Hey Guys I need some help with this one. I got a 4.6 2v out of a 2007 police car a few months ago FOR FREE along with some other necessary items like automatic trans, computer, radiator and some other little things. I am going to put this into my 1978 f150 because well its just sits around and i need a driver that i can take to college and not worry to much about paint and so on. I'm hoping the 4.6 provides me with much better mpg than the oh 5 i get now out of my tired 360. I was searching the internet and saw a guy that took the whole front end out oh a crown vic and used it in his 78 f150. Which is awesome, makes mounting the engine easy provides me with modern suspension, maybe abs ect. having this suspension also puts me into the car wheel market granting me access to my favorite wheels thus another plus to the swap.... myproblem is the police gave me the run around and ended up dumping the 2007 and 2009 PIs into the junk yard -_- so needless to say im pissed and now i actually have to buy the parts i had dibs on back :/ well since it went to the junkyard the rack and pinion are out along with the tie-rods and rotors. So i priced these parts up to find what i would have to have to get it to work and its like 600 bucks for rack an pinion, rotors, pads, tie rods ect. well if i am going to spend the money i want to spend the money wisely. So I would like to know what are my options as far as aftermarket goes. Are there better pieces for cheaper or relatively the same price? Obviously I want to get as most performance out of it for as little as possible (who doesnt). I will gladly take any advice you have to offer. it doesnt even have to be limited to the front end.

hi and welcome to cvn

Sorry to tell you that and I absolutly dont want to be rude at all but if you want to spend your money wisely just forget abouth this swap and heres why....

-trying to get good mileage out of a 4.6 swapped in a 78 heavy pick up just dosent belong in the same sentence heck mileage and pickup truck.

-the 4.6 281 is a small v8 engine that is not configured to provide the low end torque you need to moove an heavy chassis like your pick up.You would need to at least get a truck intake and even though I'm not even sure if it would be enought to moove decently this truck.

-As you mentioned You want as much performance out of it for as little as possible...that is just not possible without power adder on that 4.6.

- I would highly consider many option before attempting such a swap cause that project is a money pit even if you get the motor for free

I agree with 2004 p71. Too many things need to be changed to be cost effective.

Posted in the wrong forum is oh so many ways ...

• this is 1992 - Up: Aeros & Whales » Steering, Suspension and Brakes
• other than the engine, it's not Panther platform related. *More appropriate for an F-150 web site ( www.f150online.com | www.f150forum.com ).

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If he gears the rear end right, it sounds like it would be a fun swap.

Thanks for your replies but i don't think you understood the reason for my post. My intention was to ask you crown vic guys for some advice on after market parts for the suspension and brakes for my truck. forget the fact its going in a truck, what are some good upgrades for a crown vic suspension or brakes. @gDMJoe this is why i posted in the "Steering, Suspension and Brakes" section. I need information on those components. @2004_p71 "the 4.6 281 is a small v8 engine that is not configured to provide the low end torque you need to moove an heavy chassis like your pick up.You would need to at least get a truck intake and even though I'm not even sure if it would be enought to moove decently this truck." I disagree with this statement and here is why. A crown vic police interceptor weight about 5000 pounds with all the equipment in the car. My truck as a lifted 4x4 f250 with a 360, 33" tires,and steel wheels weighed in at about 5200 on a scale when i took it to the dump. so with a 4.6 (which weights less than a 360) i should save weight there. I should also save weight when i replace the front with a aluminum cross member and independent suspension, removing the transfer-case and replacing the rear end with the crown vic 4 link set up. this should put me under 5000 lbs knowing that my transfer case weighs atleast 200 lbs. Not to mention no front drive shaft and i'll be using the crown vics aluminum rear driveshaft. So its going to be moving a lighter vehicle.

You don't seem to understand. The 4.6L SOHC 2V V8 is BARELY adequate for the 5000lbs Lincoln Town Car Signature L. The CVPI DOES NOT weigh an additional 1000lbs when loaded with equipment. To boot, the 2V uses a cast iron block, which makes it heavy.

Truthfully, if you're looking for fuel economy, you're stepping over dollars for dimes here. Sell the stuff for profit, and sell the truck. Buy yourself an economical car. Because odds are, it would cost you more to convert the truck to use the CVPI drive train than you'd ever see in fuel economy savings. In the Town Car, the 4.6L gets about 16mpg on the highway, and the only reason it does that well is because the body is rounded. In a 1978 F-Series truck, it wouldn't do any better than whatever was in it because those trucks are like throwing bricks through the air.

You can put whatever spin you want on your post(s), but it's still in the wrong forum ... The heart of the matter is a F-150 and swapping parts to it.


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x2
case closed

So what your saying is I should ask questions about the crown vic suspension in a f150 forum? ok that makes sense.



Ok i found the 5000lb number in one of your other threads on here. It is inconsistent to the 4158 I found this web site so i'll go with that. https://www.fleet.ford.com/downloads/brochures/2009/09PoliceIntercep_2.pdf

However I found a f100 like what i am going to build weights about 3570. http://www.oldride.com/library/1974_ford_f100.html

so for the sake of argument I am still in at less weight.

now i have a total of 20 bucks invested in my truck to date. add 200 for the front suspension and im at 220. fuel pump, wheels tires, rack and pinion puts me under 3k. Wheels and tires make up for half of that. I understand its not going to get 30 mpg, but it will do better than the 5 it gets now. I have been to a few truck shows where people do the same swap im starting and they said they manage 17+ on the highway.

5.4 liter make 365 lbft of toque according to http://streetspecs.com/specifications-for/2010-ford-f-150-lariat-supercrew-55-ft-bed-4x2

the 4.6 i have makes 297 from the same link as the weight above. 68 is a lot to gain but I'm sure with some of the money i'll save i could manage that.

I know its shaped like a brick but i never said i wanted civic type mileage. I just wanted an improvement on what I have now.

and to the comment about the 4.6 liter being heavy i understand its cast and its heavy but in comparison to the 360 thats in it now its much lighter. the 360 weights 650lb http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_FE_engine
the 4.6 weighs about 486
http://forums.corral.net/forums/gt-sohc/994765-whats-weight-4-6-2v-engine.html

thanks for your help

You guys forget about the weight, a '78 weighs a lot less than the modern monsters, my '93 Lightning with a 351 weighs around 4500(was weighed just a week ago), and that's more than a '78... Also a stock carbed 360 is a dog, the 4.6 will come close to matching it's performance and get better mileage to boot... It's doubtful the 360 would get more than 15mpg on a good day, driving moderately the 4.6 & O/D trans should bust 20Mpg easily, a friend's '10 F150 regularly gets 21-22mpg on the highway...

Now is this a swap I'd perform?? No not really, I ain't a 4.6 fan but again it was free... Still I feel it's wrong to discourage a potential swap because it isn't something I'd undertake..

Case Re-Opened as a Challenger appears a 4.6 powered F-150 from the 1990;s

^^^they still had 4.6 2V's in the later model 150's as well. Not to mention the 4.2 that had zero balls.

Had a truck at my old job with that POS 4.2 dont think that thing got any better gas mileage that a 4.6 would. Had a hard enough time carrying its own weight.

Very true, the 4.2 was dropped for the '04 models in the E series(maybe F as well?)for that very reason...

I'm not particularly trying to discourage. But I would most certainly recommend several other engines before a 4.6L 2V. I'd sell that boat anchor and invest either in a new Coyote (for more power and fuel economy) or a SBF crate engine (for simplicity). But that's just me.