How To Rebuild 4.6-Liter, 5.4-Liter Ford Engines - George Reid, CarTech Books 9781932494808

How To Rebuild 4.6-Liter, 5.4-Liter Ford Engines: 2-, 3- & 4-Valve Engines

Since 1991, the popular and highly modifiable Ford 4.6-liter has become a modern-day V-8 phenomenon, powering everything from Ford Mustangs to hand-built hot rods, and the 5.4-liter has powered trucks, SUVs, the Shelby GT500, and more.

The wildly popular 4.6-liter has created an industry unto itself with a huge supply of aftermarket high-performance parts, machine services, and accessories. Its design delivers exceptional potential, flexibility, and reliability.

The 4.6-liter can be built to produce 300 hp up to 2,000 hp, and in turn, it has become a favorite among rebuilders, racers, and high-performance enthusiasts.

How to Rebuild the 4.6-Liter, 5.4-Liter Ford Engines expertly guides you through each step of rebuilding the modular 4.6- and 5.4-liter engines, providing essential information and insightful detail.

This volume delivers the complete nuts-and-bolts rebuild story, so the enthusiast can professionally rebuild an engin at home and achieve the desired performance goals.

In addition, it contains a retrospective of the engine family, essential identification information, and component differences between engines made at Romeo and Windsor factories for identifying your engine and selecting the right parts.

It also covers how to properly plan a 4.6-/5.4-liter build-up and choose the best equipment for your engine's particular application.

As with all Workbench Series books, How To Rebuild 4.6-Liter, 5.4-Liter Ford Engines is packed with detailed photos and comprehensive captions, that guide you step by step through the disassembly, machine work, assembly, start-up, break-in, and tuning procedures for all iterations of the 4.6-/5.4-liter engines, including 2-valve and 3-valve SOHC and the 4-valve DOHC versions.

It also includes an easy-to-reference spec chart and suppliers guide so you find the right equipment for your particular build-up.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
What is a Workbench Book?

CHAPTER 1: BEFORE YOU BEGIN...

Improved 4.6L Power for 1996
New Engine Building Experience
Engine Longevity
Determining Your Engine Build-Up Package
Should You Consider a Crate Engine?
The Importance of Dynamic Balancing
Planning Your Engine
Stroke and its Affect on Compression
Horsepower and Torque
Tools to Get the Job Done
Torque Wrenches
Keep a Clean, Organized Work Shop

CHAPTER 2: DISASSEMBLY

Engine Removal
Teardown
Documenting the Disassembly
Electrical Components
Fuel System
Oil Pan Bolt Circle
Two-Piece Truck Induction
Balancer Inspection and Service
What Do Chain Tensioners Do?
Valley Crud
Sensor Equipped or Not?
Understanding Journal Wear Patterns

CHAPTER 3: SELECTING PARTS

Ford 4.6L Engine Differences
SOHC Block
Casting Date Codes
Oiling System
Nodular Iron Crankshaft
Timing System
Connecting Rods
Pistons
Computing Compression Ratio
Timing Cover
2-Valve Cylinder Head
3-Valve Head
Composite Camshafts
Intake System
Oil Filter/Water Neck
DOHC Engines

CHAPTER 4: MACHINE SHOP

Be Environmentally Responsible
The Block
Line Bore
Block Overbore
Decking the Block
Crack Checking
Rotating Assembly
Dynamic Balancing
Oil System
Cylinder Heads

CHAPTER 5: ENGINE ASSEMBLY

The Block
Fasteners
ARP Main Stud Pointers
Rod Bolt Torque Angle
Crankshaft and Camshaft Endplay
Cylinder Head Installation
Degreeing Cams
Final Assembly

CHAPTER 6: BREAK-IN and TUNING

Cooling System
Ready to Fire
Choosing an Engine Oil
The Truth About Engine Oil Filters
Exhaust System
Electronic Engine Control
Ignition System
Dyno Tuning for Power and Reliability

CHAPTER 7: HIGH-PERFORMANCE PARTS GUIDE

Appendix A: Engine Math
Appendix B: Workbench Reference Charts
Source Guide

About the Author

George Reid has been a Ford enthusiast for 30 years. Now retired, he restores and builds Fords. He is also the author of the best-selling High-Performance Ford Engine Parts Interchange and How To Build Max Performance Ford V-8s On a Budget. He lives in southern California.