3.8L to 4.6L SC cobra engine swap

[T-Bird_JoshAJ]

Hey everyone again,
Well since i am new and all to the SC-SVTOA, i might as well and put my 2 cent in. I have a 1996 Ford thunderbird LX, and in great condition. BUT, the down side is that it only has a 3.8L engine in it. I have always loved fords and espically the Cobras and Thunderbirds. So i thougth why not just put the best of the two together!? I have found a couple of the engine either used or crate. And i also found some good larger coolents, and radiators for the larger sized engine, ohh and almost forgot the tranny. So all i need to know how now is do yall think that it would be relativly simple to just do a swap? I wanted the Supercharged DOHC 4.6 eninge. So if anyone was any input at all or ur thoughts please do tell.
Thanks for everything you guys
T-bird Josh

[DaveSVT03]

I've seen articles on how to swap a 3.8L to a 4.6L in the various mustang magazines. You might want to try a search for the swap (Muscle Mustangs and Fast Ford and 5.0 Mustang) and see what comes up. Good luck...


Dave

[3-D]

To swap in a factory s/c 4.6 dohc would be a bear. And the swap to the n/a 4.6 dohc will be more difficult than you realize. What you need to do is find a wrecked t-bird with the 4.6 sohc motor and tranny in it or you are going to have to buy lots of little stuff, so much that it would likely be better off buying the car you want mechanically and doing the cosmetics. Remember the MN12 platform was available with the 4.6 dohc and AODE in the Mark 8. I think you could find one of these that needed airbag work for very little money. It would be cheaper and easier than converting your car. Or you could put the factory 3.8 with the blower in the car. But whatever you decide, you need to get a complete vehicle to be a donor so you don't get nickled and dimed to death. And you need to stick with an engine that was available in that car from the factory or do lots of engineering.

[T-Bird_JoshAJ]

Hey again,
Well thanks you guys for everything so far. Well all i know for now is that project will take me some time just like anyother (unless u got a huge cash flow). I actually might be going WyoTech in Virginia next semester to learn even more abour enignes and mechanics WHOA! BUt by the end of the 3 years I expect to attend, i should have everything done. I plan on using this car as my "taking what i learn in the classes and actually applying it myself" haha. I have thought of the donor car and all, and i do remember seeing the Lincoln Mach 8 that had the cobra swap (beautiful!). I will most likly be getting the 4.6 thunderbird that one of my mechanics buddy has. But by the time i end the near this car will be a drag strip only car, or something to show off, hehe. So if something dosent fit and welding and cuting is allneeded i still wouldnt really mind. It'll all be fun, and i can try to keep up all the updates once i start it all. In the end i believe evertyhing would work out though.
Thanks for ur inout everyone, and hope to hear more
T-Bird Josh

[3-D]

The Mark 8 already has a dohc4.6 from the factory. It wasn't a swap.

[1994Cobra]

Originally posted by 3-D
The Mark 8 already has a dohc4.6 from the factory. It wasn't a swap.

Well, since we are talking about engine swaps, I am on the prowl again. I am hunting another Lightning to be a donor to my F150 lariat. I want a rolled or side crashed truck to swap my 4.6 lammer, with the 5.4 blower. I want a complete truck and any help I can get. Thanks everyone. I think this would make the perfect sleeper. My 4.6 get 15 MPG in the slow lane, so why not get 15 MPG in fast lane?

:tmb:

[DaveSVT03]

Sounds like a very cool project....

If you ever want an extra set of hands to help with the grunt work give me a call.

I'll keep my eyes peeled:)

[1994Cobra]

Originally posted by DaveSVT03
Sounds like a very cool project....

If you ever want an extra set of hands to help with the grunt work give me a call.

I'll keep my eyes peeled:)

Thanks Dave.

I found a red one rolled in Kansas City MO. Its a 2000 model with under 42000 miles on it. it went around a couple of time. I need to call the guy and see if he can work out a deal. He wants 7850.00 I want to talk him down to 6000.00. I hope he bites at it.

Will let you know.

[1994Cobra]

Originally posted by DaveSVT03
Sounds like a very cool project....

If you ever want an extra set of hands to help with the grunt work give me a call.

I'll keep my eyes peeled:)

It is sold....I will keep looking 0 0

Thanks again

[3-D]

Danno, you know that a Lightning long block only costs $3800 retail and was offered to me for less when I asked at BBF. I have access to a 99-00 blower, intake and intercooler I can sell at a good price. I think we can get you there for less than a wrecked Lightning would cost. Also look on Ebay and check out the take off blower set ups for sale. But I must ask if you have thought of swapping in a 4.6 dohc. You could use the original tranny, radiator and many other parts you have. The dohc motor was available in the navigator making the unique parts easily obtained. These motors really scream on the top end. However, they don't offer the torque of a s/c 5.4. Do you want a top end rush or low end pull?
D.

[1994Cobra]

Originally posted by 3-D
Danno, you know that a Lightning long block only costs $3800 retail and was offered to me for less when I asked at BBF. I have access to a 99-00 blower, intake and intercooler I can sell at a good price. I think we can get you there for less than a wrecked Lightning would cost. Also look on Ebay and check out the take off blower set ups for sale. But I must ask if you have thought of swapping in a 4.6 dohc. You could use the original tranny, radiator and many other parts you have. The dohc motor was available in the navigator making the unique parts easily obtained. These motors really scream on the top end. However, they don't offer the torque of a s/c 5.4. Do you want a top end rush or low end pull?
D.

I was looking for more of a bottom end pull, with good mid range, which I feel comes from the 5.4 blown motor. After test driving the harley 150, 2002 model, I was impressed with the lower and midrange pull that it had. The only reason i want the whole truck is because I will have everything. Including transmission, wiring harnesses, computer, sensors, differential, brakets and any associated hardware I might need.( no nickle and diming at the dealership)...the only thing that I will most likely need to farm out would be a new drive shaft. And that's only a mabey. I don't know how long the transmission is in the lightnings, or if the U-Joints are larger because of the added torque. I have not researched this yet.

What do you think? In the past 6 months I have come across 3 lightnings that have been rolled. many parts could be used from these things to swap over to my f-150. in some cases even suspension.

I will keep looking. I want to find something close to the 6000.00 range, and I have been getting close. The latest was selling for 7800.00. I called but it was gone.:(

Anyway, I 'll talk with you later.

[3-D]

Danno, a wrecked Lightning would make at least some of the job easier but what you have to realize is just how hard most lightnings are smashed. And then you have to think about how hard they were driven. The point I am getting at is the question of how much life the parts you would get would have left in them. And then the parts people think that a wrecked lightning is gold. I don't want to discourage you but I looked at this direction for my project and it didn't work out too well. Maybe you will have better luck than me, though. (I hope you do.)
D.

[1994Cobra]

Originally posted by 3-D
Danno, a wrecked Lightning would make at least some of the job easier but what you have to realize is just how hard most lightnings are smashed. And then you have to think about how hard they were driven. The point I am getting at is the question of how much life the parts you would get would have left in them. And then the parts people think that a wrecked lightning is gold. I don't want to discourage you but I looked at this direction for my project and it didn't work out too well. Maybe you will have better luck than me, though. (I hope you do.)
D.

That's cool.....I need all the help I can get, and this helps. Perhaps it is not the way to go. seing a trucked rolled from side to side gives me a better feeling about the engine and trans, than say........ a head on collision. I would be very weary of a head on crash to find or trust the parts. A rollover ( not an endo ) seems to shock the body and suspension a great deal, but I don't know how bad the engine would be. As far as the abuse the truck takes before it's wrecked........that is a total gamble. I could find a real piece of junk, or something good. I guess I was looking at the ease of parts. Everything would be there. Minus body and glass mabey shocks and rims. I think it would cost a whole lot of money to buy it in pieces, and put it together. I am assuming ( and you know what they say about that ) that it would be better just to go buy a lightning and get rid of the f-150. Then I would loose all of the valuable space that my extended cab has. Plus it's old and the cost of insurance and taxes are a lot cheaper. I know it's a gamble, I just have to seek out the right one, make sure it's running, and go listen to it. Maybe I should just put a blower on my 4.6 with a 153000 miles onit. Hahahahaha, not, I am sure i would smoke the drive train in a heartbeat. ( thats a chevy term there, hahaha). Anyway I will continue to search, I am not in a rush to do this, so I have time.

Thanks for the help, let me shut up now.
Catch ya later

Danno