Figured you guys might find this interesting. For cheap replacement engines/parts or anyone doing a 4V conversion in a GT or whatever.
Got a 50k mile 99 Conti engine for $500 locally from a yard. Yard had a video of the engine running in the car with the odometer. Engine was stupid ridiculous clean when I opened it up. Oil was golden/new, no coking anywhere, water pump new, rear main looks like it was just done. Perk of buying an "old person car" engine. I bet this thing never saw over 3k RPM and had all the maintenance done religiously.
99 Conti engines share the same XR3E intake cams with the 99 Cobra at 202 duration as well as the "99/01 Cobra" C heads. Didn't touch them. 00-02 engines have the regular Lincoln intake cams so the 99 is the most desirable one. Heads are the same tho.
What all is different?
-Bellhousing bolt pattern - using adapter for this, custom made by a shop
-Front cover - Have a 96-99 front cover, it bolts right on
-Oil pan - Any 4.6L Mustang pan works
-Dipstick - You need to use the Continental tube/stick as the bung in the block is in a different location. Also have to bend it or tap it with hammer to make it hug the block or else the driver's engine mount won't fit over it.
-Oil cooler/coolant fitting ports - Conti coolant port is round, not squared off like the Mustang block but the Mustang/Cobra fitting still bolts right on and the gasket seals... barely, not an issue.
-Passenger side engine mount - Only 1 bolt hole exists on the Conti block on the passenger side for the engine mount there. Luckily the bosses for the RWD mount are there. Drill and tap them. 8.7mm drill and the M10x1.5 tap and done. I started small and worked up to the 8.7mm drill and used masking tape to mark the bits so I didn't drill too deep.
-Cooling - There is no "crack pipe" on these so you need to get one. I have 2 so I'm going to also do a DIY driver's head cooling mod while I'm in there. You need the Cobra coolant crossover up front. The Conti coolant return tube that runs under the intake is different and bolts to the passenger side head but you can use it, just need a different rubber tube to attach it to the heater core.
-Intake - You'll obviously need a 99/01 or Mach intake manifold and those specific parts. I got everything from FB/Forum classifieds.
*Edited from posts further down for completeness.
Other found "gotchas" with this block
-Mustang power steering pump does not mount flush to the block without very minor grinding on a lip that is there. Once that is ground down it fits fine.
-Bolt holes where the AC bolts up to on the Mustang block are M6, the ones on the Conti are M10. Bore out the holes on the AC compressor with a 7/16 drill bit and M10 bolts go right through and into the block, mounts perfectly this way.
-Starter will bang into the block if you try to bolt it on without modifying it. The good news... the part that bangs into the block is the ear for the top bolt which nobody ever uses. I just cut it off and shaved a little metal off in a few spots and done.
-Not the block but the Conti passenger valve cover has the vac port on the back. Makes the heater core hose very tight but it fits. As far as the port itself just extend the hose back to it and done.
-Transmission separator plate will need a little trimming as with the adapter bolted up it kisses the back of the flywheel. Only needs trimmed around the raised area where the flywheel bolts to the crank.
-Bellhousing port where the clutch fork comes through will need about 1/2" of material taken out or the fork will bottom out on the bell and clutch will not fully engage/disengage.
I'm probably about $1k into this between the Conti engine, Mach intake/parts and nickel/dime stuff. Not bad for a 50k mile "Cobra" engine. Getting ready to drop it in this weekend or early next week.
Got a 50k mile 99 Conti engine for $500 locally from a yard. Yard had a video of the engine running in the car with the odometer. Engine was stupid ridiculous clean when I opened it up. Oil was golden/new, no coking anywhere, water pump new, rear main looks like it was just done. Perk of buying an "old person car" engine. I bet this thing never saw over 3k RPM and had all the maintenance done religiously.
99 Conti engines share the same XR3E intake cams with the 99 Cobra at 202 duration as well as the "99/01 Cobra" C heads. Didn't touch them. 00-02 engines have the regular Lincoln intake cams so the 99 is the most desirable one. Heads are the same tho.
What all is different?
-Bellhousing bolt pattern - using adapter for this, custom made by a shop
-Front cover - Have a 96-99 front cover, it bolts right on
-Oil pan - Any 4.6L Mustang pan works
-Dipstick - You need to use the Continental tube/stick as the bung in the block is in a different location. Also have to bend it or tap it with hammer to make it hug the block or else the driver's engine mount won't fit over it.
-Oil cooler/coolant fitting ports - Conti coolant port is round, not squared off like the Mustang block but the Mustang/Cobra fitting still bolts right on and the gasket seals... barely, not an issue.
-Passenger side engine mount - Only 1 bolt hole exists on the Conti block on the passenger side for the engine mount there. Luckily the bosses for the RWD mount are there. Drill and tap them. 8.7mm drill and the M10x1.5 tap and done. I started small and worked up to the 8.7mm drill and used masking tape to mark the bits so I didn't drill too deep.
-Cooling - There is no "crack pipe" on these so you need to get one. I have 2 so I'm going to also do a DIY driver's head cooling mod while I'm in there. You need the Cobra coolant crossover up front. The Conti coolant return tube that runs under the intake is different and bolts to the passenger side head but you can use it, just need a different rubber tube to attach it to the heater core.
-Intake - You'll obviously need a 99/01 or Mach intake manifold and those specific parts. I got everything from FB/Forum classifieds.
*Edited from posts further down for completeness.
Other found "gotchas" with this block
-Mustang power steering pump does not mount flush to the block without very minor grinding on a lip that is there. Once that is ground down it fits fine.
-Bolt holes where the AC bolts up to on the Mustang block are M6, the ones on the Conti are M10. Bore out the holes on the AC compressor with a 7/16 drill bit and M10 bolts go right through and into the block, mounts perfectly this way.
-Starter will bang into the block if you try to bolt it on without modifying it. The good news... the part that bangs into the block is the ear for the top bolt which nobody ever uses. I just cut it off and shaved a little metal off in a few spots and done.
-Not the block but the Conti passenger valve cover has the vac port on the back. Makes the heater core hose very tight but it fits. As far as the port itself just extend the hose back to it and done.
-Transmission separator plate will need a little trimming as with the adapter bolted up it kisses the back of the flywheel. Only needs trimmed around the raised area where the flywheel bolts to the crank.
-Bellhousing port where the clutch fork comes through will need about 1/2" of material taken out or the fork will bottom out on the bell and clutch will not fully engage/disengage.
I'm probably about $1k into this between the Conti engine, Mach intake/parts and nickel/dime stuff. Not bad for a 50k mile "Cobra" engine. Getting ready to drop it in this weekend or early next week.
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