Modular V8
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 22,436
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From: Louisville,Ky.
Design. Many internal parts are interchangable, such as the 4.6L and 6.8L use the same pistons and rods, just the 6.8L has 10 instead of 8. 4.6L and 5.4L heads will interchange.
It's a tooling thing.
It's a tooling thing.
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,517
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From: SE Wyoming
It is as simple as the definition:
composed of standardized units or sections for easy construction or flexible arrangement.
Basically the 4.6L 5.4L and 6.8L are all based off the 4.6L block. The 5.4L is a stroked 4.6L, The 6.8L is a 5.4L with 2 more cylinders or a stroked 4.6L with 2 more cylinders. Even the 4V and as far as i know the 3V's all use the same block the older 2V's did. So Fords cost on making blocks and heads is drastically reduced, the 335 series engines were also more or less modularized as well as the FE's it isn't anything new they just finally decided to call it what it is.
composed of standardized units or sections for easy construction or flexible arrangement.
Basically the 4.6L 5.4L and 6.8L are all based off the 4.6L block. The 5.4L is a stroked 4.6L, The 6.8L is a 5.4L with 2 more cylinders or a stroked 4.6L with 2 more cylinders. Even the 4V and as far as i know the 3V's all use the same block the older 2V's did. So Fords cost on making blocks and heads is drastically reduced, the 335 series engines were also more or less modularized as well as the FE's it isn't anything new they just finally decided to call it what it is.
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 23,174
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From: Stephensville WI
Modular: Sounded better than "rehashed the design 3 times."
Nothing really new in the automotive industry. Pontiac did it in the early 60's. They cut one bank of cylinders off of a 389 and made the 194.5 cubic inch 4 cylinder engine for the small cars. Most parts interchanged with the 389 and we're cheaper.
They also used a curved rubber driveshaft, but that's a different story.
Nothing really new in the automotive industry. Pontiac did it in the early 60's. They cut one bank of cylinders off of a 389 and made the 194.5 cubic inch 4 cylinder engine for the small cars. Most parts interchanged with the 389 and we're cheaper.
They also used a curved rubber driveshaft, but that's a different story.
Junior User
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
When the 4.6L was originally designed there were supposed to be 4 engines. A 4 cyl (Ranger), 6 cyl (Ranger, Explorer, F-Series), 8 cyl (Lincoln, Merc, Ford Cars, F-Series), 10 cyl (F-Series), all based on the same bore-spacing, valve train, pistons, rods, timing chain, gears, oil pump, etc. The only parts that would not have interchanged where the Block, Heads, Crank, Cams, Valve Covers, and Oil Pan.
The idea was that different engines could be built of the same parts and on the same equipment. In practice building different engine configurations on the same machinery was not as easy as in theory.
The idea was that different engines could be built of the same parts and on the same equipment. In practice building different engine configurations on the same machinery was not as easy as in theory.
