Ford 4.0L SOHC Conversion for 944 NA possible?

I am currently trying to rebuild my 1984 Porsche 944 n/a. I'm interested in an engine swap and have been looking for cheaper alternatives to the LS series motors. I have the ability to get some of the parts fabricated and have a mechanic willing to help with the work. A used 4.0L mustang engine from the current generation can be had for far less than a LS series motor (at least on ebay) and seems like it would fit nicely in the engine bay. Has anybody tried this? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

ya look thru the treads.. they got it in there but its practically touching the sides. i think the older 302 would be easier to fit in there or better yet hold off and do the ls swap since the parts are already made for it.

shokwave30 wrote:ya look thru the treads.. they got it in there but its practically touching the sides. i think the older 302 would be easier to fit in there or better yet hold off and do the ls swap since the parts are already made for it.

The ford 4.0L SOHC motor is a V6, not a V8 like the 4.6L motor.

If your talking about cost of installation, I'd go with an LT or a gen I small block. Most of the parts have already been designed and are in use, and you can get those engine dirt cheap. If your looking for something no one else has done, good luck and have fun.

laptop_geek wrote:If your talking about cost of installation, I'd go with an LT or a gen I small block. Most of the parts have already been designed and are in use, and you can get those engine dirt cheap. If your looking for something no one else has done, good luck and have fun.

I agree. Getting a cheaper alternative to the LS engine may save you money up front, but the cost for one-off conversion parts will quickly demolish any savings; and then, may end up costing more than if you went with an LS or LT/gen1 (probably somewhere near LS7 ).

But, dont let us stop you from venturing the Ford engine path. Were just trying to give you a heads-up.

my fault thought it mite have been a mistake and meant 4.6.. gotcha.

Sorry for the confusion, I'm new to the forum (obviously). I did mean the 4.0L SOHC Cologne V6 from the Explorer / Ranger / Mustang. A little background to this is I thought it would be fun to go into uncharted territory. The other reason is that the mechanic who is helping me is my father-in-law, and he's a devout Ford guy. He's retired now but still restores old Mustangs as a hobby. He's old school and wanted to put in a 302 but I explained the size and weight might be too much. I own a 2007 Mustang with a 4.0L V6 and got the idea that the engine might fit better in my 944 than say a 5.3L L59. I then went on ebay and was finding low mileage complete engine pull outs for around $500. My actual father is a machinist, and could easily make the adapter plates, motor mounts, ect. I would still need to look online for the clutch components and a bell housing that would be compatible. Then there's all the little clearance issues that would need to be resolved. This is purely theoretical, of course. I've been do a lot of research on the LS / LT swaps, going by the shopping list I found on one of the forums, and pricing things.

It seemed like a decent starting point for a Ford swap, at least in theory. I'm not a mechanic so I'm probably way off in left field on this.

well anything is possible with enough time and money. i would really like to see more ford swaps

i wouldnt...theres really nowhere to go with that motor in terms of performance. i have the older version in my van, reliable yes but even the most powerful ones are still slow. not to mention its fairly heavy as well...

those new v6's they are putting in the mustangs got some get up and go.. or u could go with the gm v6 in the camaro. possibilites are endless its the money that runs out first. lol