Modular Engines: A Brief History
In 1991 Ford introduced its overhead camshaft V-8 in the Lincoln Town Car and labeled it the modular Engine. The label came from the method of producing the engine, not the fact that parts are easily interchanged between engine configurations. Eventually it was installed in the full-size Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and the 1994 Ford Thunderbird as the old Windsor small-block V-8 was being phased out. The last year for the pushrod V-8 in a Mustang was 1995. The 1996 Mustang GT was fitted with a two-valve SOHC modular and the Cobra was equipped with a four-valve DOHC version of the 4.6-liter engine. The first Ford trucks equipped with a modular engine came in 1996, and in 1997 Ford introduced the V-10 6.8-liter engine for truck and van applications.
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Ford installed it’s very last production pushrod V-8 gas engine for the American market in the 2001 Ford Explorer, and the following year the final pushrod V-8 engine was sold in Australia. The versatility of the Ford modular engine allowed it to replace three different pushrod engines: the small-block 5.0- and 5.8-liter Windsor small-blocks and the 385 (429/460) series big-block. It will soon become the second-longest-production Ford V-8 engine behind the small-block.
On the left is the granddaddy of the first generation of Muscle, the 1970 Boss 429, and on the right is the highest horsepower factory modular engine to date, the 2014 Shelby GT500 Track Pack. The tale of the tape shows how far we have come in 45 years. The Boss 429 puts out a realistic 420–450 hp, and the Shelby an amazing 662 hp. The Boss bolts to 0–60 mph in 7.1 seconds; the Shelby 3.7 seconds. Top speed for the Boss 429 was more than 130 mph, and the Shelby was the first factory Mustang to eclipse 200 mph. MPG for the Boss is 8 to 12 mpg (if you’re lucky); the Shelby produces 15 to 24 mpg. Vehicles provided by the Dickerson Collection.
The modular engine was marketed under the name “Intech” V-8 for Lincoln applications and “Triton” for the Ford truck line.
It is important to note that the modular engine does not derive its name from the ability to swap and bolt different parts from different engines onto a common platform. It gets its name from the manufacturing process in which different manufacturing cells can be pulled and installed, and the plant can be quickly rearranged to build a different engine configuration. In fact, the modular engine is far from “modular.” As you learn in Chapter 2, the modular engine is anything but adaptable, with changes happening between the two different primary plants that build them in the same model year. Gone are the days of Ford making a dozen different and exotic cylinder heads to bolt on a 427 medium-riser block; it is difficult to swap components with the modular engines. If you want to purchase a supercharger for a modular engine, the supplier will have a myriad of questions for you before they sell you one, to make sure you get the right equipment.
The very first Ford modular engine was installed in the 1991 Lincoln Continental. The first engines depended on a lot of borrowed pieces from pushrod V-8s such as the EEC-IV computer and the non-electronic AOD transmissions. The modular engine really started to work well with the introduction of the EEC-V computer system in 1994.
The first tall-deck block installed in the Mustang came in the limited-edition 2000 Ford Cobra R. These 5.4 4V engines used exclusive custom cast and machined heads and special intakes to generate 385-hp naturally aspirated. Only 300 Cobra Rs were produced in 2000. Vehicle courtesy the Dickerson Collection.
Performance History
As of this writing, the modular engine has been around for 25 years and will soon become the second-longest-running V-8 engine series in Ford production history, surpassing the big-block 385 series engine. Only the small-block Windsor has had a longer life span. In addition, 8 of the top-10 fastest production Fords of all time are modular-engine powered (the original FE-powered GT40 and the new Eco-Boost GT40 are the only exceptions).
Due to its robust bottom end, the modular engine could support more cylinder pressure when boosted with turbos or superchargers, and higher compression ratios in naturally aspirated form. It was also the first factory supercharged V-8 because the E-Bird Thunderbird of the 1950s (Shelby offered a supercharger option for the 1966 GT350). The first supercharged modular engines were 5.4-liter 2V lightning engines 1999–2004, followed by the 4.6-liter 4V 2003–2004 Mustang Cobras. The modular engine responds well to supercharging, and the highest horsepower factory Ford ever produced was the 2013–2014 Shelby GT500, which put out a mind-blowing 662 hp out of a CAFE-regulated engine.
The modular engine was marketed under the name “Intech” V-8 for Lincoln applications and “Triton” for the Ford truck line.
Ford re-entered the supercar market with the modular-powered 2005–2006 GT. These cars were capable of 0–60 in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 205 mph. Vehicle provided by Blake Hartman.
With current CAFE regulations, manufacturers are free to build higher horsepower in trucks than they are with cars. The first modular engines to be supercharged from the factory were the Lightning trucks in the 1990s. This 2014 Raptor features the largest displacement V-8 modular platform available, the 6.2 SOHC.
The supercharged 5.4 installed in the Ford GT is custom built and puts out 550 hp stock. If you look closely you can see the dual fuel injectors fitted to these special engines. By overdriving the supercharger (pulley change) and a program upgrade these engines are capable of well more than 800 hp. Vehicle provided by Blake Hartman.
The 2013–2014 Shelby GT500 is equipped with the most powerful engine ever installed in a factory-built Ford, 662 hp and 631 ft-lbs of torque. Along with its 200-mph top end, it is fully capable of driving around in city traffic without overheating or being finicky.
Swap Spotlight: The Mustang in Black
For the first 10 years of the modular engine, the conversions to other vehicles were primarily novelties used in high-end cars and not considered practical for common use vehicles. The technology was different, more expensive, and at the time, the performance and mileage differences between the modular engine and the latest pushrod engines were not significantly different. Most of the conversion parts had to be fabricated because parts to install the new engines just didn’t exist. And even though we had EFI computers since the 1980s, most owners found the conversion intimidating.
Mustang in Black (MIB) was built in conjunction with Mustang Monthly and Mustang and Fords magazine, and it was more than just an engine swap. It was built to prove that the newer technology could be adapted to the earlier cars, and could be used in a practical way, rather than just as a novelty. MIB was built to show that the same performance, convenience, and controls built into new cars could be applied to older-model cars and be a practical alternative to a pushrod conversion. Most engine swaps at that time concerned themselves only with the engine and somehow making it run. MIB incorporates all the drivetrain improvements from a 1999 Ford Mustang Cobra into a 1968 Mustang chassis. The Mustang in Black represents the full range of why you would want to choose a modular engine swap. It has plenty of power, starts with the hit of the key, gets great gas mileage if you keep your foot out of it, and you can take it to any Ford dealer in the country and the dealership can talk to it.
The Mustang in Black (MIB) was built by the author and was featured in Mustang Monthly and Mustang and Fords magazine back in the mid-2000s. Not only was the 1968 chassis fi tted with a 99 Cobra engine, but the complete drivetrain and electronics package were incorporated to demonstrate the new technology would work in the older chassis.
The 320-hp 4.6 DOHC engine was fi tted to the 1968 engine bay and fi ts under the stock hood. In addition the suspension was installed in the chassis. Rather than apply a lot of chrome and polish, the designers decided to go for a look that would say, “This is how SVT would have built it had it been around in 1968.” One journalist said it best: “What makes this car over the top is its understatement.”
The project goal was summed up in a single statement: “This is what SVT would have built had they been around in 1968.” To that end, the goal was not to make a Shelby clone, an unreasonable super car, or a car that was chromed out for show. Instead, the builders took a practical approach to the build, to which one paint rep stated, “Its understated appearance is what puts it over the top.”
The donor vehicle for the project was a 1999 Mustang Cobra convertible that had been wrecked but was a complete, driving vehicle. The goal was to use as many of the systems from the donor vehicle as possible, and graft them into the 1968 Mustang fastback chassis. Most of the parts on MIB have a Ford part number on them. The car’s powerplant is a naturally aspirated 32-valve DOHC V-8 that makes 320 hp. No modifications were needed to the engine and the only aftermarket improvement to the engine was the inclusion of the K&N Cobra air filter, which fit the 1968 chassis perfectly. Other than the air filter, every original system is as it was when the car left the Ford assembly plant.
The original Tremec T-45 5-speed transmission and clutch assembly were used, as they were low mileage and still in good shape. The first clutch system used the original fork and throwout bearing mated to a Ron Morris Performance cable clutch conversion, which used the sheath in the cable assembly to pull the clutch forward. This was later replaced with a hydraulic throwout bearing and clutch master cylinder. With the placement of the engine in the engine compartment, only a minor trim of about an inch was necessary at the front of the transmission shifter hole to make the Tremec fit. With the addition of the 1968 console, an offset shifter handle was used and the modification was completely hidden.
When deciding on the suspension, the builders avoided using the original suspension or a conversion to an aftermarket Mustang II. They wanted this car to perform and ride like a new car, so the front MacPherson Strut suspension was used and the rear was adapted to run the new-for-1999 Cobra independent rear suspension. Rather than cutting the suspension to work in the chassis, the chassis was designed to bolt the new components in as original, so none of the Ford geometry was changed in the conversion. This also means that any type of aftermarket improvements made to the SN-95 Mustang suspension would bolt up to the 1968 Mustang. The only changes to the front suspension were the addition of Hotchkis caster/camber plates, a set of Koni Sport struts, and the front coils were cut down by one coil. The remainder is all Ford. The only change to the independent rear suspension was a set of Koni adjustable coil-over shocks and Hypercoil springs.
The complete factory K-member and front MacPherson strut suspension were grafted to the original 1968 chassis via a new set of frame rails and major surgery. The donor car was a convertible, and the original 1999 Cobra convertible under-chassis brace was modifi ed to tie into the factory 1968 Mustang torque boxes and thus provide additional chassis stiffening.
The original 1999 hydroboost braking system was nearly a bolt-in solution and all the original hoses were used. Because the original computer and all four original ABS wheels were still in place, the Bosch ABS unit was also used and functions in the car. Brakes are all stock 1999 Cobra, 13 inches up front and 11 inches in the rear.
The computer system is the stock EEC-V Cobra computer with only a change to bypass the PATS system and the upgrade of the K&N filter. The use of the factory computer and wiring harness allowed the use of the electronic speed control and factory traction control defeat circuit (cleverly hidden in the 1968 reverse lockout pull in the shifter handle).The stock Cobra exhaust was stretched 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 fi tted 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.”
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 fi t in the 1968 chassis. Other than matching the mounting holes to the fi rewall, the hydroboost system works with the original 1968 Mustang non–power brake pedal pin location.
As a result, in 2009 Mustang Monthly selected MIB as one of its 45 Most Significant Mustangs of All Time.
Written by Dave Stribling and Posted with Permission of CarTechBooks
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