I know there was a project a year or more ago that was eventually given up... to put a 5.4 into an 88 FoxBird.
I've read a lot of articles etc. of people putting 4.6L DOHC in Fox body Mustangs.
Anyone know of a 4.6L DOHC being put in an 88 TC and fitting it under the OEM hood?
I REALLY would like to do that swap.
32VFoxBird was the one, but IIRC, it sat too tall for a stock hood?
He was also doing a 5.4 which is, I believe, taller than the 4.6. I was reading an article on line (Car Craft I think) where they put a 4.6 DOHC in a 60's era Mustang and spaced the k member down a bit so it all fit under the hood. I know they make tubular k members for Fox bodies for either 4.6 or 5.0. Just wondering if that k member is designed so the 4.6 will sit low enough in the car to fit under the hood.
Was hoping someone better than I had already been down this road and could fill me in.
im thinking it ~could~ fit under the stock hood. hell a 5.4 can fit under a stock sn95 hood.
spacing the k member for clearance would work, then you have to make up the difference with the suspension. when i was doing mine i went with the AJE 4.6 into fox k member and would still recomend that.
Shame,
Have you actually done this? Do you have a 4.6 in an 88 Thunderbird?
Nope, Bailed on it last min. for the mustang (Halfbreed). Halfbreed IS basically the tbird but its all in a Y2K mustang body instead. Had 95% of my parts to do it. Just needed to build it. Not a big deal really provided you have everything you need, It's just involved. TONS of modular 4.6 DOHC into fox info on the web.
There is a guy in Brooklyn NY that has one-4.6 liter in a 1988T/C no spacing of the K-member needed. They used a mustang k-member for the install( SN-95). They also used the hydrobrakes from the mustang because the T/C master cylinder was too long.
Ok... did they manage to fit it all under the OEM hood with no clearance issues? Was it the DOHC?
It was under the stock hood(88 T/C hood). the only thing they had a problem with was the T/C master cylinder. The car still had power steering and A/C. It was a SOHC. I haven't seen this car or owner in about 12-13 years. I do however speak to the mechanic that actually did the swap.
I wish I could give a definite answer, but I used a Sullivan intake with a carb. I know the hood closed without the carb on. :)
Could you get me a contact email address for that mechanic?
Do you know if the car was an Auto or did they do a Manual trans?
You were working with a 5.4L weren't you? I remember following your build.
I am hoping that the aftermarket K member would take into account some of the engine height and locate it slightly lower in the car.
With an AJE K member and the hydroboost setup you "should" be able to fit under a stock hood. If you want power brakes you will need hydroboost. I didn't actually do it in the tbird so i can't say for sure but im pretty sure it will fit without putting spacers between the k member and body. I was prepared to do si if need be though. No way was i running anything other than a stock turbocoupe hood......
Do you still have the K member?
The car was an automatic. I'll talk to him today.
32vFoxBird you started out with a 4.6 but then you switched to the 5.4. Did you ever get the 4.6 installed before switching to the 5.4??
I'm no expert on the subject by any means, but didn't they fit the 4.6 32V under the hood on a '96 Mustang, and wasn't that hood even lower than ours? Or did the '96 Cobra have a bulge? I know the 94-95 Mustangs were lower, because they actually had to bend the intake 45 degrees to fit the 5.0 under the hood...
I thought 95 and 96 hoods were the same. But hood height in relationship to the K member is so car specific ... I am not sure I can draw any conclusions about 4.6 under a TC hood short of having measurements, and sadly I don't.
That is why I am looking for the folks that have "been there and done that".
For 4.6L types KarKraft is having a killer 4.6L parts sell off in June. Check out the site. Going to be groups of things for sale.
yes, but I didn't have a carb until I got the 5.4.
With 4.6L did the whole engine (with manifolds) fit under the stock hood?
Tell you what, Ill take what ever measurements you want with mine so you can compare....
with a carb Sullivan intake, it did.