By Char Asaravala

Background
A couple months ago we ran the first part of "2V or not 2V". The intent of the article series was to take an objective look at Ford's 4.6L 2V (two valve per cylinder) engine and confirm or deny the prevailing attitude that it is too difficult a powerplant for the average enthusiast to make decent horsepower from with the usual bolt-on modifications.

To understand the 2V's bad rap you need not look further then where the motor fits on the timeline of Ford's powerplants. The 2V debuted in the 1996 Mustang - a brand new powerplant design replacing a decade's worth of 5.0L supremacy. Those were big shoes to fill and the first generation of 4.6L engine came nowhere close to it's predecessor. The 4.6's horsepower curve was up, slightly, but the learning curve was much steeper. It just wasn't winning any favorites amongst the aftermarket and performance enthusiasts. Furthermore, the argument goes, that with only 281 cubic inches and a small bore diameter, the engine simply doesn't respond well to traditional modifications such as heads, cams and intake manifolds.

Is the 2V too complex to work on?
In the first part of this series we tackled the issue of complexity. We took installed a set of Patriot Performance CNC ported cylinder heads along with a pair of Comp Cams' 262AH camshafts - both evidence that the aftermarket has certainly come around in supporting this powerplant. We convinced ourselves, and hopefully you, that while the 4.6L 2V engine shares nothing in common with its pushrod predecessors, it is not significantly more complicated to work on. In fact, we concluded that a cam swap on the overhead cam motor is actually much easier to perform than on a motor where the cam is in the middle of the block.

To review what we did in Part I. We pulled a 4.6L 2V from a wrecked 2002 Mustang GT with just 7,800 miles. We removed the stock heads and cams. They can fetch about $300 for 96-98 Mustang guys wanting to convert their non-PI (performance improved) 4.6L 2V engines to 99+ specs. This helps offset the $500 cost of new performance cams.	We had HCI Motorsports install a set of Patriot Performance Stage II CNC ported heads and XE262AH cams from Comp Cams (PN: 102500). The 262 cams are the most conservative of their three offerings, with 226/230 duration and .550" lift. We selected this cam to retain good driveability and hopefully pass California emissions testing..
Timing the overhead cam engine is probably the most intimidating task, but as we outlined in Part I, it really it just a matter of connecting the dots (and checking, and double checking).	We bolted on the stock 99-04 intake manifold and fuel rail assembly. The 19lb injectors don't need to be upgraded as a result of our modifications.

We will concede that it is much easier to work on the modular motor when it is out of the engine compartment. This is due not only to the accessibility of the timing chain but also to the sheer size of these motors. We can only imagine that pulling heads with the motor in the car is a back breaking experience. We think we took the easier route by pulling the whole drivetrain, but you can decide for yourself. We don't have any illusions that the 4.6 is on par with wrenching on a 5.0L. Most enthusiasts will see what we've done here and conclude it's not worth the headache. Read on, maybe the dyno results make-up for the uninviting engine bay.

Since we were modifying the motor up on an engine stand we used the opportunity to install some shorty headers and a new Centerforce Dual Friction Clutch (DF021057 for T45 transmissions and DF800075 for TR3650 equipped Mustangs.) These engines don't gain much from shorty's but long tubes wont pass the visual smog check.

The Dual-Friction clutch from features carbon composite puc style facing on the flywheel side for positive engagement and increased holding-capacity. The pressure plate side has a full traditional facing. The Centeforce Dual-Friction is a good compromise between street and occasional strip use. Would we have planned to run nitrous we'd opt for Centerforce's new DFX Clutches.

Modifying the motor was just the first step. The next step was to see if the gains were worthwhile. We took the modified modular and dropped it into our Project 2001 Mustang GT. Be sure to study the side bar to see what it takes to pull and install a mod motor - yes they are grotesquely big and almost unwieldy, but we proved it is possible for one person to perform the job with a engine hoist and leveler. We then put the car on a dyno and compared the gains to stock.