StrokemyNotch

Dont know if this was asked before, but are all 4.6 SOHC motors 2 or 3 valves? what years did they have 2 valvles and what year did they come out with 3 valves. I was told that 4.6 SOHCs are junk. which year is the best year for the SOHC?

team801

They are 2V all 99-04 are teh shiznit

sprostang

3v on the 05`s

Slick97gt

96-98= 225 hp sohc 2v, 99-04 = 260 hp sohc 2v, 05-06 = 300 hp 3v

2muchboost4u

Hey, im new to this forum and im looking for some help with my questions. I dont own a mustang yet(i have a 97 eclipse turbo, ive smoked a couple of the faithfull 4.6 family) but im looking to buy one very soon. Im looking at a 99 GT 5 speed, all and all they look like great cars after blot ons and what not but my main concern is with the Heads. Can i simply swap out the heads for 4 valve heads an then change the Cam? Or is this a impossible conversion? Im coming from 1 head and DOHC, this whole 2 heads and one cam is tricky? Anyways any help would be great.

DIVER8374

The 4.6 SOHC (GT)has 2 heads with a cam in each head so there are 2 cams total. If you go the the 4.6 DOHC (COBRA, Mach 1) it has 2 cams per head with a total of 4 cams.

As far as just droping the heads on a 2v car you can but there is a lot of other work that needs to be done to do this. You are better just buying either a Cobra with the 4v motor or a Mach1 which also has the 4v motor. I would defently not but a 2v GT and then try and swap in a 4v head it will cost you too much time and money when you can just buy one of the cars listed and have the 4v motor that you want.

drivingdiscodriving

Being new to this board myself, I'd ;ike to add a couple questions.

What seems to be the average life expectancy from a 4.6l (mine does not get pampered, but I wouldn't exactly say it's abused either)?

And has anyone tried bolting in one of the DOHC crate engines from Ford (the Mach 1 direct replacement) into a 96 or so GT? If so, what was the additional cost for the ECM, what difficulties were encountered etc?

DIVER8374

Well if it is a stock 4.6 SOHC (even if it has the typical bolt-ons) and the reqular maintaince is done as the usual times (oil change 3-5k with filter, flush radiator, trans fluid at 30k if auto, typical stuff) I would bet that you can see a good 180k+ out of it. If you start adding big power (400+ RWHP) to the SOHC (S/C, Turbo, Nitrous) without forging the bottom end, it will not last very long because of the weak bottom end. If you forge the bottom end I don't see why you could not get as many miles out of it as I staited before as long as you keep up on the matin.

I don't know enough to answer your other question, but am sure that someonee else will chime in and give you a good answer.

nanaki

bicketybam from this board put a supercharger on his mustang after over 130,000 miles. still runnin strong.

drivingdiscodriving

Thanks.

The reason I ask is that I have a 96 GT, basically stock. It seems to still run strong with 151,000 miles on it. It appears to be well maintained also. I'd certainly like more power, but have no intention of throwing a bunch of expensive (or inexpensive for that matter) bolt ons at it if the bottom end is near it's limit. The older (pre 70) cars I have experience with generally need rebuilt around 100k, but I have no experience at all with this engine family (or really anything built post 1970). So, I was curious whether it would be more cost effective to convert to one of the DOHC crate engines than to rebuild and upgrade the current SOHC engine.