shelby GT500 5.8 engines, which use the taller engine block with improved heads. The Coyote is also the foundation for the new 5.2 flat plane crank Shelby engine. For big truck application, Ford made a V-10 that uses modular engine technology. The displacement is 6.8 and it came in 2V and 3V SOHC configurations. It was used in trucks and vans up through 2015.
Later three- and four-valve engines produce far more horsepower and torque than earlier two-valve engines. The later two-valve engines produce much more horsepower than the earlier engines. Keep this in mind when you’re sourcing an engine for your project car.
This chapter gives you a brief history of the modular engine, and it highlights the major differences among engines in the series. I do not have the space to cover all differences because that would require a book all its own, and it would be obsolete once it was written. Because Ford frequently makes changes to this platform, fitment and components often change. And what is true today may very well not be true tomorrow.
This chapter provides a comprehensive guide to the range of modular engines and should help you to identify what you have. And whether you are well-versed in modular performance or a complete novice, remember this one rule: You need to know the engine package you have; it not only determines the suitability for a particular engine swap to a chassis, but with all the changes and inflexibility this knowledge keeps you from making a very expensive mistake.
You would think that an engine labeled “modular” would