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4.6L Pistons
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Ford chose to use hypereutectic pistons in the 4.6-liter engine in all applications except the ’99-up Lightning 5.4, and the ‘03 Cobra, both which are equipped from the factory with forged slugs. Mustang racers were used to the forged pistons Ford offered in the 5-liter pushrod engine, which could accommodate fairly large doses of supercharger boost or nitrous injection. The hypereutectic piston is made of an aluminum solution that is supersaturated with silicon. Normal aluminum alloys do not contain more than 11-12% silicon. The hypereutectic alloy is created by adding the silicon while the aluminum is still molten. Then it is cooled rapidly, before the silicon can disperse from the alloy. As the cooling occurs, silicon crystals form evenly throughout the alloy. The advantage of the high silicon (16-18%) content is that the engine manufacturer can run tighter piston-to-wall clearances, typically .001 inch or less. This reduces the crevice volume of unburned hydrocarbons above the top ring between the cylinder wall and the piston. This, of course, results in reduced emissions and the low noise level associated with the tight piston-to-bore clearance. By running the piston clearances tight, the engine can use lower viscosity oil and run lower tension oil rings. With reduced fuel contamination in the oil, the oil-change intervals can be extended.
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The stock 4.6-liter hypereutectic piston is adequate for medium-performance applications. The dark color on the thrust face of the piston is the Teflon anti-scuff coating. The piston pin is retained with a round wirelock.
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The factory pistons have a dark-colored patch on their thrust face. This is a Teflon-type antifriction coating that reduces piston scuff on cold starts. The standard piston is offered in a couple of different compression styles, depending upon application. 2-valve engines have had an 11-cc dish when used in 1992-1998 applications with a 51-cc combustion chamber volume, and a 17-cc dish on the 1999 and newer PI (power improved) engines, which have a 42-cc chamber volume. 4-valve engines have used a 3-cc dish in all applications since 1993. The OEM piston performs quite well for most performance applications, but any detonation at all results in the piston self-destructing immediately. This normally manifests itself by breaking the ring land between the top and second ring. This can go undetected for quite some time, the only clue being high oil consumption. That being said, there are many cases where the stock piston, when combined with a low-boost supercharger system (10 psi or less), preferably intercooled, can provide long, trouble-free service.
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Detonation will damage the stock piston by fracturing the ring land. The damage may go undetected for some time, since it causes no apparent noise. Eventually, oil will work past the rings into the combustion chamber, at which time the damage is usually noted.
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The key is to have a calibration for the computer that is conservative enough to not detonate under poor fuel, heavy-load conditions. Even then, a combination of factors could combine to push the loads involved beyond the design capacity of the stock piston. The fact that Ford uses forged pistons in supercharged applications like the Lightning and ‘03 Cobra should give us a clue as to what needs to be done for supercharged engine durability.
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Forged Pistons Forged pistons are now available from a number of aftermarket companies. They may be produced in 2 different alloys, depending on the manufacturer. 2618 alloy is a traditional aluminum alloy used for race pistons and high-performance street pistons. The 2618 pistons can handle about 35 lbs of boost. 4032 is a high silicon content alloy that is used sometimes for high-performance street pistons. These can then be fitted with a tighter piston-to-bore clearance, due to reduced expansion characteristics of the 4032 material. The break point on this type of material is about 10 psi of boost. Anything much more than that is more of a race than a street-type application.
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The forged pistons manufactured by Manley or JE will feature full-floating pins with dual spirolocks. The top ring will be located further down from the crown of the piston, reducing the heat the top ring is exposed to during combustion. The stock piston has the top ring land placed .150 inch down from the crown of the piston. The forged pistons will typically place the top ring land at .235 inch down from the crown. We still use the original ring package for most applications, which includes a 1.5 mm top, a 1.5 mm second, and a 3 mm oil ring. Most of the off-the-shelf pistons that are offered also use this ring package. There are some applications where different rings are used, for specific reasons.
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Manley forged pistons are available in .020- and .030-inch oversize, in both flat-top and dished design. Dish volumes of 11, 17, and 23 cc are available, allowing the engine builder to vary the compression ratio depending on the application.
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One of the challenges with the forged piston is to have a relatively quiet start up, which is difficult until the piston retains some heat and expands to the operating dimension. The shape of the cam and barrel finish that the manufacturer has applied to the piston can have a profound effect on this noise level.
The 4.6 suffers from the fact that the area on the piston that is the largest in diameter is withdrawn from the bore at bottom dead center (BDC), leaving an area that is .002-.004 inch smaller in OD than the measuring area of the piston. This effectively means that the measured piston-to-wall clearance increases by .002-.004 inch at BDC, until the engine is at operating temperature. This excess clearance allows the piston to rock excessively at BDC, which causes piston clatter.
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Although the additional noise created with a forged piston on start up may be acceptable for a race application, the street car owner is going to want the least noise possible. The normal piston-to-wall clearance used on a 2618-alloy piston is .003-.0035 inch. I have experimented with clearances as tight as .002 inch with 4032 forged pistons, and no undue scuffing was observed. A cam profile that places a wide area of the skirt in contact with the cylinder wall seems to have the least noise.
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Overbore Sizes Aftermarket forged pistons are generally offered in .020- and .030-inch oversize. It is possible to bore the block .040-inch oversize, but I never do this. On the aluminum block, I will make .035-inch oversize pistons to save a block from requiring sleeves, but with the iron block, .030 inch is as far as we go. Federal Mogul offers their hypereutectic pistons in .010-inch oversize, in addition to .020, .030, and .040 inch. They also offer the ring sizes to match. Sonic testing of the iron blocks has shown the thrust face of the cylinder bores are typically .100-.125 inch thick, and the bore thickness parallel to the crank centerline can be as thin as .080 inch. The 5.4 iron block shows the same range of material thickness as the 4.6. The increased side load on the 5.4 block due to the increased stroke could provide additional wear and introduce some ovality into the cylinder wall. The flexing of the cylinder walls will cause poor ring sealing. If I was building a max-effort 5.4-based drag engine, I would definitely fill the water jacket to within 1 inch of the deck surface to add rigidity to the cylinder assembly. The 4.6-liter aluminum block is not as sensitive in this area. It has a .080-inch thick liner, backed up with .178 inch of aluminum casting material behind it.
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Stroker pistons have their pin placed higher on the piston, reducing compression distance from 1.22 to 1.07 inch. This allows the use of a longer connecting rod, maintaining a favorable rod ratio. A groove-lock spacer is used to support the oil ring, where the pin bore intersects the oil ring land.
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Previous | Next
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This has been a sample page from
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How To Build Max Performance 4.6 Liter Ford Engines by Sean Hyland
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This revised edition features new and current information throughout the text, an additional 16 pages, and all-color photography.
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When the ’96 Mustang came out with the 4.6-liter V-8, some performance enthusiasts were scared away by its technology. But those days are long gone. Ford added horsepower and torque to its 2- and 4-valve V-8s over the years, and the number and quality of available aftermarket performance parts has exploded. Ford took things to the next level with the new 3-valve Mustang GT engine and the 5.4-liter GT and Shelby GT500, adding even more high-performance options.
In this updated edition of How To Build Max-Performance 4.6-Liter Ford Engines, Sean Hyland gives you a comprehensive guide to building and modifying Ford’s 2-, 3-, and 4-valve 4.6- and 5.4-liter engines. You will learn everything from block selection and crankshaft prep, to cylinder head and intake manifold modifications. He also outlines eight recommended power packages and provides you with a step-by-step buildup of a naturally aspirated 405-horsepower Cobra engine. This is the definitive guide to getting the most from your 4.6- and 5.4-liter Ford.
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Click below to view sample pages from each chapter.
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Chap. 1 - Engine Block Chap. 2 - Crankshafts Chap. 3 - Rods Chap. 4 - 4.6 Pistons Chap. 5 - Cylinder Heads Chap. 6 - Int. Manifolds Chap. 7 - Fuel Injection Chap. 8 - 4.6 Camshafts Chap. 9 - 4.6 Exhaust Chap. 10 - Ignition Chap. 11 - Lubrication Chap. 12 - Cooling Chap. 13 - Power Adders Chap. 14 - Packages Chap. 15 - 405HP Engine
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Softbound 8-1/2 x 11 144 pages 445 Color Photos Item #SA82 Price: $22.95
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Click here to buy now!
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This is a great book that any modular engine owner or enthusiast will enjoy!
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How to Rebuild SOHC & DOHC 4.6 / 5.4-Liter Ford Engines The 4.6-liter can be built to produce any where from 300 hp up to 2,000 hp, and in turn, it has become a favorite among rebuilders, racers, and high-performance enthusiasts. How to Rebuild 4.6-/5.4-Liter Ford Engines expertly guides you through each step of rebuilding the modular 4.6- and 5.4-liter engines, providing essential information and insightful detail. This volume delivers the complete nuts-and-bolts rebuild story, so the enthusiast can professionally rebuild an engine at home and achieve the desired performance goals. In addition, it contains a retrospective of the engine family, essential identification information, and component differences between engines made at Romeo and Windsor factories for identifying your engine and selecting the right parts.
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Price: $22.95 |
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Building 4.6/5.4L Ford Horsepower on the Dyno This book takes the guesswork out of modification and parts selection by showing you the types of horsepower and torque gains expected with each modification. More than 340 photos and 185 dyno graphs show you which parts increase horsepower and torque, and which parts don't deliver on their promises. Includes complete before-and-after dyno graphs, so you can see where in the RPM range these parts make (or lose) the most horsepower and torque. Covers 2-, 3-, and 4-valve modular engines.
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Price: $22.95
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High Performance Mustang Builder's Guide 1994-2004
From the 94-95 Mustangs with the 5.0L, through the 96-04 models with the 2- and 4-valve 4.6s, to the Bullitt, Mach 1, and factory supercharged 03-04 Cobras never before has such a range of highly modifiable performance cars been available. These Mustangs were amazing performers straight from the factory, but they can be even better with the right combination of performance parts. You can build your Mustang for drag racing, road racing, or improved street performance and High- Performance Mustang Builders Guide 1994-2004 will show you how! Author Sean Hyland uses over 300 photos to explain how to upgrade your Mustang.
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Price: $
22.95
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