ford 4.6L swap
 

i got bored after i stuck my 2j back in my other car so i decided to do work on the cheap build rx7. right now its just a super stock 4.6L out of a thunderbird with a 1999 gt mustang 5 speed trans on it. once i have it mounted and running i will pull it back out and put on the toys i have for it (full forged internals, P.I. heads, cams, trickflow intake manifold, and just because i can...the twins off of my shop buddys rb26 as he cant fit them in his ae86 so has to go single). ill update as i do more but for now i just set it in, mounts will be started sometime next week. as for you nasayers its not exactly too big, it is big but it does fit, will take some shoehoring and modifcation to some stuff but it fits. ill do some detailed pics of the whole thing as i go.

these pics are not so great as my gf took them and there was a shit ton of people in the shop.

modular ford, one of the cheap ways to make reliable power. Its no smallblock chevy, but you can do a lot worse for a lot more money.

nice! keep the thread updated

tore the motor down, man everything was super clean. decided to just put the P.I heads on for mock up with them befor i have them sent out to be machined. got the motor back in and sitting almost where i want it but i feel i can get it back even further with some "finess". going to modify the front of the oil pan to get it to sit down about another inch too, but it fits really well and its sits pretty far behind the front wheel as is but i want more lol.

i like the mirrors.

Right....

motor is all mounted, set it back on the ground and put my other one back up in the air. ordered all my cage stock so i will be building two cages for the two cars along with my buddys rb26'd corolla so we will be very busy for a while.

the motor is as far back as possible, sits nicely behind the front wheels, i have about .5in of room between the oil pan and the steering rack, front sway bar is still there and has no issues. the fitment is great, altough i do not have my brake booster in yet, it will take some modification to fit. nothing sits low, everything is mounted using the stock mounting holes.

more pics

This engine brings me back memories,i had a supercharged 97 4.6L mustang gt that was my daily driver for about 4 years and it was very powerfull at full throttle(boosting only 6 pounds)Ford and Mazda are just meant for each other,that's why Ford owns part of Mazda lol.love your build man keep it coming.

thanks man

Not anymore they sold their share.


OP: looks like way too much work, but props for doing something different!

what are you using for engine mounts...how much clearance for headers...i have a 4v cobra motor id like to stick in my 2nd gen car...if you could be more specific of the problems your encountering...

Justin

Stock motor mounts, with a custom t bracket, if you were going to use headers you would deffinetly need block huggers, the passender side is not a issue but the drivers side would be a pain, also you will need to make a custom shifter or you will come out about were the ashtray is. To put the motor as far back as I did a stock brake booster will not work period, I have been looking at hydrolic boosters. The biggest issue for height will be the alt, I took mine off and put the pully on a rx7 alt, right now I'm making a bracket that puts it were the ac pump went. I have been jumping back and fouth between this project and my 2j project but both are at a stand still till I'm done moving. Best thing you can do is just stick the motor and trans in the car, figure out where you want it and just hammer down.

any update ???? i am currently stuffing a chevy small block 350 in an RX2....

waiting to buy the hyrolic brake booster set up befor i go anyfarther as this is useless unless i can stop lol.

i have a gsl rx7 85, i want to put a 4.6 police intercepter motor into it, i need help, what is required to do so. what do i need to do, steps please!! thanks

first take a tape measure and measure the distance between the frame rails and the strut towers, i wanna say its not going to fit but who knows.

if it is the ford and it is the same as the mustang motor then yes it will fit

i know a 302 does but i havent seen a 4.6l modular motor in one

Hi i was wondering i have a rx7 with a 4.6 engine in it and was wondering if you had any wiring diagrams. thanks i have looked on granny speedshop but not to many people have put 4.6's in rx7's that i can find.

no sorry, i was going to wire it for a haltech

I want a 4.6L 2V in a FB.

I did a little research a while back on the FB engine compartment for this exact question. Here's what I found out...

1.) The SOHC 4.6 is listed by Ford as being about 28" long water pump to bell housing mounting surface, 26" tall from the bottom of the oil pan to the top of the stock intake and 25 5/8" wide.

2.) the DOHC 4.6 is listed by Ford as being about 28" long water pump to bell housing mounting surface, 29 7/8" tall from the bottom of the oil pan to the top of the stock intake and 30" wide.

3.) The 1st gen RX7 engine compartment is about 28.5" from the firewall to the back of the radiator. The engine compartment width at the top of the strut towers is approximately 35" across. The distance between the frame rails is about 29" and the engine compartment from the engine cross member to top of the fan shroud is about 23 1/2".

Both 4.6's should fit. The SOHC appears that it will fit better than the DOHC. Hood mods almost sound like a given. Here's a picture I found once.

Have you seen my FC 4.6?

I'm doing the same swap a 4.6 into my FC rx7. Do you have any pictures of the costum T brackets or any advice for making them?