Donor vehicles for Roller Blocks

I've seen a large amount of interest in building engines using roller cam blocks. However, the early Mustang roller blocks are harder to find in the wrecking yards, so if a person committed to buying after-market heads, cam and lifters, what vehicles would have suitable roller cam blocks in your opinion? Thanks.

M.D.

 

About any block from '86 up are roller compatible and are no different from a coveted "5.0 Stang" block... Some like trucks, may not have the spider hold down machined/tapped(trucks went roller in '94)...

Easy way to tell if it actually has a roller cam installed(all passenger models from '86), is measure push rods... Roller cam use 6.25 while flat tappet use 6.8"...

 

Ford Vans, 93 & up.

 

How about the Crown Vic's.

 

Thanks. I'm thinking the 86-91 LTD and LTD Crown Vic's had them, but the 92 on Crown Vics apparently had the 4.6 Modular Engines.

MD

 

Guys once Ford transitioned to 5.0 roller cam engines, ALL whether a roller cam or not is installed are roller cast blocks... As molds wore out, were damaged, etc were replaced with roller compatible as it's only small changes in the lifter valley that are required... Would make no sense to cast blocks that were not suitable for any 5.0 engine they were going to build... As I stated prior, I had a 85.5(mid year port FI engine) F-150 5.0 that was a roller block, just didn't have the spider hold down machined and tapped...

I dare say you won't find a E6 or newer casting block that doesn't have the taller roller lifter bores...

Yeah you are going to read on the net the Lo-Po Grand Marquis, T-Bird etc 5.0 aren't roller, those posts are FOS, I've been inside those engines and they do have roller cams(not that you'd want to use one, power is gone by 4500 RPMs)...

BTW Crown Vic & Grand Marquis got the modular 4.6 with the new aero body style in '92, only aero, panther chassis vehicle with 5.0 was the '90 Town Car, '91 got 4.6...

 

dont' forget explorers, and mountianeers.

 

And for 351 W roller blocks, look for 1994 through 96 Ford F-150, F-250 and F-350 trucks.

 

^^^What he said...as well as vans. I have one sitting in the shop now from a 94 F250 Econoline van...

 

Generally all the '94-'96 351 are roller, exception are the '94-'95 Lightning engines, but probably going to have a roller block... Basically if it's a F4xx block it's roller...

 

Went down to Pick and Pull to get some parts for my daughter's car and stumbled on two late 80's Grand Marquis' with 5.0's. Pick and Pull elevates the cars on poor-boy stands made fom one car rim as a base welded to a vertical car rim. Not much room to get to the motor mounts. Also, the available hoists look like kid's swings on wheels. For you pros out there, how do start the pull? Do you drop the tranny first or try to pull it wth the tranny attached. I've never pulled one under quite those conditions.



Also, do you try get to the mounts from underneath? Thanks.

MD

 

I would start by removing the hood, front engine accessories, bring a battery powered sawzall, cutting anything you dont need. Then I would unbolt the bell housing, and with the accessories off the front of the engine you should be able to get to the motor mounts easily. With the mounts undone, lift the engine up and pull forward to get the torque converter past the input shaft, then you can unbolt the converter and be on your way. You should have the motor out in about 2 hours using this method, you may also unbolt the converter before engine removal if you dont want to damage the trans.

 

Motor mount bolts into block point straight downward, with some ½" drive extensions and maybe a flex socket, should be a piece of cake... Probably be easier if you remove the upper intake as well, most have a support bracket on one of the back bolts that can be easy to miss...

Note anything that bolts to engine will be std thread, fasteners that thread into accessory brackets will be metric...

 

Thanks. Checked it out and the 5.0's arrived in 1996. According to Wikki the GT-40P heads arrived in 1997. The power with those heads was 215 HP. The 5.0's came with the 4R70W auto. Last year for the 5.0 was 2001, 2002's came with the 4.6.

MD

 

Referring to Explorers and Mountaineers in the above message.