5.0 VS. 4.6....Better???

[Macdaddy71]

4.6 or 5.0

4.6 or 5.0? its obviously a matter of opinion, but i would like to clarify a few things. I am picking up my 03 explorer V8 on thursday, but have already taken it for a spin around the block a few times. With the 3.73 rear gears (because of the towing package), i think this thing hauls very good. I work as a tech at a Ford dealer and know that the 4.6 has always been a good motor. Except for 99's in expeditions, etc because of head gasket change for that year. But besides that, these are very good motors. They are better than the 5.0 because they are much lighter (especially in the new explorers because they are all aluminum), get better mileage, rev higher, and in the ones with Direct ignition they have the limp home feature if it overheats. In terms of just overall performance, the 4.6 can haul ass if the right products are used, and the right version of the engine is used. But obviously the 5.0 is going to have more power off the line, have more performance parts available, and parts are cheaper. But a comment on the V6's , DO NOT SOUP UP AN EXPLORER SOHC V6. they are not durable. And also, the new explorers DO have a service port, and i know JET chips makes a chip for the V6 and V8, and superchips makes a programmer.

 

[Apten]

not to start a war, I only mean to debate things on friendly terms.

And also, the new explorers DO have a service port, and i know JET chips makes a chip for the V6 and V8, and superchips makes a programmer.

I just checked, and neither superchips nor JET have chips or programmers for PTEC system. Check superchips website, they say "coming soon". Same goes for hypertec. I e-mailed Jet and they said the same. Some of the 02 explorers use the PTEC instead of the EEC, along with 02 thunderbirds and some 03 Lincoln LS's and others. Some 02 explorers have EEC's instead of the PTEC module, maybe that is what you have seen.

The PTEC does have a port, but it's quite different than the service port that EEC's have (both IV and V). From what I have, I don't see an easy way to plug a chip into the PTEC's. You can hookup some ford equipment and flash them to change the programming, but that's a bit more involved.

The PTEC is a completley different generation of engine managment computers. It has 4mb of RAM and actually runs on a powerpc platform. It is much more sohisticated than the EEC-V's that are still used in many new ford models.

as far as the v6's go, I only have real experience with the 3.8L pushrod V6's. Those are pretty durable. I will be dyno tuning 3 this weekend, and I know one will see 300RWHP on the stock bottom end.