Is 4.6L Superior to 5.4L
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From: MI
Originally Posted by tritonpwr
Motor and trans? What, the 32v?
I can't remember , I know the motor was from a Van , a 5.4L - That's why the motor and trans was still attached. I think I'm going to get an 01 salvage down in Florida - It looks like an accordion, the fronts not bad - frames bent in the back bad - I'm just going to gut it, interior too. I figured I needed a full doner for an engine change. The hole trucks cheaper than a reman trans . I get a motor too w/120,000.
Prolly the cheapest way to go. I have a trailer already down there anyway.
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From: Texass
Originally Posted by jbrew
What do you have to have from the donner?
I have everything! A friend of mine owns a salvage yard here in town. I told him what I was looking for, it took like 6 months, but he got in an 01 2x4 gator that had been t-boned and totaled at 28,000 miles. The hit was right between the front and back wheels on the passenger side. Mechanically, it was in great shape. The rear suspension was bent all to hell, the front wheel was ripped off, the frame was bent, all the airbags were deployed (except the ones in the sides of the seats which didn't deploy for some reason).
I got everything I thought I could need for the build, plus some parts that I could use on other projects. The complete motor, all the accessories (you know, ps pump, alternator (gators have a 200amp alt), ac compressor, etc. I got the 100 tranny (which I plan to upgrade and put it in my 2000 with the modded 4.6), drive-shaft, computer, wiring harness, gauge cluster, oil and tranny coolers (factory), big aluminum radiator, condenser coil, rear axle (9.75" LS 3.73, disk brakes of course) which is already in my 2000 F150 along with a new ring and pinion, heated and a/c'ed leather seats (all of them), the big front brakes, the rack and pinion variable assist steering setup along with all the hoses, steering column, the dash, and some other goodies. I basically stripped it.
You'll probably pee on yourself when you find out how much I paid for all this. I didn't pay a dime! Well, not for the parts anyway..... we worked out a deal where I built him 3 really nice new computers (one for his business, 2 for his house). So in total, it cost me about $2,200 for all that!
You should have done it! You don't need the computer or the wiring harness. Yours would work. You would need a tune, of course, but yours would work. The Gator short-block is just like the lightning. It has the steel crank, forged rods, forged pistons, etc. If nothing else, put the heads and intake on your 5.4.
Last edited by tritonpwr; Dec 20, 2006 at 02:01 PM.
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From: Texass
Originally Posted by jbrew
I can't remember , I know the motor was from a Van , a 5.4L - That's why the motor and trans was still attached. I think I'm going to get an 01 salvage down in Florida - It looks like an accordion, the fronts not bad - frames bent in the back bad - I'm just going to gut it, interior too. I figured I needed a full doner for an engine change. The hole trucks cheaper than a reman trans . I get a motor too w/120,000.
Prolly the cheapest way to go. I have a trailer already down there anyway.
Prolly the cheapest way to go. I have a trailer already down there anyway.
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Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Washington
oh well i do have a question...
this 5.4 i bought has nothing for accessories. no water pump for example. it has 1 pulley which i believe is the main/crank pulley. will my 97 4.6 water pump fit? that bad boy is brand new! stuff like that.
this 5.4 i bought has nothing for accessories. no water pump for example. it has 1 pulley which i believe is the main/crank pulley. will my 97 4.6 water pump fit? that bad boy is brand new! stuff like that.
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From: MI
Originally Posted by tritonpwr
That would have been a 2v motor like you already have.
I'm uncomfortable about the computer thing, actually I really don't totally get it, duhh.. With that said, I don't want problems. That's why I figured I needed the whole truck - I would end up in the future rebuilding my motor or the doners motor at leisure/hobby. I want to stay away from electronic problems - to time consuming. I would like to feel confident every thing is compatible, I think it is. This is by far is the cheapest way for me to prepare for the future. The trucks sentimental now , so I'm keeping her.
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From: MI
The biggest prob I have with understanding the comps system is that a get different stories, which do you believe?
An 01's heads are different , pistons are different - that right there changes all parameters. The computers programming...Correct.
Haha , this is a question that usually don't get answered.
Like Klitch has a 97 computer - I 'm thinking he's going to have a hell of a time getting it to run right with his stock computer.
Maybe it's just a tune that will be needed.
An 01's heads are different , pistons are different - that right there changes all parameters. The computers programming...Correct.
Haha , this is a question that usually don't get answered.
Like Klitch has a 97 computer - I 'm thinking he's going to have a hell of a time getting it to run right with his stock computer.
Maybe it's just a tune that will be needed.
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From: MI
Originally Posted by Klitch
from what i understand so far, that is a vast majority of the deal. get a tune made and well, of course lengthen any wires that need be... snip and solder or snip and splice!
Thing is , you might not have the all the wires needed sprouting from the 97 comp . 97 is year one of this motor , they kept adding crap over the years.
JMC would be the guy to talk to about it. I believe he succesfully did this.
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From: Washington
Originally Posted by s1037s
Hope this info helps: I just finished putting an 02 5.4 into my 97 that used to have a 4.6. it is also a 4x4 auto. Here are a few items i found: the knock sensor on the 5.4 had only two wires so i just clipped the connector and spliced it back. The oil sending unit wire did no no need to be lengthened, it fit perfectly. The wiring harness was so tight on the passenger side that i had to extend the a/c clutch connector. my 4.6 was a windsor so the flexplate fit right. If you have a romeo motor, it will have 6 bolts and you will have to get a new(to you) flexplate and 8 new bolts(or maybe just 2).Serp belt fit perfect. Made coil bracket for pass side out of metal strap. no problems. Exhaust manifold on the 5.4 was TWICE the width out from the surface of the head, so i wound up having to take the steering box off to remove the shaft to get clearance, about ten minutes extra work. I left the p/s presure hose on the pump, pulled the motor with p/s pump on it, then put the pump and hose on the 5.4. one thing i would have done different was pulled the trans dipstick and drained some fluid, becasue the passenger side manifold studs hung on the pipe and made it a little tough to get it in and i didn't see that it was hung.(dummy me!). One other word of advice, test your injectors if you are using the ones on a donor motor before you put intake back on( you do need to remove the intake for the swap inand out, at least thats the only way i know to do it). When i started it, the #6 injector was bad, luckily the 4.6 uses the same injectors, easy swap. Took it to the exhaust place, had down pipes fabbed up, uploade TROYER tunes, voila! now it breaks the tires loose easy!
brew, easiest way to identify the trans?
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From: MI
Originally Posted by Klitch
there was a guy who did it recently. same year truck and motor swap. didnt mention any big problem like that.
That's great!! These are just questions I have because I'm going to be doing the same thing down the road..
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From: MI
Originally Posted by Klitch
i dont see anything really big like that in this post.
brew, easiest way to identify the trans?
brew, easiest way to identify the trans?
Theres two ways first , inside your drivers door - bottom of the tag it will give you a letter code.
E = E40D
U = 4R70w
Count your pan bolts - if you have 20 = E4OD 14= 4R70w
Last edited by jbrew; Dec 20, 2006 at 04:11 PM.