Opinions Wanted on Ford Racing Crate Engine

[V8BoatBuilder]

I'm thinking of replacing the stock 5.0 v8 in my X with a new engine:

http://www.oemfordparts.com/PartDetail.asp?S=1&PartID=585&SubCategoryID=10

It's a Ford Racing Crate Engine, with the E303 cam and GT40heads. They claim it is good for 345hp.

Questions:
- Has anyone used this engine - comments?
- What is the warranty like on something like this?
- Will it be a giant "bolt on" - or will custom fab be needed for engine mounts and the transmission?
- Will explorer front accessories bolt on, as well as the intake manifold?
- How will it preform will stock explorer engine componenets: Such as intake, fuel injection, TB, MAS, and EEC-V?

Thanks,
Aaron

 

[mrboyle]

Originally posted by V8BoatBuilder
I'm thinking of replacing the stock 5.0 v8 in my X with a new engine:

It's a Ford Racing Crate Engine, with the E303 cam and GT40heads. They claim it is good for 345hp.

Questions:
- Has anyone used this engine - comments?
- What is the warranty like on something like this?

I believe it has a 3 year/ 30,000 mile warranty

- Will it be a giant "bolt on" - or will custom fab be needed for engine mounts and the transmission?

It will bolt directly in using the stock motor mounts and tranny in your 5.0L

- Will explorer front accessories bolt on, as well as the intake manifold?

They should.

- How will it preform will stock explorer engine componenets: Such as intake, fuel injection, TB, MAS, and EEC-V?

Here is where the problem lies. I don't think the EEC-V computer will work with the E303 cam (I could be wrong). Plus you wont get the full performance potential out of the engine. (the 345 rating is with a single plane intake and a 750 cfm carb)

 

[SVO LOU]

I was thinking that the 345hp motor had the B cam in it. The E-cam is a little more mild and recommended for autos. Helped a buddy put the B-cam version in his Mustang and it'll WALK ALL OVER my Cobra, very good bang for the buck. I also agree that you probably won't utilize it to its full potential but your butt-dyno will see real gains.

Lou.

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

You can get the engine with either the B or the E cam... same price. I think some other members on the board have E cams - I'd like to hear about it...

Thanks for the advice guys - keep it comin!

 

[james t]

computer will be fine with that cam. you will, however, really need to upgrade a few things. stock exhaust will be crap with that motor. stock intake/throttle body will be fine. stock MAS will be crap. stock intake tubing will be crap. you will need headers. the B cam is really not very wild, it will be fine in an auto. E will give you a little better midrange with a reduction in top-end over the B. stock fuel pump and 19# injectors will be at their limits. 19#'s will work, but id get an adjustable FPR to be able to up pressure to compensate. get the Baumman shift kit for the tranny, and a big aftermarket cooler. other than that, like said before, it will be just a big bolt-on.

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

James,

-With the upgraded exhaust, is it worth keeping the stock Cat assembly, and doing headers and true duals using a Flowmaster 50 dual in/dual out with 2.25in piping? Or will the cat assembly need updating?

With a larger fuel pump, 24lb injectors, a FPR from vortech, a custom chip and shift kit, what kinds of true HP #s/Torque #s do you think this combo will provide (wheels or flywheel)

Supercharging it eventually using the EE unit - comments?

Also - The truck has the 4404 AWD system - think it will hold up - or should i be looking at T-cases as well?

Thanks for all the info - I'm just starting to plan this project.

Thanks,
Aaron

 

[SaleenEXP]

Get rid of the stock cats, you could run no cats if you want depending on the area you live in (would be sorta like having a stang with an offroad x or h pipe..no cats) or get two high flow cats and run dual 40' series Flowmasters for true duals with a minimum of 2.5" piping...might even be better off with 3" piping as a few 5.0 Explorers I know run that on their duals and it sounds mean as hell and you will have quite a few more goodies then they did

As for dyno #'s I'm not sure b/c of all the variables ect and other mods you named. But I wouldn't go with the EE unit as it's so modest the gains aren't that good at all considering it's price. You'd be better off getting a Vortec charger or Powerdyne for example and then really see some awesome gains.....can't remember what years they we're made for though....

Or if you have the skill, or know a really good shop, graft on a twin screw from KenneBell or even Whipple and you'll have a friggen torque monster. But it would be quite a bit of work and probably $$ to get one of those working correctly on the engine as the Whipple is mainly used on Chevy's and I think KenneBell had a twin screw for 5.0 stangs which you'd have to swap out some parts on your engine to get it to work like the accessory drive unit ect...

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

Unfortunatley this thing still has to pass Mass emissions. So cats are a must have. (Not to mention we gotta keep the air clean)

I want solid HP, but torque is really important. I'm heasitant to open up the exhaust too much (3" piping). Is there any mathematical way to calculate how exhaust pipe changes will affect torque?

Interesting ideas on the SC. But that will come later. I'm hoping to get at least 300hp, 300ft lbs of torque all from a 302.

Should be possible.

-Aaron

 

[SaleenEXP]

Definitley go with a minimum of 2.5" piping, you'd be pretty much clogging/holding back the engine with your mods and 2.25" piping. One of my friends is runing dual 3" pipes on his 5.0 Explorer with no loss at all in low-end. If anything you'll lose maybe 1 or 2ftlb's nothing noticeable at all. And you'll have a much meaner sound with 2.5 or 3" pipes.

I say two high-flow cats, headers, dual 40' series Flows and a minimum of 2.5" piping, and you'll probably need some MIL Eliminators with the new cats and mods to keep your idiot (specifically Check Engine) lights from going crazy.

 

[james t]

considering your's is a 97, its proly close to time to replace them, so yea, id get a pair of high-flows and have them welded in along with all new exhaust. 2.5" duals should be fine for that motor. the 2.25 setup is gonna be a little small, but will work. i would leave the injectors as is, and just get a bigger pump and the FPR. this way, if after much adjusting, you are still too lean (i doubt it), you can get the injectors. buying 24's now will be a waste, as you will need even bigger still later on with that motor and the charger.

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

Custom exhaust sounds like the way to go - anyone know of any good shops in the Boston area?

The MIL eliminators seems like a good idea, i did some research on them. Do they modify to O2 signal so it looks "clean" (The oscillating voltage?) Last time I had the truck inspected in MA, they only plugged into the ODBII port, and scanned sensors. They didn't even stick the wire up the tailpipe. I think it has to do with the AWD, since they can't run it on the dyno.

Passing emissions is a real concern - this will be my daily driver, and MA can be strict.

 

[springtensi0n]

i have a 95 4.0. i know this isnt going to be easy, but when i get back from my deployment, ill have a ton of money. id like to drop this 5.0 in there... how much work/money do you think we're talking...

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

springtensi0n, Do a search - there are LOTS of people who have swapped out V6s in favor of V8s. Most have been in 1st gen explorers, but it seems to me it would be relativley easy to get a V8 into a second gen - just find a donor with a good powertrain that's been in an accident and drop your body on it.

Do a search for Section525 - he did just that. (sort of)

-Aaron

 

[springtensi0n]

thanks a lot boatbulider

 

[expo5.0]

300/300 is more than possible with that combination, its easy! we'll see what happens when track season comes around, but i think my 1/4 mile numbers will show that my 5.0 is putting out very close to that with the e-cam, a bunch of bolt ons, the stock cats in place with a single three inch from there back, and a custom burned chip. I still have the stock injectors, but my fuel delivery is upped. anways, good luck with the swap, and make sure to keep us informed (i have 120,000 on mine now and i may be en route to the same swap someday soon)

btw- absolutely get the baumann! you'll need it and its incredible

 

[expo5.0]

one more thing, you won't need mil eliminators. you should make a legal set-up with cats of some kind and so long as you have at least one cat on each pipe you won't have a problem passing emissions so the mil eliminators will be a waste.

also, you don't want to drive your truck with them all the time and remove the cats because it will hurt your performance. the computer adjusts things based on o2 sensor readings and you don't want to lose that adjustment

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

Thanks for all the advice - I'm still planning the Crate Engine swap, but It won't be for at least a year. Right now I'm just gathering research.

I do plan on doing cat back exhaust (on the stock cats for now, but with 2.5" duals in prep for the crate engine), transmission shift kit, X-spec suspension and aduio in the next few months. The engine will come later - or when the stocker fails.

 

[expo5.0]

be careful with how much of the x-spec suspension you buy from ee. its possibile to save a lot of money by shopping around for some of those parts.

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

Expo, I was only thinking of the front and rear swaybars - I'm planning on rasing the truck 2", and using Rancho shocks, unless I find something better. The IAS seem to work for lowered trucks, but not raised ones. Though I'm looking for advice.

What components are best to purchase elsewhere?