C-Head WAP 4v Swap

[Wild Horses]

Heres my project 4V swap thread. Now this may take awhile as a lot of you know how expensive parts are for these DOHC motors, and i want to ensure this thing is safe once i put some power to it. Alot of this is experimentation as the donor car IS NOT a mustang, but a mercury marauder. If you've ever seen under a police interceptors hood you know the intake points the other direction. Same with the marauder, just with a backwards Mach intake. Im lucky that i have an ENTIRE car to get parts off of, but this still my be expensive because this motor had problems before it was parked and abandoned.

Ive pulled everything that has to do with making the car run and drive, including the whole wiring harness, throttle cable, cruise control unit, entire accessory drive, and pumps... anything that could potentially not be the same on my 02 GT.

Heres the donor car.

Pretty clean ride, and i really wish it had a title. But i parted it out while pulling the motor then sold the roller all within a week. Those panther guys went crazy over these parts. I did however keep a couple things for myself though. First is the HUGE electric fan and shroud that will be going in the mustang, second is the aluminum drive shaft thats getting cut down and welded back up and finally is those BAD ASS factory 3'' exhaust tips.

What were all here for...

A backwards Mach powerplant. Check out even the coolant crossover tube is reversed.

She put up a good fight, but in the end... I win. Now its not completely that simple. I noticed while pulling the cams that the journals on the intake side of the drivers side were pretty badly scorn. Luckily Jordan at modular head shop is sending me shipping crates to get them down to florida to have bearings put in the heads. Very fair price also! Hopefully it works out because its not like im gonna just buy another set of C-Heads.

I CANNOT WAIT to get behind the wheel of my GT with this motor in there. The insane power increase along with the drop in front end weight from an all aluminum 4v has got me anxious to get it in. Thats all i got for now, besides pics of the car its going to make its new home in.

with the new track night wheels...

The 18s

And the soon-to-be sold on craigslist 2V...

Now... Is there anyone thats done a complete Mach1 swap into a GT and can tell me just what to expect with the actual swap, and post swap with power increases and drivability? Ive never ridden in a Mach or an older cobra for that matter. How much more fun is it? I really cant wait!

Thanks for checking this out...

 

[lwarrior1016]

Glad you made a thread for this. Im tuned in for the swap lol. You don't see many people finishing these swaps so it'll be pretty cool watching you get it done.

 

[Deceptive GT]

Good luck on the swap! I am swapping my 02 GT to a 4 V setup and my 96 Cobra to a C Head. Two blown C Head 4Vs, lol. As far as weight, it will even out as the 4 V heads have some weight and the intake.

 

[Wild Horses]

Thanks fellas. Yea, I will finish this swap. I have everything I need except some new secondary chains, gears, and tensioners. I also need to get the cam journals line bored and have the bearings thrown in with a freshen up on the heads. Then it's all back together and the fun part begins. Unless I'm offered a bolt on vortech Kit for my 2v as trade for the complete swap, this motor will be in that vert.

What's awesome about having it come out of a marauder is the exhaust manifolds. When reversed and flipped upside down, the flanges sit absolutely PERFECT for a turbo... Or two... Heheh. May need to build that bottom end a little stronger if I keep that up.

 

[Wild Horses]

Good luck on the swap! I am swapping my 02 GT to a 4 V setup and my 96 Cobra to a C Head. Two blown C Head 4Vs, lol. As far as weight, it will even out as the 4 V heads have some weight and the intake.

Whats the most common way they blow? I would think the secondary chains are the weakest link... They kinda scare me. One weak link LITERALLY and that sides head, valves, and Pistons are toast. I really don't want my fairly rare and super expensive motor to go boom.

 

[D3VST8R96GT]

I just turned the 4v page as well. Im completely rebuilding the heads.... springs, retainers, valves, stems, guides, followers, lifters, both chains and all the tensioners, fasteners etc. Only keeping the cams. It expensive hahaha.

The weak spot from what i have read are the tensioners and after that the guides .....

 

[Wild Horses]

I just turned the 4v page as well. Im completely rebuilding the heads.... springs, retainers, valves, stems, guides, followers, lifters, both chains and all the tensioners, fasteners etc. Only keeping the cams. It expensive hahaha.

The weak spot from what i have read are the tensioners and after that the guides .....

Mo valves mo problems.. lol

Yea, it is quite expensive. I browse MMR daily trying to keep myself from going broke..lol. I want so much for this thing. I may go electronic water pump on this one, but the main thing i want to do is all of the coolant cross over mods for the rear, as well as the front. I hear it really helps keep the head temps even. But other than expensive, Its like i finally have this motor ive been waiting to get forever, and im so protective over it. lol...IDK how im ever gonna race with it. I think ill get over it when the time comes though haha. Im just gonna try to build this thing as tough as possible. Cant skimp on the important things or ill be at the junk yards looking for lincoln aviators...

 

[chris91]

Pick up some 96-98 cobra cams for it. The c head motors pick up like 20-30 hp with them.

 

[Deceptive GT]

Whats the most common way they blow? I would think the secondary chains are the weakest link... They kinda scare me. One weak link LITERALLY and that sides head, valves, and Pistons are toast. I really don't want my fairly rare and super expensive motor to go boom.

What I meant was both will be supercharged. My 02 GT will have a Vortech V1 Si and the Cobra will have a V7 YSi

 

[Wild Horses]

Pick up some 96-98 cobra cams for it. The c head motors pick up like 20-30 hp with them.

Yes, ive been looking for some. Im waiting for some to pop up locally so i don't have to order them from ebay. Isn't it just the intake cams that are different or is that the older B head Mark motors?

What I meant was both will be supercharged. My 02 GT will have a Vortech V1 Si and the Cobra will have a V7 YSi

LOL see what i mean? Im on edge... HAHA. I heard blown and im like oh noo..

If i end up w a SC on this engine itll be the eaton M112. Probably the best bang for the buck with a 4v i would think.

 

[chris91]

Yeah pretty sure you're right.

As for the Eaton on it. After you piece everything together you'll have as much wrapped up in it that you could've bought a Vortech.

 

[Wild Horses]

Yeah pretty sure you're right.

As for the Eaton on it. After you piece everything together you'll have as much wrapped up in it that you could've bought a Vortech.

Yea, I'll just have to see what kind of deals pop up while I'm getting it ready. I'm sure I'll be happy with the NA setup for a few months after the swap at least. 20-30 hp over 302 or whatever these are rated at is quite a bit so I'll def be looking for a set of cams.

 

[Wild Horses]

Ready for the tear down.

 

[DavidBoren]

Yes, the cost of the two systems are going to end up very similar. But the 4.6L mod motor, especially the 4v variants, have plenty of top end. They have no stones down low, though. That's why the positive displacement blower is a better choice for the mod motor. It may not give you the highest peak horsepower, but it will give you some low end grunt that you won't get from a vortech.

 

[98snakehorse]

Subscribed! This looks like a really fun project. I was torn between swaping a PI engine and the 4v in my 98gt. The cost is what pushed me away from the 4v. Good luck and looking forward to updates.

 

[chris91]

Dave have you ever owned a Vortech powered car or even driven one for the matter? My S Trim came on just fine at low rpm's. Granted it wasn't full boost but it was at 3500 rpm. It was enough to get it going. And the upgrade possibilities with the Vortech are endless where you hit a brick wall with high IAT's and power with the Heaton.

 

[D3VST8R96GT]

Dave have you ever owned a Vortech powered car or even driven one for the matter? My S Trim came on just fine at low rpm's. Granted it wasn't full boost but it was at 3500 rpm. It was enough to get it going. And the upgrade possibilities with the Vortech are endless where you hit a brick wall with high IAT's and power with the Heaton.

A heat soaked Eaton is like whiskey....at first its awesome and fun but when you finally have the dime home naked spread eagle for you and you have whiskey dick.....

 

[Wild Horses]

A heat soaked Eaton is like whiskey....at first its awesome and fun but when you finally have the dime home naked spread eagle for you and you have whiskey dick.....

Lmao. I can definately understand what you mean with this even though I've never owned one. I always hear the cobra guys complaining about heat soak and "if my blower wasn't heat soaked then you wouldn't have pulled that bus length" or whatever... But as was mentioned, that low end just makes the cars insanely fast with the top end of a 4V...As long as you can get them to hook.

I've been doing some ebay browsing and it looks like I can put together a factory cobra setup for under a grand with some cobra parts Ive already accumulated. With my GT live axle and some drag radials, I think I'd be able to get it down the 1/4 mile under 11 seconds.

 

[rtusnake]

Your going probably be more than a grand into an eaton swap. You plan to use the swap brackets or do the full swap with the timing cover and cobra alternator?

 

[Wild Horses]

Your going probably be more than a grand into an eaton swap. You plan to use the swap brackets or do the full swap with the timing cover and cobra alternator?

Probably going with all factory used parts. Or custom fabricated...