Anybody got any idea on physical dimensions for contemporary ford quad-cam 8's? Particularly the 4.6 used in 'Stangs, but the local aussie stuff would be interesting too.

Ive got an XR Fairmont as a project car and i reckon shoehorning some late model muscle and technology into the old girl could be fun. A front strut -> hollowed out shocker tower conversion might be necessary first, tho....

The modular V8's (especially the 5.4) are VERY big engines, the heads are massive take up alot of height and width in the bay.

There's a pic floating around somewhere showing a 302 Windsor next to a 4.6 Modular and the windsor is dwarfed in size.

i wont say it cant be done because anything is possible. wheres xr9ute he'd be the man to talk to

cheers for the tip, mate. i assume its this one youre talking about?.

http://www.fordmods.com/forums/download.php?id=7708

thats a real eye opener, isnt it? ill have to chase down that strut conversion i saw a while ago that hollows out that shocker towers and see if the added width is enough. height could still well be an issue even if the width can be sorted, though.
still be great to hear from anybody thats put a tape measure over one of these, or has any on-paper specs.

thanks again, d_m.


yeah eb2flyz, if the idea passes the "will it physically fit?" stage, throw enough time and money at it and its do-able.

the thread that pic came from ( http://www.fordmods.com/forums/viewtopi ... or+modular ) listed some reasonable points on the realities of such a conversion (and im fairly sure the tight bay of the xr would be a bit more problematic than that of an xh) but at this stage im still more keen to know whether its objectively possible in terms of fitting in the bay than if its subjectively sane.

G'day Mick,

Get a Ford racing performance parts catalog. All the dimensions are in there. Basically a 4.6 is as wide as a 460. The 5.4 is wider and taller again.
If you're going to do it the '03-04 Cobra engine is what you want. Otherwise a big inch(392-460ci) windsor is the go.

Pete.

gday pete. funny i should bump into you when rattling the cage about xr conversions bummer i missed you at that ford day in geelong a while back....

thanks for catalog idea - downloading that now

realistically, i suspect that replicating your early work with an xr is the way to go but it'd still be fun to know if this is possible.

Yeah, that's the pic, I knew I had it saved somewhere, just couldn't find it.

They're huge engines. I just spent the day working on my GT - running power cable for me stereo, hands are all cramped, cut and bruised - no room to work.

Try this,
http://www.rrs-online.com/shocktowerproducts.php

Engine measurements (Width, Length, Height, Weight)

Windsor pushrod: 24 in. / 29 in. / 27.5 in. / 460lbs
Boss 302: 24.5 / 29 / 28.5 / 500
351 Windsor: 25 / 29 / 29 / 525
351 Cleveland: 25.5 / 29.25 / 29 / 550
351/400M: 26 / 29.5 / 29 / 575
390/428 FE: 27 / 32 / 29 / 625
427 SOHC: 32 / 34 / 30 / 680
429/460: 27 / 34 / 29 / 720
Boss 429: 30 / 34 / 30 / 635
4.6L SOHC: 28.7 / 28 / 26 / 600
4.6L DOHC: 30 / 28 / 30 / 576

I think the 5.4DOHC is 32in wide. EA-BA engine bay is 34in wide. X-series are less.

thanks, macca. thats the company i was thinking of too. this quote from that page you linked...

"Is a modular V8 in your future? Or maybe a 429 or 460? Then look no further than the combination of our Strut and Brake Kits and The Shock Tower Notching Kit"

...tends to suggest that it might be possible. ill ring their aussie distributors later on today and see if they can shed any more light. using their strut notching kit, coil-overs (necessary to make room for notches), and brake package is a quick way to remove 4 and a half gorillas from the engine budget, though

gday Sturmovik,
does your source say anything about where on the engine the measurements were taken and what ancillaries (if any) like carbies and manifolds were included? the reason i ask is that there is a bit of difference compared to the figures listed on p 67 of the Ford racing performance parts catalog that pete mentioned.
they list the following:

302w
18.75 (476) / 27.5 (699) / 20.75 (527)
351w
21 (533) / 27.5 (699) / 23.75 (603)
4.6 Modular SOHC
25.625 (651) / 28 (711) / 26 (660)
4.6 Modular DOHC
30 (762) / 28 (711) / 29.875 (759)

the data is W / L / H, imperial and metric

not sure why the modular numbers would be close but the windsors arent so much. anyway, ill post back with any results from the rrs dealer.

ok boys and girls, here's the deal!

i spoke to a bloke who knows the fella's brother that used to drink at the pub with.....well i havent actually spoken the the owner of the car, but the guy i just spoke to at early bird falcon (a local distributors of rrs gear) assures me that a local BA 5.4 modular has been massaged into an xy. either of the 4.6's should s**t it in then. apparently its not the engine bay but the tranny tunnel that is the problem with the 5.4. im not sure if a bit of a love tap with a knockommeter made enough room or if cutting and shutting was required - creating further expense to get it engineered i suppose. speaking of which, i forgot to ask if the rrs conversion gear had local approval "off the shelf" for road use or if each installation had to be engineered.

so. a modular 4.6 or 5.4 into an xr to xy *should* be possible providing at least the following occurs:

*front suspension conversion to coil-overs to make room for shocker tower notching
*tranny tunnel enlargement if using manual tranny that comes with a 5.4 - dunno about other engine / box combos.

sadly, im a bit low on coin at the moment to commit the 15k or so that this would probaly require, but its nice to know its possible....
cheers all above for your help.
mick.