Top 10 Ford Performance Crate Motors

Intro

Did the engine in your old car or truck die? Are you working on a restomod? Do you just want to give your older vehicle a more modern and powerful engine? Well, Ford Performance has you covered with a wide selection of crate engines that you can drop into a variety of vehicles. Some of them offer massive power, and others are more budget friendly while still delivering good performance. Deciding exactly which crate engine is right for you depends on your specific project needs. There is not a perfect one size fits all for every application. And while there are no bad Ford Performance crate engines, we flipped through their catalog and found ten of our favorites. We ranked them based on their stated horsepower rating. Read on to see which one might be right for you.

10. 2.3L HO Mustang EcoBoost Crate Engine (330 HP)

We understand that many people will shun the EcoBoost engine in a Mustang. A Mustang should have a V8, and that is the end of it. We get that. In fact, every other engine on our list is a V8. However, at just $5,437.50 this 2.3L HO EcoBoost that was used in the 2021-2023 Mustang offers good value. At 330 horsepower it is a solid 100 more than the V8 used in the fox body Mustang GT. It doesn’t have the V8 rumble, but if you are looking for an inexpensive power boost, this is it.

9. 5.0L X2347D Street-Cruiser Dressed Create Engine (360 HP)

The full name that Ford Performance gave this engine is “X2347D Street-Cruiser Dressed Create Engine with X2 heads-front sump pan.” In other words, it is a Boss 302 block that has been bored .030 of an inch oversize and fitted with Mahle forged pistons. It is hand assembled with all new parts including Ford Performance “X2” heads and internals. This engine is further dressed with some premium parts including an Edelbrock Performer RPM Air-Gap intake and Holley Street Avenger carburetor. A MSD Billet Distributor and "Ford Racing" spark plug wires finish the package. The result is a unit that puts out 360 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. This engine will set you back $14,250.

8. 7.3L Super Duty NA Crate Engine (430 HP)

The 7.3L Godzilla engine from the 2020 Super Duty is great value and a versatile unit. It makes 430 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. Plenty for most applications and at just $8,500 it is reasonably priced. Unlike the previous engine, this one doesn’t come with a slew of premium aftermarket parts. But it doesn’t really need any. This is one of the best engines that Ford has produced in recent years, and it will work in a wide variety of applications.

7. Eco 5.0L Coyote Power Module Automatic Trans (460 HP)

This is a cool kit. It is high priced but unlike the others on the list, it includes a transmission as well. What you get is a Gen 3 5.0L Coyote V8 the makes 460 horsepower and a 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission. It is designed to work with any pre-1996 vehicle that originally had emissions equipment - including OBDI vehicles. The kit also includes the engine Control Pack for easy installation, a cold air intake, transmission cooler and lines, catalytic converters, O2 sensors and more. Retail price is $21,500 but considering everything you get, that is not a bad deal.

6. 6.0L Boss Crate Engine (507 HP)

Now we are starting to get into the big power engines. 507 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque on pump gas is what you can expect from this 302-based small block Ford crate engine. This engine will work beautifully in your custom hot rod. It is loaded with premium features such as a forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods with ARP bolts. The pistons are forged Mahle units and Ford Performance aluminum "Z2" cylinder heads are also part of the package. This setup will cost $14,950. It is a good performer, and it looks great under the hood.

5. 7.5L Boss Crate Engine (575 HP)

This is the largest small block Windsor crate engine ever. And it has the power to prove it. 575 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque on pump gas. Like the 6.0L Boss crate engine we just covered, this one is also packed with premium features like forged Mahle pistons, forged steel crankshaft, connecting rods, and so on. However, this one also includes high port/high flow Z-Heads. Retail on this is $16,750.

4. 5.2L Aluminator 5.2 XS Crate Engine (580 HP)

If you are building a car for the track, putting a 5.2L Aluminator crate engine under the hood would be a great place to start. This engine is hand-assembled by the same technicians that built the Mustang Cobra Jet drag racing engines. And some components developed for that racing program made their way into this engine. That includes a Cobra Jet short runner-high RPM intake manifold, and 1517 CFM dual 65mm Cobra Jet throttle body. And like some other engines on this list, it is jam packed with other premium components such as ARP rod bolts, and Mahle forged pistons. The result is an engine with 580 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque. It will cost you $26,495 but no one ever said that racing was cheap.

3. 7.3L Megazilla Crate Engine (612 HP)

Welcome to the 600+ horsepower club. If the 7.3L Godzilla engine is good, the 7.3L Megazilla is great. The highlights here are the forged pistons and connecting rods along with the CNC ported heads. Horsepower is increased to 612 and torque jumps to 670 foot-pounds. Over 500 foot-pounds of that torque is available between 2,500 and 6,000 rpm so there is plenty of low end grunt. At $22,995 it is more than double the price of the regular Godzilla engine, but this one includes many premium parts and a lot more power.

2. 9.4L Big Block Street Crate Engine (655 HP)

When only a big block will do, you can step up to this 572 cubic inch monster. 655 horsepower and 710 pound-feet of torque are the headlines. It is based on the 385 series big block but is treated to upgrades such as Diamond Racing pistons, Ford Performance "Super Cobra Jet" aluminum cylinder heads, Edelbrock Victor 2966 intake manifold, and a Holley Street Avenger 870 cfm carb. Retail on this big boy is $19,750. Not cheap, but nothing else hits quite like a big block.

1. 5.2L Raptor R Supercharged Crate Engine (760 HP)

At the top of the power list is the 5.2L supercharged V8 from the F-150 Raptor R. With 760 horsepower and 625 pound-feet of torque, this engine provides some serious go. But it will also require some serious dough. Retail is $29,500. But you are getting a 5.2L Coyote V8 with an Eaton TVS R2650 Supercharger on top. If you want your hot rod to really move, this is the engine for you. However, there is one important thing to note. This is the only engine on our list that does not have a warranty available.

Images: Ford Performance