Swap of 4.6L for 5.0L 09' GT

coached4417

coached4417

Well-Known Member
#1
#1
After a small hiatus due to the end of the school year and the beginning of my Master's thesis:nono: I return to my favorite Mustang site of all time to ask this question.
Can my 4.6L engine in my 2009 GT be swapped out directly for the new 5.0L? When I mean directly, I mean no modifications to the engine bay what so ever. You guys are always the guys to ask this complicated stuff to, I just had the thought and the more I thought about it the more curious I became. Hoping it can be done... and thanks as always.
 
BlackStang14

BlackStang14

S197 Guru (1BADHRSE)
#3
#3
I doubt it... But why in gods name would you want to do that...

11.1 compression and Ford is popping motors left and right trying to make a whipple kit for the new stangs...
 
Stangerang

Stangerang

Member Plus
#5
#5
Keep your current motor, and just boost it.

hehehe, a buddy of mine is waiting for a junked 2011gt in the future, so he can swap his 5.0 pushrod with the 5.0 modular, lol.
 
TBapp3

TBapp3

Northern NY Regional Coordinator
#6
#6
^Hell Yea...I wouldnt go out and try to buy a new 5.0 but If the right situation came too yea It would be sweet under the hood of a older stang....How exactly does the rule go...You can put any newer cars motor in your older car but not a older cars engine in your newer car....Someone please correct me If Im wrong about that statement!
 
2007VistaBlueGT

2007VistaBlueGT

Well-Known Member
#8
#8
When you say the engine bay...........Yea you can drop a 5.0L in and I'm pretty sure the bellhousing pattern on the transmission will work but why? you're looking at $8K plus ehxaust, plus labor. $8 will get you a Whipple H.O. charger installed and 550HP vs 412HP. I like those numbers better. :D
 
noclutch

noclutch

Well-Known Member
#9
#9
2007VistaBlueGT said:
When you say the engine bay...........Yea you can drop a 5.0L in and I'm pretty sure the bellhousing pattern on the transmission will work but why? you're looking at $8K plus ehxaust, plus labor. $8 will get you a Whipple H.O. charger installed and 550HP vs 412HP. I like those numbers better. :D
Click to expand...
:ditto:
 
coached4417

coached4417

Well-Known Member
#11
#11
Fair points in the evaluation of the money spent. My thoughts were if the money is somewhat about the same to S/C or do an engine swap wouldn't durability of a naturally aspirated motor be better than S/C? My understanding is the biggest knock on the 4.6 mod is the quality of its internals and that has been somewhat addressed w/ the new 5.0. Correct me if I'm wrong. This might sound blasphemous but my racing interests are not 1/4 mile but more road and the improvements w/ the 5.0 got me thinking that it would be more durable and maybe even improve handling.
No matter how longI stare at it the new body style has not grown on me and the thought of combining the two (09' w/ the new engine) was really intriguing and I new you guys were the guys to ask. So far, I don't think we have come up w/ a definitive answer to the question though. Keep'em coming.
 
dsblk93gt

dsblk93gt

5.0 Moderator
#12
#12
I'd just get a Whipple, Saleen, or Edelbrock SC myself and have more power and tq. The stock internals are the limiting factor but a guy at my track has 500+ passes on his stock motor in his GT with a Saleen SC tuned by JDM making 500rwhp and running mid/low 11's.

EDIT..found a post by him from few years ago..this was in '06!

"I own an 05 with over 850 1/4 mile runs and 25,000 miles.

In the first year I put over 600 1/4 mile runs N/A along with 12,000 miles.

I did all the boltons and ran a best of 12.46.

I was following the progress of JDM and their Saleen S/C project.Last summer I installed the Saleen S/C with the JDM Stage II package at 10psi, gt500 fuel pumps along with their mail order tune. The car ran a best of 11.427@ 119.92 with 17" E.T. Streets and 4.10 gears."
 
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Chuckie B

Chuckie B

Well-Known Member
#14
#14
Kenne Bell,Whipple, Saleen SC...what ever it is do a twin screw,roots style blower...LOVE MY KB and its low RPM boost...think you will be much happier when your over 500hp on only 10psi..instead of swaping a motor out for only 400hp...then all you have to do is build your 4.6 a bit and up that boost to 15psi..the hp is just smaller pulley away as to the 5.0 and it's 11.1 compression issues...just my :2cents:goodluck!
 
Liftedbronco

Liftedbronco

Well-Known Member
#15
#15
yea im building a 4.6 for my car now. I coulda did a 5.0, but why? what would I gain besides cost and complilcation?

you can easily make 650-700 to the wheels reliably from a nice light 4.6. Why rock the boat?
 
Liftedbronco

Liftedbronco

Well-Known Member
#17
#17
makes sense that it would. but it becomes a "where does it end" discussion. my point was if you could get more than enough out of what u already have, why spend a fortune on a swap
 
Aetos

Aetos

2010 Thread Jacker
#18
#18
Liftedbronco said:
makes sense that it would. but it becomes a "where does it end" discussion. my point was if you could get more than enough out of what u already have, why spend a fortune on a swap
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Because you can never have enough.. Once you get 300hp, you want 350, once you hit 350, you want 450.. once you hit 450.. you hit 550.. once you hit 550 you start breaking shit and wish you took a different route from the start. I believe most people that start modding their cars usually have a mind set of 400-500hp will be enough, but once they get there they want more. I know I started out saying 450ish will be fine, but even though I still haven't hit 450, I know I'll want more. Especially considering stock cars coming from the factory will be able to rape a 450ish HP car. New 5.0s running 10s with minor bolt ons, Z06 running mid-low 11s on street tires out of the factory(some have even broken 11).

The 4.6 is lucky to hit 10s with boost on a stock bottom end. The new 5.0 has been proven to hit 10s NA on a stock bottom end with very few mods. Bigger displacement, more valves, better flowing design = more potential.

It really all depends on his situation, maybe his 4.6 is broken or needs repairs? :confused: Also depends on how much money he wants to throw at his car, in the short run, the 4.6 will faster for cheaper. If he's in for the long haul and is able to get a 5.0 for cheap, he should get the 5.0.
 
Liftedbronco

Liftedbronco

Well-Known Member
#19
#19
all thats true too.

im coming from here:
whipple on my stock block made 500 at the wheels before i added the longtubes. had it with them for awhile, then broke a rod.

could pick basically anything i want. i got the frpp forged shortblock in low compression for 3 grand. now i can make 650-700 with little effort. and i DONT want more than that. even that is really true race car territory...
 
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