Ford Racing 4.6L 3-Valve Fox Body Swap - Part 1
Ford Racing 4.6L 3-Valve Fox Body Swap - Part 2
Ford Racing 4.6L 3-Valve Fox Body Swap - Part 2.1
Ford Racing 4.6L 3-Valve Fox Body Swap - Part 3
Ford Racing 4.6L 3-Valve Fox Body Swap - Part 4
Ford Racing 4.6L 3-Valve Fox Body Swap - Part 5 - Pics & Test Drive Video
We’ve said it before, the foxbody Mustang has proven to become today’s ’32 Ford. You’ll find today’s hot-rodders installing virtually any engine combination you can imagine into these cars. I’ve seen everything from a Duramax to a Cadillac 500 in a fox body. The options are endless, thanks to the 1979-1993 Mustang’s large engine bay, light weight, low price, and availability of parts.
Now, not everyone is hip to installing a Chevy LS engine or Rat motor into their Ford, though. Brand-loyal types want to look to their beloved blue oval offerings for solutions on getting the most bang-for-the-buck, while separating themselves from the pushrod 5.0 crowd.
I’m here to offer you Mustang blue bloods with a viable option to your venerable 5.0 that’s inexpensive (relatively speaking), plentiful, and easy to retrofit.
What is it? It’s Ford Racing Performance Parts’ 3V crate engine and controls package. Ok, now you guys are probably thinking “I thought he said cheap?”….
Well, relatively speaking, FRPP’s three-valve 4.6 engines are cheap, when you consider that you’re getting a brand-new assembly, with Ford Racing’s proven reliability, in a complete package from intake to oil pan. I just recently rebuilt a 306 with aluminum heads and a lot of new and used parts, and I can tell you that it wasn’t “cheap”. It also wasn’t as reliable, didn’t have the road manners and arguably, was not as powerful (we’ll find out later on that).
Ford’s 3-valve is certain to become more and more of a viable swap option as time goes on. They are lightweight (about 420 pounds complete), they make great power (300 in stock form, the hot rod 3-valve is 350), they respond well to modifications, and they’re plentiful. Ford recently released specs on the 2010 Mustang, including it’s virtually un-changed 4.6. That puts at least a successful 6 model years of the un-changed 3 valve so far. That kind of production will land scores of engines in salvage cars, as well as fuel the aftermarket to create more and better replacement parts. All of this favors the 3V over the prior 2-valve and 4-valve options, both of which were heavier, and endured numerous changes over their 9 years in Mustang.
Until recently the proven S197 powerplant wasn’t easily swapped into a fox-body. The complicated drive-by-wire throttle body and stringent engine controls didn’t allow the retrofit of the 05-09 Mustang’s harnesses into an older car. Also, the returnless fuel system didn’t revert back to older cars very easily. There are options out there if you’re using the 99-04 electronics, but it’s still complicated and almost requires an entire donor vehicle.
Well, Ford Racing’s changed all of that. They now offer a street rod stand-alone engine controls package to retrofit the newer 4.6 Mustang GT engine into older cars. The controls package is super simple and includes everything you need to get the new motor running, with the exception of your fuel system. Included in the kit is the ECM, relay module, and simplified harness with diagnostic port to make easy connections to virtually anything with 12 volts. The kit even includes a Bullitt style cold air kit and the drive by wire accelerator pedal. Best of all, the kit is designed to run in conjunction with a return style fuel system.
We’re performing this swap on a 79 fox to show you just how easy it can be. We are using Ford Racing’s “Hot Rod” 3-valve, p/n M6007A463NA, along with the Ford Racing 4.6L 3V engine control pack p/n M6017463V, which is designed for this swap, but could just as easily be used on a salvage yard 4.6. The car will be a street-strip brawler with precious few amenities. The goal will be to show you guys how this can be done, and what type of performance to expect from the swap of the new 4.6 into a light weight platform.
Follow along on this build. I think you’ll be surprised at how easily this can be accomplished. You may just decide to convert that old 4-banger or engine-less roller into a 3V fox of your own. We’ll be the guinea pigs.