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Ha, true! Thanks!

There can be variation in actual centerline of any camshaft, which can vary one to the other whenever you have more than one camshaft in an engine. Adjustable gears are a good idea so you can get them dialed in.

Thanks man! The Mustang's were. You can find 3V 4.6's in Explorer's and trucks, which are mostly cast iron. But there are some Explorers, can't think of the year range off the top of my head, that do have aluminum blocks.

Glad you found it useful and enjoyable. I was in the same boat. For the budget, it's a worth-while swap.

Thanks. The Mod motor blocks are identical across the platform in terms of mounting. So no mechanical modifications were needed at all. Engine and transmission are in the exact same place as the 2v. I used the same transmission, in fact. The heads are of course different, which required cutting the 2v header flange off and welding on a 3v flange. Some wiring modifications were made for sensors that were in different locations than the 2V, but I used the same harness and ECU. Good swap option for 2v cars without breaking the bank.

@@BradfordsGarage hey thanks man i appreciate it man. Im looking to replace my 3.8v6 for my drift car for something a bit more powerful.

@@monstersquashracing Nice man. Sounds like a fun project. Get after it!

@@JBs_trucks_and_whitetail_bucks I actually just went through porting another set of heads and I checked it. With the stock valves after the chamber work I was at 52.1cc’s. OEM is 51cc’s. So only a very slight drop in compression. But I’m also running Ferrea stainless valves which brings it back to 51cc’s. And Mahle flat tops, so I’m at 10.94:1.

@@BradfordsGaragewhat is the clothe/scotch Bright looking bit you are using, I’m porting on my 5.4 3v heads right now

@@JBs_trucks_and_whitetail_bucks Just scotch brite wheels for dremel. I bought them on Amazon.

Thank you!

The oil pan, pump, windage tray/gasket combo and the pickup tube were all ordered from the Ford dealership for a ‘13 GT500.

Thanks!

In my experience, it is not necessary. Definitely when honing cylinders because you want the cylinder to distort to 'running condition' under bolt clamping pressure, so when you bolt your heads on the cylinder returns to it's as-honed state and will be as round as possible. But my thought on using it for ring filing is that whether the cylinder bore is round or slightly oval when fitting rings the circumference is the same and the gap should remain consistent as the cylinder changes shape. We're usually talking very slight differences in 'out-of-roundness' with/without a torque plate. If you were really worried about it or someone else has a compelling argument for using them, you could give it a try and see what the results are. Or file some rings without it, put the torque plate on and check the gap to see what difference it makes. Which is admittedly something I've never done. Maybe I will on the next one. Thanks for the comment. 🍻

@@BradfordsGarage your answer seems to be the general consensus. I appreciate the reply!

That's great! Glad it helped you out.

Nice! 350 wheel is very attainable. Feel free to reach out if you need anything. 🍻

These are RT660's.

I mean 200 tread wear is pretty Fkn for track days@@BradfordsGarage . Car is a ripper. Nice job!!

@@stump68 Thanks! The tires were getting pretty hot and overinflated that day. The center of the front tires was really wiped out. Probably need to drop front tire PSI and run a touch more static camber.

Hard to say for sure, Chris. The factory spec is .018"-.033" lash on a fully collapsed adjuster, measuring between the roller and the base circle on the cam. Performance applications have a tendency to spit the followers out at the upper ends of that range, so some engine builders recommend .018"-.024". Chances are, you're fine if all you're doing is swapping in new lash adjusters and followers and nothing else has changed. But I personally would check at least a few. Check out my second video on the 3V cylinder heads- I go over setting up the valve train.

@@BradfordsGarage thank you I will definitely give that a look. I'm just replacing the camshafts, lash adjusters, cam followers. I had the machine shop replace a bent valve and reset the rest making sure all the valves were flush with the cylinder head and no leaks.

Thanks! I asked the guy who dyno tuned it the same question and he said that's just a blip that happens when you let off the throttle for some reason. He was confident it wouldn't make anything more past that with the stock intake manifold. With the FRPP intake and TB, I can definitely feel it still pulling as the rev limiter kicks in, so we're going to run it on the dyno again and raise the rev limiter to 7k+.

@@BradfordsGarageDid you get it on the dyno again and raise the limiter?

That's something I wish I would have documented better. What I can tell you off the top of my head is you'll have to swap injector connectors or use the adapters, the fuel regulator from the 2V has to be used, which requires an adapter, the throttle position connector will have to be lengthened, the cam position sensor has to be routed to the right bank...I'm sure there's more I'm not thinking of off the top of my head. Did you modify the camshaft trigger wheel?

Thanks man. Yea, I'm in MI. I don't build them as a career, (I'm a machinist/fabricator/welder by trade) or generally take on customer work, but I've built a handful for my own projects.

Hey, no problem! Glad you're going to give these mod motors a go.

@@BradfordsGarageI’ve never built a complete engine before would this be incredibly difficult to do for the first time?

@@icebox829 Its hard to say without knowing your background and ability level…depends on a lot of things. I’d say look for books in building whatever motor you’re wanting to build.

@@BradfordsGarage never built any engines but I know how to use tools and I know how engines work. But I’ll def look into some books

that sounds really awesome!!

Thanks man! That is something I've considered doing- an overview of what it takes to 3V swap one of these cars. If you want to shoot me an email, Bradley.daniels@gmail.com, I'll give you a rundown of what it takes, for now.

Thanks! I didn't do any before/after comparisons, also don't have a flow bench. I can tell you that typical 3v's with these cams and headers and other bolt on's will make around 320hp to the wheels. So, my 11:1 compression and ported heads were worth about 25hp. From what the dyno buy tells me, that dyno is pretty conservative, also. We expect it to make around 375rwhp with the Ford Racing intake, just haven't gotten it back on the dyno. As far as a template, I hadn't planned on it, and you're the first person to ask. I don't see why not, though. Brad

​@Bradfords_Garage I'm in the process of building my first 5.4 3v. I'd be interested in a template like that if you're willing to sell one. You could even make it as a digital file that someone could print and cut out to make their own. Thanks for your time.

Nice! Did you ever dyno tune it- numbers? Any ET's or lap times anywhere? I was pretty happy with the numbers mine made, and with the FRPP Intake and Accufab it should be about 375rwhp, which aint bad at all out of 281ci with not cam phasing. I kind of wish I had gone with a bigger cam, I think the between the compression ratio, intake and heads I think it would support it now. Any pics/videos of your build anywhere?

​@@BradfordsGarage I have some videos and pics of a few races, I'll DM you. No dyno numbers yet, but I did do a 1/8 mile draggy test with a friend in the car going up a hill and ran a 7.78! This was before I did the FRRP intake, head porting and H/C pistons, at that time I had a Holly EFI Sniper(do not buy it). I've looked at all kinds of camshafts and I can honestly tell you these 3v's are better off with a mild cam and FI/nitrous. Mod motors don't respond as well with a big camshaft like a push rod would, you can over cam the car and we don't have the displacement for low end torque (even stroking these motors you will get maybe 10-15hp/10-20twq) RPM's are your friend! High compression with nitrous is probably the best and cheapest route to go. That's my next plan since I have 11-1 CR and a build to support it with nitrous, and spinning to 7k with a mild cam, its going to hurt a lot of feelings! 🤣

@@Meat-Gzer Right on! Yea, I know you don't want to go too wild with camshafts. The mid-range lift is the bread and butter here. I saw somebody had done the 127600, which is what I was referring to (I have the 127500's) and made really good power with them. Since I run my 3V in my SN with the old 2V computer, I can't phase the cams, which hurts my top end a bit, I know. I think they have like 8º more duration and another .010" lift or something. And I think my combo could handle it. Also wouldn't be afraid to throw 4:10's in if low end suffered tremendously. Though, my cams are pretty big compared to the hot rod cams, already. With the stock intake HP tops out at 6500, so I could spin it to 7000. I built the bottom and and valve train for it. I'm also running about 11:1 compression ratio. I'm hoping to get it back on the dyno with the FRPP and see what more it puts down and how much higher I can spin it. I'll have to check out your stuff when I get a chance. I just saw your message on instagram, so thank for reaching out.

@@BradfordsGarage Yes sir! Comps 127500 are very good for what you have going on since you locked out the VCT due to the ECU being a 2v. 127600 are too much for a 281, you would need a stroker/bore and Stage 3 heads to support the additional air flow. The stock 3v heads flow very well, especially since you did the porting and cleaned up the imperfections with a valve job. I hope you upgrade the springs as well for higher rpm and lift? Your top end should be there, low end is a different story. VCT helps with low end torque and emissions, you are correct 4.10s would help you tremendously if you don't feel that pull off the line. I didn't check but did you do a stroker kit or you kept the same displacement? I would love to see what you put down on the dyno too with everything you've done. It would give me a good idea where mine is. I will probably do some dyno pulls this spring/summer. I'll send you my build list and the racing I've done. All against bigger motors/FI PS: you gotta freak'en love 3'vs they are so under rated and can put in work if built right. Old saying " my car's built, not bought"

@@Meat-Gzer Yea, for sure! I love this motor and this swap in general. I get so many sideways looks when I tell people about it. Then I tell them it cost less than half of a coyote swap, sounds amazing and puts down the power. For SN guys looking to break the 400hp mark on a budget, I still think this is an incredibly viable swap option. With the suspension upgrades it's a killer at my local track. Supposed to be a 'momentum car' type track, pretty slow and technical, and I've had multiple Miata guys come up to me after a session scratching their heads as to how the Mustang was on their ass through the sweepers. It's a handful. Built, not bought is the icing on the cake, for sure. Correct, cylinders are .020 over, stock stroke, forged rods and pistons and 300# PAC springs. I have the cams locked out at 102 degrees- full advance. The VCT would retard them at high rpm and offer more power up top. My buddy had a similar build in his Fox, but has functional VCT and he made 387rwhp, and I believe that was with stock CR and intake. He actually just rebuilt with his own custom stroker setup- I want to say it's 13:1 CR and around 295ci, and it put down 418rwhp. It's a bad mother. Would love to see more details on your build and some dyno sheets. I'll make sure I share them with you this spring/summer when I get the car back out.

Sounds like you're on the right track! I am running flat-top pistons in my engine. No PTV clearance issues with the 127500 cams- .550/.535 E/I lift locked on 102 degrees. The extra compression is great! Who is doing the machine work on your block and heads?

Ah, I'm sorry to hear that. I bought the plans and built this in 2020. I looked in my email and I don't have anything from him, either. I cannot recall how I actually got the plans. I know I printed them myself, though. Good luck, hope you get it figured out.

Sweet! Glad you’re enjoying it, I know I am! It really is an underrated engine, IMO. Especially for budget friendly swaps in 2V cars or for the sake of not having to coyote swap an S197 car. Good luck on your build!

​@@BradfordsGarage Hey man, what did you use for exhaust manifolds/headers? Did you make a bracket for the throttle cable? What did you do about the fuel pressure sensor? Thanks

@@HeadRush2002 I made an adapter bushing for the fuel pressure sensor. For the headers I cut the flanges off of my 2V headers and welded on 3V flanges. I made the throttle cable bracket.

Sweet! I did the 500's because I still street drive the car. I wouldn't bother gasket matching the heads and definitely don't remove material from the floor of the ports. The ports on these engines are borderline too big already. There was an article where Livernois was quoted saying exactly that. In the intake ports, the bump around the spark plug hole is a big choke point. No sense in increasing the cross section of the mouth of the port if you're not going to do it anywhere else. When I ported my heads I opened them up everywhere. The exhaust port can be opened up everywhere, especially the bowl on the long turn side below the valve seat, just don't go too far...and don't ruin the short turn. The biggest gains you'll see will be made from the valve job and bowl work/pocket porting. I blew mine up already (dropped a valve...race cars *sigh*) so I'm doing another set of heads right now and that's all I'm planning to do this time around. Not even replying the valves, haha. Have fun! 😃

@@BradfordsGarage how’d you blow it up😅 I had a 160k miles on mine, would autocross and road race every weekend for the last two years and I’ve been hitting the drag strip since it was stock before 100k miles. I just ran an 11.9 with a 75 shot of nitrous. My main goal is just making it a more efficient motor that can handle more nitrous even if I don’t make extra NA power

@@christianreyes368 Right on. It's hard to say exactly what happened that caused it, but the head of one of my intake valves broke off. It had an excessively worn valve guide, and eventually just fatigued it. What caused the wear in the valve guide, I'm not positive. I replaced all of the valve guides when I ported the heads and the other 23 are still perfect- showing no signs of wear or failure. One theory I have is that the valve seat dropped out. The other is maybe the valve guide wasn't square to the camshaft and it was side loading the valve a little bit. Probably never know for sure. But I ordered a new piston, bearings, followers, a camshaft and am in the process of building it again. Will be fun to see the difference in the HP with the different approach to the heads this time around.

@@BradfordsGarage that’s awesome man. I recently laid down 341whp at 6600rpm and 300lbs of torque at 5100rpm. What other bolts ons and do you have that work so well with the 500’s to give you that insane torque?

@@christianreyes368 Sweet! I’d say the torque is coming from the 11:1 compression and the fact that I used oversized valves to keep the throat ratio around 88-89%, where these port jobs generally end up 91%+ with standard sized valves to get the bowls blended. Joe Mondello did an interview for an article in engine builder magazine a long time ago where he talked about the importance of keeping throat ratios around 87% to retain low end power. All out race cars benefit in that 92% range, but it’s too big for a street driven car that lives mostly in the low-mid range. Also- valve job, 4 or even 5 angles, and getting those angles right. Air velocity is king. With the new heads, I plan to maintain an 89% throat ratio but with standard sized valves. The last time around I went to a LOT of trouble- grinding my 1mm oversized valves down to .5mm oversize, recutting all the faces and back cuts, etc. to achieve the throat ratios with the throats opened up. It was quite a process. I imagine I’ll lose some top end HP by leaving the throats smaller, but Ill run less risk dropping a seat or losing any torque. For those numbers I was running the stock intake, 03-04 Cobra TB, gutted CMC plates, long tubes, underdrive damper, stock injectors, cobra fuel pumps, flat top pistons (11:1 CR) 127500’s locked out on 102° and the hand porting. Aluminum flywheel and driveshaft helped some. For you, if you’re actually running a S197 car, you should be able to retain some VCT and make better power up top. My cams are locked for low end power, it would make more HP if I’d timed them to like 106°, but torque would have suffered.

This car actually has a T45 in it.

@@BradfordsGarage sweet setup, thanks for all the vids with the killer tech info. Keep posting!

@@robertkrupa2552 Thanks!!

I have a 3v swap new edge also, but my channel is weak! I need to get some vids posted and hopefully we can all learn from each other. I have some gear noise in my 3650 trans at idle, otherwise the thing rips, tons of fun to drive with the 3.73's!

@@robertkrupa2552 Thats right! I do remember watching your videos. Is your car running and driving now?

Sweet! Thanks!!

Thanks man! Yea, the ECU detail is exactly what closed the deal for me on this swap. Being a track car I couldn't go FI and the coyote was just way out of reach $$ wise. I considered doing a 408w or something. By chance I bought some parts from Dewayne Logan and he showed me his 3V swapped cars, shared some details and I was sold. He actually 3V swapped a 2v F150, also, haha. The latest Rev followers/lash adjusters and the 300# PAC valve springs are a great idea, especially if you plan to do any track stuff or cams. Thanks for checking out the videos, glad you found them useful! Good luck on your project and don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything.

Hey thanks!

@@BradfordsGarage I am installing my Paxton today. Mike

Right on, glad you enjoyed it and found it useful!

Well thanks, man! So, compression ratio calculators can be found online. Very easy, just plug in the numbers it asks for. It's not a good idea to mill the heads or deck on an overhead cam engine as it can mess with cam timing. You can buy pistons with less dish than the pistons you currently have for a higher CR. ModMax has pistons of different size dish and they generally tell you what they bring the CR to on a stock motor. Power output is in direct correlation to the volume of air you can get through the engine. The higher CR will help make power, but you really need to get the engine breathing. The last time I did any research into building a 5.4, the thing that stopped me was the absence of a decent intake manifold. Can't (caveat, here) use a 4.6 manifold- even though the heads are the same, the taller deck of the 5.4 puts the intake ports further apart. You *can* use a 4.6 manifold to it with a adapter plates. Cams, headers and tune will help. But I'm not sure at what point the intake manifold starts holding you back. I assume you're also planning to put better rods in it, as you'll be wanting to spin it up past 6000 to take advantage of the camshafts. If you can squeeze 400whp out of that engine, you may find you don't like what it has done to the low end power range, depending on what you plan to use the truck for. Though, you could put taller gears in the axle(s) if this is an issue. All of that said- a blower or turbo might be a better move for you. I love a good N/A setup as much as anybody, but in your case it may not actually make sense. If it were me, that is what I would do in this instance. Happy building! Feel free to reach out if you need anything.

Hell yea. These cross bolted mains are very durable. The only bummer is that I dropped a valve and have to rebuild again, and now have to buy new bolts, again. Had I done the ARP stuff I wouldn't be buying bolts. I will upgrade this time.

Yea! I did port the heads and running Comp 127500 cams. Didn't get them on a flow bench, so I have no idea what they flow. Haven't gotten a chance to dyno it again with the FRPP manifold on it, but it made 352whp (so...like 415 flywheel), about the same as a gen 1 coyote with the stock intake manifold. Should be around 375 now.

@@BradfordsGarage Sweet numbers!

Do you have a dyno sheet somewhere?

@@dennisrobinson8008 I don't. He kept saying he'd email it to me but never did. I figured since I had to go back to have him clean up the idle and dyno it again with the new intake I wouldn't keep bothering him, haha. I think I took a picture of the dyno screen and those are on my instagram somewhere- @bradfords_garage

Ok, thanks for the feedback. How is the rwtq on the 352rwhp dyno?

Get after it! 🤠

Thanks, man! Yea, I'm south of Fint.

Yea, actually, I'm just finishing up the edit. As far as math for things I've done- what are you wanting more detail on, specifically?

Yeah .... Just give us any and everything...... Waiting for the 5.4 3v

Glad you enjoyed it!