I have a 59 Ford wagon with a seized 352 big block (FE) which I just pulled out. I'm interested in a modern EFI Ford engine / transmission but am unfamiliar with what Ford has to offer. The wagon will be a cruiser so something reliable and in the 250-300HP range would be fine.

I've read a bit about the 4.6 DOHC and believe this would be a straight forward install but I suspect it's an expensive way to go and I'm wondering what else would work.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Dan.

I'm going to put a regular old 302/5.0 with aT5 in my 57. I've been told that with the right motor mounts they, and in fact most any front sump Ford engine, will bolt right in. Some may take some sort of spacer to line up but I've also been told they are not hard to make either. I plan on just making a new crossmember.

There are also kits around to bolt in 460's too.

There's some info here:
http://www.wurthitdesigns.com/57Ford.htm

I would go looking for a 95-96 Ford pickup with a 351 Windsor in a 2wd model and just transplant the whole deal..buy the whole truck so you get all the computers wiring harnesses and bits and pieces as those can get quite spendy if you piece it out..Those trucks are now 10 years old so a fellow can find one that runs well..

I have a 96 Ford 4wd with that particular engine and it works just fine..gets about 15mpg and still gets down the road just fine for a truck that weighes 6000lb with me the dog and a load of stuff..should work fine in your wagon..

OMT

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If it don't work it ain't pretty!!!!

If you want a 4.6 dohc start looking for a Lincoln Mark VIII. You can get crashed ones for under a grand. I picked up one from a '94, engine, trans and all electronics for $560. If you get the whole car you'd have most everything you'd need. The '93-'95 Mark VIIIs are EEC-IV systems and don't have PATS to deal with. I swapped one into a '98 Ranger and I only have $1500 into it.

Check out www.modularfords.com , there's alot of knowlegable people there you can help you.

Greg

What 'one more time said, the 351 would be my eng of choice. more cubes- more torque. that 59 ford is heavy.

yep....51w has huge bearing area, and you can make a ton of torque without a lot of modification. The factory F.I. intake is a ugly POS, but it gets the job done. You can use a mustang harness if you are bucks down, or get the Painless 5.0 efi harness. Either way, you can do most of this swap with wrecking yard parts....el cheapo

Other than the '96-'04 Cobras, the 4.6 dohc engine came in the Lincoln Mark VIII and Continental, Mercury Maurader, and Lincoln Aviator. None of these vehicles are light yet the 4.6 dohc moves them along pretty damn good. I bet that '59 wagon doesn't weigh much more. Slap some 3.73 - 4.30 gears in the rear and that wagon would be a blast to drive and still get 20+ mpg with the overdrive on.

I drove a '94 Mark VIII for two years before pulling the engine and putting it in my Ranger. I have never had a stock 351 impress me like the 4.6 dohc does.

Greg

I had an EFI 351W in an extended 3/4 Ton van hauling 6 adults and their luggage impress the heck out of me a few years ago on both mileage and performance. Haven't tried a 4.6 yet. I was going to vote for the 351 but after thinking a little I say find examples of each in vehicles of similar weight to yours and talk to the owners and see if you can finagle a test drive. THEN make your choice.

I recall helping a pal put a 430inch Lincoln engine into his 59 Ford...It was fairly straight forward and I think that he was able to use the Lincoln (or maybe I remember Edsel??) motor mounts. He ran a three speed with overdrive, and it was Quick. I suspect that a 460 or 429 would be the way to go. Kauffman Engineering in SoCal makes all kinds of Ford swap stuff. I bet that they could help you out.
The DOHC engines are cool, but the electronics may make the cost prohibative if you aren't up to speed on the technology. The old carb and distributor might be a ton easier....

Thanks for the input - I just took a run to the insurance yard for write off's. No DOHC 4.6's but a lot of 5.4 Triton's in F150/250/350's. Is the 5.4 a Windsor block? Will a 5.4 fit? Any advise on what to pay (sealed bid required)? How much of the other undamaged parts could I expect to sell? Most of the trucks are 4x4's - I'm assuming the transmission from one would not suit my application? If I find a 4.6 DOHC how much of a premium would I pay over a 5.4 and how much difference could I expect?

Thanks again.

Dan.

I bought a 4.6 dohc out of a '94 Mark VIII and got the engine, trans, and all electronics for $560. This is my spare motor so I didn't worry about getting the whole car.

I parted out the Mark VIII I used as a donor for my swap and netted almost $1200 selling the shipable parts on eBay. The most I could get as trade-in was $1000 because of the body issues. I feel I made out pretty good.

Don't get a 4.6 dohc out of a Continental, they are front wheel drive and have a different bellhousing pattern.

Greg