Built-F-150

hey guys, a little while ago my truck blew up, , mom borowed my truck and came back with a rod knock! soooooo now im on the search for an engine. Im not sure though what all will fit. I really dont want to swap computers or anything just in and out. idk if the marquis,thunderbirds,crown vics,or vans motors will fit. Or even a 5.4. Im mostly curious about the thunderbird 4.6, i have a buddy whos got a motor outa one for cheap. Thanks fellas i apreciate any help.

Bell Blue Raider

Ford sucks for this, f150s used a differently shaped block then cars do.

If you want to do a simple drop in, you have to determine if you have a winsor or a romeo block and find another 4.6 from the same company. Any thing else will require anything from motor mount mods to wiring and computer changes

Austin97

You can use any 4.6l block. If your heads are screwed up from lack of oil pressure you can use any 4.6l heads. The blocks certainly are not different shapes.. The biggest thing you may run into is that most of the cars have 6 bolt cranks while your 150 most likely has an 8 bolt. All you have to do is buy the correct flex plate/flywheel. If you use a car motor you will have to reuse your top end, but that's no big deal, just make sure your intake is clean and has no debris in it. The exhaust manifolds are different so you might as well get a set of 4.6l truck headers, bbks are expensive but pacesetter and summitracing have pretty good ones for around $200.

It's not too bad to swap a 5.4 in either but then you have to get the 5.4 intake and everything but you can still run the same harness and pcm and everything.

There's also non-PI and PI motors you have to deal with. You can gain some power if you decide to get a PI motor from newer vehicles.

2001-2003 f150/exped 4.6
99-03 f150/exped 5.4l (heads are the same as 4.6)
99-2004 mustang (heads and cams are the same as trucks)
2000 and up f250 5.4

Austin97

Romeo and Windsor motors are completely interchangeable. The only differences that you might run into are valve covers because they have a different number of bolts and flex plate/flywheel because of the 6 or 8 bolt differences.

slim41778

i was inquiring how hard it is to do the p.i. head swap in my 1998 f150 the motor is a romeo do i have to change wiring harness intakes

Austin97

You gotta use a PI intake because the ports are shaped different and since PI intakes only have one ect sensor port and our NPI pcms use 2 ects you have to make a place for the second sensor. I put an inline sensor adapter in the upper radiator hose for it that way I didn't have to drill and tap the intake. It's not really any different than changing out stock heads except one of the heater hoses is in a different spot, but you can just replace it with any 5/8'' heater hose and use hose clamps instead of the heater hose clips and that sensor thing I mentioned. Just get romeo heads if you want to reuse your valve covers, if you get windsor heads make sure you get the valve covers, windsors have 13 bolts on the driver side and 14 on the passenger side and romeo have 11 on both sides.

bones2o21

I just had to change the 4.6 in my truck. I used a $500 motor from the same yr crown vic just had strip the motor down to heads and block every thing else had to be used from my original truck motor. its not hard its mainly just a buch of small things. oil pan intake timing chain cover exhast manifolds (when you start taking those bolts out be prepared for a few to break you can get new ones at autozone for 6 bucks the worst is getting em out if they do break. best advise soak em in wd-40 for 2 0r 3 days then they break look real easy). also with the oil pan change the oil pick up tube will hafta be changeds across as well. the water and oil filter adapter will most likly hafta be changed as well. like i said just a bunch of little crap but it saved me an extra 1000 for a direct drop in motor. also when your moving all that stuff over while your there you might as well replace all the gaskets with new you dont whant to be having leaks after all that work. so in total in costed me another 300 for all the gaskets seals also made my life easy changed the plugs while the motor was out he he.

wished i would have had the money for a new power steering pump and headers while i was there my power steering is driving me nutz when its cold out.

also be shure when looking for the new motor its the Romeo or Windsor match to your truck closer to the same yr is better but there all the same year wise for the most part. so this can be identified by the 8th digit in your vin a W is a Romeo (i thought i had a windsor at first but nope ford got my hopes up then crushed it W is for Romeo) and i believe an 8 is a Windsor you can google it to be shure for windsor but i know for shure W is Romeo. the only real diffrence is the fact Romeo is 6 bolt main (more comon) Windsor is 8bolt main.


sorry for the long post i just wanted to give you as much info as i could think it. its alot of choices. Just a rule of thumb for the quickest easyest drop in go with the closet model and year possible. Cars do work just hafta swap out most of the exterior of the motor.

dont try and confuse me like that dang it i already have enough random crap going on up there LOL you made me google it


two seperate referances that says romeo has 6 Windsor has 8
http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/4-6l-tech/54369-what-engines-better-romeo-windsor.html 2nd post down says the same things 6 bolt romeo 8 bolt Windsor
http://www.enginebuildermag.com/Article/3541/rebuilding_the_ford_46l.aspx this one says you could be right too in the fact windsor supposably came with both yes i know it deals with 99 and up

Pic of my Romeo Block pulled I know its hard to see but i count 6 holes
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...216_160915.jpg

i can also go out and take pictures of my 6 bolt romeo fly wheele that i have lying around

Austin97

^ All that is very correct. I was getting to it but I wanted to see what kind of motors they came up with first because a lot of it you don't have to do if you get a truck motor. Like you I got a car motor (mustang) so I had to switch all that too. And definitely replace any gaskets you touch and at least the timing chain tensioners because you don't want to have to tear back in there later.

Oh, windsor is 6 not 8. but it is the 8th digit.

Built-F-150

Perfect, Thank you guys sooo much, this is exactly what i needed to hear

kerwinq

I know this is an old thread but am facing the same issue in needing to replace an engine in my 98 f150. I just want to make sure I understand, if I find a 4.6 Romeo engine even from a 2010 truck it will fit in mine with no issues? Trying to find one with low miles but also want to make sure it will not cause more grief trying to put it in.