The 3v 5.4 will make a ton of power, as long as your internals will take it. Our biggest stumbling block is the trans in stock form with the stock converter, as rafa found out. I'm just guessing here, but I would think 500-525 at the wheels is about the limit for the stock trans. I don't know how much the built 4r75 will hold, rafa never came back to tell us.
My tranmission is already built and has an upgraded converter, so that's a moot point. So do you think I'm on the right track now going with the GT500 motor?
Yeah I guess so. Just keep us all posted on the details of the wiring and so forth. Once those engines become more available and cheaper, more conversions are bound to happen. We just need a pioneer to blaze a trail for us to follow.
IIRC, rafa eventually had a 4v conversion done to his engine because he wasn't happy with the power he was getting. I think JDM did the 4v swap. You might want to talk to them for any tips.
A built short block would be the way to go, less than 8k you can build a bad ass 5.4 3v and make 6-800rwhp its just silly to put that GT motor in your truck unless you got money to blow.
the wiring and tune are the least of your the issues with this proposed swap
#1 - what about the oiling system? you'd have to convert the gt500 block to a F-150 type? what about your steering? what steering are you going to use as you cannot use the F-150 set up (ask vinnie)
#2 - do a search, I posted the link to a couple F-150's that have done the swap and the amount of work involved
#3 - can it be done, YES
#4 - is it cheaper to get similar numbers from a 3 valve YES
#5 - can you do it YES but you better have some $$$$$$
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Last edited by tarajerame; 06-14-2009 at 06:27 AM.
Sean Hyland Motorsports has a built shortblock for $3,895 that would be good for 700 hp. There are a couple of rod options for more bullet proof rods and up the hp level to 1,200 and 1,600 hp.
#1 - what about the oiling system? you'd have to convert the gt500 block to a F-150 type? what about your steering? what steering are you going to use as you cannot use the F-150 set up (ask vinnie)
The GT 500 uses an iron block with a wet sump oiling system and has starter provisions already machined into the block. The Gt 500 block is vitually identical to the 5.4 truck block, it might be made from a stroger iron material but it is still a bolt in into any vehicle that had a modular v8 engine. You must be thinking of the GT supercar, that block had a dry sump system and no starter.
He may have to use the truck oil pan on the GT 500 block. Other than the pan, the oiling and steering are non-issues.
I originally was going with the build up of my existing 3v, but what I couldn't get my head around was all the custom made parts I would need to get larger power levels. For example, the supercharger I have now is made for this motor and I have maxed it out with available, off-the shelf parts. Whipple quit making the 2.75" pulley for it a few years ago, so I had to have one custom made. This wasn't such a big deal, but it would be just the start. A bigger throttle body would definately be needed, which would mean some kind of custom intake. Also, this S/C is just too small too generate any really big numbers-EFFICIENTLY. So, that means going to another, larger displacement S/C that was not designed for this engine, which makes for a lot of other issues. Then it hit me about the possibility of doing the swap. I have a modded GT500, so I know what they are capable of (mine currently puts down 654rwhp). With me not know anything about engine swaps/wiring, I have to ask if this is even possible, within reason, or economically feasible.
All I have to go on, at this point, is Rafa's build up. Didn't it take something like 7-8 months? Rafa was pissed and everybody was agreeing that it shouldn't take that long. Then JDM posted up their response and said that a lot of the delays were due to having to custom make parts in order for everything to work.
Why not do a roush drive snout conversion on your whipple then you can crank up your boost even higher. Another option is get a roush I/C intake manifold and put a whipple 3.4 for the lightning on it with the GT 500 rear plenum and TB.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to talk you out of putting a gt 500 motor in your truck, I'm just trying to come up with some viable options so you can keep your current engine.
BTW do you still have the stock internals on your truck? How much boost do you have with the 2.75 pulley?
Why not do a roush drive snout conversion on your whipple then you can crank up your boost even higher. Another option is get a roush I/C intake manifold and put a whipple 3.4 for the lightning on it with the GT 500 rear plenum and TB
You've got my attention! I'm getting about 11.5 with the 2.75 and stock internal. Should be a little more boost, but the Dynatech headers do a great job. How limited would I be with the existing heads and the whipple 3.4?
I know what the existing aftermarket mods will produce on the GT500. For example, a Kenne Bell 2.8 on a GT500, can easily produce well over 700rwhp on pump gas. The big Whipple 3.4 can do even more and more efficiently because you don't have to spin it as fast. My baseline pull, before any mods at all on my truck, was 204hp if I remember correctly. That's about 100hp drivetrain lose. On a GT500, if you have the mods to get, say, 800 hp at the flywheel, that would be between 650-700rwhp in my truck. So, my question is, knowing the cost involved to achieve this crank hp on a GT500, what would have to done to my 3V truck motor to get the same results and at what price?
Forged internals at the very least. I read another thread where someone said that they used the stock lightning gasket between the S/C and the manifold on their roush setup on a 3v, so logically it would make sense that you can put any lightning upgrade blower on the roush manifold on the 3v engine. You may have to change the snout length because the roush manifold places the charger farther back than the lightning does. If you get a whipple 3.4 for the L with the GT 500 plenum and TB instead of the L plenum and have a custom snout length put on it you should be able to get 750 crank hp on a 3v with the right tune. Basically the 4 major things you will need, forged internals, roush manifold, roush or L pulley setup (bridge) and lower pulley, and a whipple 3.4. I'm guessing that all can be had for under 10K. Now a 3v will not make as much as a gt 500 motor with the same blower and same boost level because 4v heads flow more than 3v heads do, but it will make more than a 2v L motor will.
The GT 500 uses an iron block with a wet sump oiling system and has starter provisions already machined into the block. The Gt 500 block is vitually identical to the 5.4 truck block, it might be made from a stroger iron material but it is still a bolt in into any vehicle that had a modular v8 engine. You must be thinking of the GT supercar, that block had a dry sump system and no starter.
He may have to use the truck oil pan on the GT 500 block. Other than the pan, the oiling and steering are non-issues.
ok, I was under the impression the GT500 needed similar mods to the gt supercar motor to work in a truck
Its so crazy that this thread was started because I was just thinking about doing the 4v swap myself the other day. I am highly considering it and want to do something unique that will make amazing power. My goal is to get the truck on the cover of Truckin' and it shouldn't be an issue. It's going to take lots of time and money but now that I have the new Dmax my truck just sits so why not finish it out. I got the complete saleen body kit with the 23 inch wheels. As some of you know my truck is blacked out in everyway possible. I want to keep the same theme but I am considering doing it flat black instead. The truck is going to be repainted because their is going to be lots of body mods done like completely shaving everything and doing some custom work. I dont want to give away all of the secrets. Lets just say I have a buddy who is a skilled body person that will be doing all the work for me. I'm going all out on this one, yall will all see when it is done. But who knows when that will be this is going to be a huge project but it is something different and why not. I am so psyched you have no idea, but sorry for the thread jack I am about to start a build thread in the 04+ section. I am just starting my research as far as motor options go so i'm going to do lots of searching and try to learn up on everything. Any suggestions would be helpful though guys!
Arent the navigator engines 4v's? What's the difference between them if so? You could always go find a wrecked navi and pull the motor and just completely build it for probably cheap. I also forgot to mention that I am going to be doing a custom twin turbo setup on this truck. We just got done fabricating a custom kit for an 04 mach 1 i'll post up some pics and specs in my thread. I'm going to do twin t57's
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