I'm considering buying a Super Crew 5.4, drove one resently, not near enough power. Has anyone changed the cam, if so, what else needs to be done with this process. Can you get any results from this process?
Thanks, need help, love the truck.
xsheepherder

 

cams wont do much in the modular engines. magazines have done before and after dynos with cam swaps on the 4.6 SOHC, DOHC and 5.4 and results were disappointing.

If you want more power from a modular, blow it.

 

i dont quite believe that... i think with these engines you'd need a totally new computer program to go along with the cam, but the reason NASCAR can get 750 hp from a 355 ci NA carbed engine is mostly due to the cam and heads... the engines have to idle at like 2000 rpm and make no power below 5000, but they make tons of power up high. i dont see how this could be much different for the modular engines, espically considering that they are OHC...

i think maybe the aftermarket isnt developed properly yet; i mean small-blocks are like 40 years old and they started out pretty weak too. with modern engines i think if you go for a radical cam change its absolutely necessary to change the computer, otherwise the "learning" computer will simply not be able to adapt to the radical change in engine behavior. with carbs it was easier because they basically just dumped fuel into the engine based on the volume of airflow, regardless of how well it was running at idle... with a radical cam, the stock computer will think something is wrong (with alot of overlap the engine will not be properly burning all its fuel and will idle like crap) and will do who knows what to try to compensate... the motor will probably make less power than stock with the computer doing its thing!

i think that in 5-10 years we will start to see alot of cam/head/computer/injector packages for these engines largely thanks to the mustang folks... i mean its relatively easy to get 500 hp from an NA 351, so it makes sense that the similarly-sized 5.4 should be able to do the same thing... granted 500 hp smallblocks are not very streetable, but it should be possible... hopefully somebody is already starting to make true racing components for these motors, but if not i think its inevitable due to the huge numbers of these motors in mustangs, trucks, crown vics, and others. at some point these engines will be the "small blocks" (v10's will be big blocks i guess) and people will want to drag race them, then i think we'll start to see better aftermarket support for them.

 

Well told RJM 1493. These engines may need to evolve a little.

 

It's hard to believe that a Mustang can perform so well with a similar engine, guess the weight of the truck has alot to do with performance???

 

Yes, these trucks are heavy and that has a lot to do with how fast they will go. I think maybe if you want to feel more power, you should order one with the 4.10 gears in it.The cam thing really is a waste of time for the 5.4 or 4.6.Heck even in the 4.2 its only good for like 15hp tops.Don't you guys think that if a cam was a worth while swap that '"Neal the Hp freak" would have changed his out by now?He is running mid 14s naturally aspirated. Just my 2 cents........

 

blow it or live with it.

How long has the 4.6 been out? 96 in the stang and before that in the cvs and marks. That is 5 year development in my books, and squat out there. Heck, if ford next year goes to the 3 valve heads, that will kill the aftermarket even more. To many changes.

Ford made the new PI heads, a new intake for the bullet and one for the 00 Cobra R.

There has been rumors among rumors of aftermarket support. beyond the 5.0 spray bore block, nothing is out there.

Blow it or live it it.