86 to 99 engine swap
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2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2008
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86 to 99 engine swap
I have a guy that wants me to swap a 5.0 liter from a 86 F-150 to a 99 F-150 that currently has a 4.6 liter in it that he says is knocking. Is this possible with minimal expenses? Both trucks are automatic and 4x4. I've never done a swap. I believe I have the common sense to be able to do it. But I want to know if it's possible.
Frmr Ford Trans Engr
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 24,741
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From: SE Florida
Sure, it can be done. If you give me enough time and money I can put ANY engine in ANY vehicle.
You'll need to fabricate engine mounts. The 5.0L mounts won't fit the frame, and the 4.6L mounts won't fit the 5.0L. But that's the easy part.
You'll need to make an adapter to mate the engine to the transmission. They won't bolt together without an adapter.
You'll need to create a wiring harness to make the engine and transmission work, though most likely you can modify the existing harness.
Then you need to find an aftermarket computer that can run that engine and transmission. You may have to get separate computers, one for the engine and one for the transmission.
You'll need to fabricate engine mounts. The 5.0L mounts won't fit the frame, and the 4.6L mounts won't fit the 5.0L. But that's the easy part.
You'll need to make an adapter to mate the engine to the transmission. They won't bolt together without an adapter.
You'll need to create a wiring harness to make the engine and transmission work, though most likely you can modify the existing harness.
Then you need to find an aftermarket computer that can run that engine and transmission. You may have to get separate computers, one for the engine and one for the transmission.
FTE Community Team
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 10,788
Likes: 1,512
What @Mark Kovalsky said ^^^^^^^
Not as easy as just swapping blocks etc.
It might be easier, from the standpoint of making everything work, to swap the engine and transmission from the donor to the 99 . . . but then the gauges probably won't work. I suppose you could swap them too, but too much farther down this path and you'll eventually swap everything but the bodywork.
If you've never done it before, trust that it's not easy and you'd be better off just fixing the 4.6 and/or driving the 86.
I'm curious: Why has this guy chosen you to do this swap? . . . are you a mechanic or somesuch?
Welcome aboard!
Not as easy as just swapping blocks etc.
It might be easier, from the standpoint of making everything work, to swap the engine and transmission from the donor to the 99 . . . but then the gauges probably won't work. I suppose you could swap them too, but too much farther down this path and you'll eventually swap everything but the bodywork.
If you've never done it before, trust that it's not easy and you'd be better off just fixing the 4.6 and/or driving the 86.
I'm curious: Why has this guy chosen you to do this swap? . . . are you a mechanic or somesuch?
Welcome aboard!
Thread Starter
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2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2
Likes: 2
What @Mark Kovalsky said ^^^^^^^
Not as easy as just swapping blocks etc.
It might be easier, from the standpoint of making everything work, to swap the engine and transmission from the donor to the 99 . . . but then the gauges probably won't work. I suppose you could swap them too, but too much farther down this path and you'll eventually swap everything but the bodywork.
If you've never done it before, trust that it's not easy and you'd be better off just fixing the 4.6 and/or driving the 86.
I'm curious: Why has this guy chosen you to do this swap? . . . are you a mechanic or somesuch?
Welcome aboard!
Not as easy as just swapping blocks etc.
It might be easier, from the standpoint of making everything work, to swap the engine and transmission from the donor to the 99 . . . but then the gauges probably won't work. I suppose you could swap them too, but too much farther down this path and you'll eventually swap everything but the bodywork.
If you've never done it before, trust that it's not easy and you'd be better off just fixing the 4.6 and/or driving the 86.
I'm curious: Why has this guy chosen you to do this swap? . . . are you a mechanic or somesuch?
Welcome aboard!
As far as me being a mechanic I have been working on vehicles for 40 plus years and never found myself doing a swap.
The transmission is out in the 86 cause someone replaced the original with one not compatible from my knowledge. I've also tried to get him to just fix the 86 before he got the 99. Maybe he'll find a way to get it done. But I won't be doing it for him.
FTE Community Team
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 10,788
Likes: 1,512
Yeah I'd stay away from it. Like with everything: It is possible to do this, but at what cost of time/effort/money/grief/usability/reliability/etc.?
Most of the successful swaps that I've seen recently are in Mexico and South America . . . and they almost always involve changing from whatever was there to something that doesn't require much of a computer to run . . . or no computer at all.
Maybe if he keeps buying half-broken pickups he'll accidentally end up with all the parts needed to do a swap.
Thinking about the `99, if the 4.6 has a knock, it's pretty well beaten and/or poorly maintained and/or worn out . . . so the transmission on the `99 is probably in about the same condition.
Most of the successful swaps that I've seen recently are in Mexico and South America . . . and they almost always involve changing from whatever was there to something that doesn't require much of a computer to run . . . or no computer at all.
Maybe if he keeps buying half-broken pickups he'll accidentally end up with all the parts needed to do a swap.
Thinking about the `99, if the 4.6 has a knock, it's pretty well beaten and/or poorly maintained and/or worn out . . . so the transmission on the `99 is probably in about the same condition.
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