2v Teksid Block or should I go 5.4 route?

garrittpwl

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Bought a car for the engine from a friend, later found the bottom of the motor to be basically junk.

I have a nice set of PI heads still and all the parts to use 2v so I would like to stick with that. Please keep the "just go 4v" comments to a minimum.

I will need a rotating assembly and my power goals allow for a stock shortblock. That being said, there is a complete 4v teksid motor for sale near me for 500 bucks. Should I buy that and use the shortblock or should I buy a 5.4 and use the shortblock from that? I want my build to be different than the usual build even if it means I don't gain in more HP than the "normal" routes. Just looking to set aside the normal PI swapped NPI car since I now am being forced into buying another shortblock. Hypothetically I could use the NPI shortblock that is in my car but I'd like to have a complete motor sitting nearby "just incase"

Car is not daily driven. Engine build budget is roughly 2500 and I will need cams.

Thanks for any advice. I came back here because the SN95 groups on facebook are cancer.
 

Silver95bird

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No need for a teksid block if you are staying under the limits of a stock rod/piston combo, IMO.

Teksid pistons +PI head swap will be higher compression than a normal PI headswap. tuning/93 might be a pain.

5.4L is awesome for tire burning light to light torque, but it is a shoehorn job to work on. But literally any cam can work, tons of PTV clearance.

Explorer/mountaineer engine is a drop in, no headswap needed, blower capable CR. Not as strong a block as a teksid, but still lightweight.

Staying NA, or occaisional spray or what?

The thought of a Teksid shortblock, PI heads, and putting notches in the pistons to fit bigger cams in could even out the extra CR a bit, all things considered. No PTV, cams run fully advanced, high compression. Could be fun.

I even considered a set of home ported NPIs on a teksid block, would be PI headswap CR. But thats not for everyone.
I have a NPI 5.4 here, been debating a PI headswap for it and using it, or an aluminum block 4.6 myslef. Can't decide. Watching intently.

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garrittpwl

garrittpwl

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No need for a teksid block if you are staying under the limits of a stock rod/piston combo, IMO.

Teksid pistons +PI head swap will be higher compression than a normal PI headswap. tuning/93 might be a pain.

........

I have a NPI 5.4 here, been debating a PI headswap for it and using it, or an aluminum block 4.6 myslef. Can't decide. Watching intently.

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When did 5.4 go PI? Also any idea on what NPI 5.4 w/PI heads CR is? I'd love to go 5.4 but that means buying some shorty headers and I currently have a nice set of long tubes for the 4.6. Would it be better to go PI rotating assembly with bigger cams? or is the CR worth more than the bigger cams that the PI allows. Ughhhh so many decisions.
 

07GtS197

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The 5.4s went pi in 01. You could make the long tubes work if you can do some welding.

I like the idea of a 5.4 but the limiting factor are the heads. I bet a set of trick flow heads and big cams on a 5.4 would make for a beast.


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garrittpwl

garrittpwl

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The best block if you want aluminum is the WAP 3V 2005+ , much newer design and a steel stud girdle/ oil scraper. Cheap, cheap, cheap.
There is a WAP block out of an 03 Explorer nearby for 200 dollars, obviously if I wanted to use my stock rotating assembly I need the aluminum block bearings. I've read about the timing chain dowels. Any other differences I should know about?
 

96blak54

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The 5.4l npi or pi will set a smile on your face everytime you drive it. Supercharged torque for driving.....being in 5th gear their is no chugging to gain speed....it just goes!

If big torque is what youre looking for and dont mind fighting the behemoth when working on it, the 5.4l might be for you. But dont expect hp gains over what a 4.6l can do. Intake valve size sets the hp level. Only so much air can pass through, regulating piston speeds.
 

OLD H2S

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Or look in the Manley valve catalog under heavy duty SS and they have big valves for NPI heads. cheap.
 

Silver95bird

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When did 5.4 go PI? Also any idea on what NPI 5.4 w/PI heads CR is? I'd love to go 5.4 but that means buying some shorty headers and I currently have a nice set of long tubes for the 4.6. Would it be better to go PI rotating assembly with bigger cams? or is the CR worth more than the bigger cams that the PI allows. Ughhhh so many decisions.

2001 definitely, 99-00 maybe, verify the heads first. it seemed like the transfer wasnt a solid one.

CR is closer to 9.7 to 1 instead of the 4.6's normal low 10ish. the added deck height changes things.

flat tops or cobra pistons in a 5.4 would probably be closer to the normal pi headswap CR, if thats what you want.

With a 5.4, any cam will fit, the piston sits deeper in the hole, so no PTV worries.

Im a bigger fan of a tight LSA, unless you run so big a duration that the overlap @0.050 is bigger than 10-12 * (N/A only). 5.4 can take a bigger cam than a 4.6 can, the low end loss isnt a problem with the 5.4 torque curve. But thats just my opinion.

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96blak54

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And its a good opinion!

I agree, what ever cam you use in the 5.4l, off idle torque is still at supercharger levels compared to a naturally aspirated 4.6l.

Typically 100rwtq over 4.6l.
 
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Bought a car for the engine from a friend, later found the bottom of the motor to be basically junk.

I have a nice set of PI heads still and all the parts to use 2v so I would like to stick with that. Please keep the "just go 4v" comments to a minimum.

I will need a rotating assembly and my power goals allow for a stock shortblock. That being said, there is a complete 4v teksid motor for sale near me for 500 bucks. Should I buy that and use the shortblock or should I buy a 5.4 and use the shortblock from that? I want my build to be different than the usual build even if it means I don't gain in more HP than the "normal" routes. Just looking to set aside the normal PI swapped NPI car since I now am being forced into buying another shortblock. Hypothetically I could use the NPI shortblock that is in my car but I'd like to have a complete motor sitting nearby "just incase"

Car is not daily driven. Engine build budget is roughly 2500 and I will need cams.

Thanks for any advice. I came back here because the SN95 groups on facebook are cancer.
Get the teski block that's a good deal
 

Addicted

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IMO I would only use the Teksid if you had a good piston/rod combo going in it. I just picked up a low mileage, complete Teksid myself. I'm not going to take a chance on throwing a rod through the side of it. They're getting harder to find untouched, and taken care of. It's just me, but I would build that Teksid bro, or take the pistons out and slap them in your iron block. I maybe wrong, I was thinking that the 96-98 Cobra rods were a little thicker around on the big end than the GT's. I'm by no means saying there vastly better, but it strikes me. Someone please correct me.
 
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garrittpwl

garrittpwl

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U give up on the 5.4l?
Ended up picking one up yesterday. I was hoping to get a 97-98 NPI 5.4 but unfortunately I ended up getting a 99. Any idea how much I would need to take off the heads to get the CR back up to around 11:1? I have to have a machine shop put some seats in my ported PI heads anyways so I figured, the 5.4 has plenty of clearance, I might as well go ahead and take some meat off to get my CR back up to where I wanted it.
 

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