The FFRE Coyote build episode of Horsepower Wars Season 4, presented by Summit Racing, recently dropped, and it gave Ford fans their first clear look at how Fast Forward Race Engines prepped the Blue Oval 5.0-liter to take on GM’s 5.3-liter LT. The matchup pits the two modern V8 platforms against each other in a dyno and drag ’n drive format, where horsepower is only half the battle. When the competition moves to the drag strip, street durability, heat management, and repeatability matter just as much as dyno heroics.

What Joe Irwin and his team at FFRE put together wasn’t a wild, experimental setup, but a carefully curated combination of proven parts. It balances raw power with streetability, which is a combination that could give our beloved Coyote the edge over the evil LT, which is likely to be a racier effort than something ready to rack up street miles.

Built for Abuse

The foundation of FFRE’s build is a Gen 3 5.0-liter Coyote block reinforced with LA Sleeves. Sleeving is critical here as 25-plus pounds of boost can cause the thin factory liners to flex, resulting in power-robbing sealing issues. By upgrading to these ductile-iron sleeves, FFRE ensured the bores remain round and the ring seal stays snug, which will translate to both more efficient combustion on the dyno and less oil consumption during the real-world phase of the challenge.

Inside, a Boss 302 forged crankshaft anchors the rotating assembly. This choice provides the strength of a race part without giving up OE-level balance and longevity. FFRE paired Manley Pro Series rods with ARP 2000 fasteners with forged pistons and Trend H13 pins. This proven combo can easily endure four-digit power. Running 11:1 compression may sound aggressive, but in a four-valve Coyote, it sharpens throttle response and widens the torque curve, offering benefits on the street and at the track.

Where the LT combo leans on cubic inches and simplicity, the FFRE Coyote leverages efficiency. By making more power per cubic inch, the Ford doesn’t need to work as hard to post big dyno numbers or carry speed down track, which should pay dividends after repeated pulls or passes.

Ensuring that durability is also achieved in this build by addressing known weaknesses. Seasoned Coyote builders know oiling is an Achilles’ heel of the platform. FFRE addressed this with Melling pumps fitted with its own billet gears, validated on an in-house pump dyno. Stock powdered-metal gears are notorious for shattering at high rpm; billet replacements virtually eliminate that failure mode. That means stable oil pressure through an 8,000-rpm pull and consistency on long highway stints.

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FFRE also deleted the piston oil squirters. While the squirters are useful for cooling the underside of the pistons in stock applications, they bleed off volume at high power levels. Blocking them raises main gallery pressure, ensuring the valvetrain and bearings stay alive under boost.

This is exactly the kind of behind-the-scenes durability work that wins drag-and-drive competitions. On the dyno, it should show up in repeatable pulls without pressure drop. On the street, it keeps the engine together.

Four x Flow

Both teams are utilizing a Tick Performance water-to-air intercooler core to tame air inlet temperatures, but the FFRE Coyote is positioned to exploit the cooler, denser intake air from the HP turbocharger. A Holley High-Ram intake paired with a VMP Performance mechanical monoblade throttle body allows the four-valve heads to move huge volumes of air upstairs, and it can fully leverage maximum boost.

The runners of the High-Ram intake are tuned for high-rpm breathing and boost, and when combined with the 5.0-liter Coyote’s four-valve architecture, the result is airflow stability that the LT’s two-valve, pushrod layout will struggle to match. That means the Coyote should only deliver big peak power, but it also carries that power longer and deeper into the rpm range, which is an advantage during dyno pulls and quarter-mile rips.

Where the Coyote should distance itself from the LT is in its high-flowing cylinder heads and free-revving valvetrain. FFRE treated OEM Gen 2 heads to full porting aimed at optimizing boosted airflow and selected custom-grind COMP Cams profiles, with 0.590-inch intake lift and 0.550 on the exhaust, paired with upgraded COMP springs and stock-diameter Manley stainless valves. With more valve area per cylinder and the strength to rev safely past 8,000 rpm, the package is both durable and flexible.

The variable cam timing was locked out using RGR components, ensuring stable phasing under boost. Upgraded followers and lash adjusters keep the valvetrain reliable at those high speeds, avoiding valve float and maintaining cylinder pressure where the LT’s single-stick setup simply can’t compete without resorting to racy spring pressures and insolent cam profiles.

A wide, high-rpm powerband gives the FFRE Coyote a practical advantage in competition. On the dyno, it should pump out more across the powerband. Average output won’t win on the dyno, but at the drag strip, it gets the truck off the line quicker and pulls stronger through the gears. While an LT may deliver torque early but run out of breath upstairs, the Coyote looks better suited for the mixed-use challenge.

Powerful Projection

On Westech’s dyno, Irwin expects between 1,350 and 1,450 horsepower with Holley EFI. Just as important, the four-valve heads and compression strategy delivered a broad, usable torque curve instead of a narrow power spike. That makes the engine easier to drive on the street and more consistent down-track, where traction and shifting windows matter just as much as raw power.

Even if the FFRE Coyote doesn’t win the peak power battle, it will be a winner in our book because it is something an enthusiast could drive to work during the week and blast down the track on the weekends. The combination of sleeved durability, bulletproof oiling, efficient induction, optimized valvetrain, and careful inlet temperature management adds up to an elite engine that is up for the challenge on the street and strip.