Engine Rebuild

[Oliver]

Morning all.....
Currently have an 06 convertible 5 speed that running well but is long in the tooth. At 225,000 its only a matter of time till it gives up.
I would like to have a backup plan for when that occurs so I'm thinking I'd like to start building a 4.0L to have in the garage.

1.) What engine / Block should I be looking for? Are there any to stay away from?
2.) What should I do to get the most longevity out of it?
3.) What performance upgrades can be performed?
4.) Will any engine work or must it be from a mustang?
5.) Does transmission matter?

I've never built a motor before - Are there any specific tools needed? Books? Websites? Venders?
I'd like to think I have above average mechanical skills, just never had the opportunity, time or place to try my hand at it.
My sons want me to find a wreck and do a v8 swap. Haven't done that either.
What's the though across the forum on those..... Is that a driveway project or a shop project?

Thanks All for your time.......

 

[Mozart]

My engine is sitting at 204k so I am following this thread lol

 

[Mailman]

I think the complete lack of responses is everyone's polite way of saying....."go buy another car". If you stay with a S197 platform, yours might be a good parts car. Of course I can say that because my '05 'vert just turned 31,000 miles. What you're contemplating sounds like a lot of money thrown at a huge pile of unusable junk. Good luck!!!

 

[Dino Dino Bambino]

Morning all.....
Currently have an 06 convertible 5 speed that running well but is long in the tooth. At 225,000 its only a matter of time till it gives up.
I would like to have a backup plan for when that occurs so I'm thinking I'd like to start building a 4.0L to have in the garage.

1.) What engine / Block should I be looking for? Are there any to stay away from?
2.) What should I do to get the most longevity out of it?
3.) What performance upgrades can be performed?
4.) Will any engine work or must it be from a mustang?
5.) Does transmission matter?

I've never built a motor before - Are there any specific tools needed? Books? Websites? Venders?
I'd like to think I have above average mechanical skills, just never had the opportunity, time or place to try my hand at it.
My sons want me to find a wreck and do a v8 swap. Haven't done that either.
What's the though across the forum on those..... Is that a driveway project or a shop project?

Thanks All for your time.......

The way I see it you have some options but only the first is relatively inexpensive.

1. Rebuild your existing 4.0 with new timing sets, new oil pump, new rod bearings, new ARP rod bolts, and new piston rings. You could also have the heads skimmed flat and the valves lapped. With this refresh, your engine could go on reliably for at least another 100k miles.
For performance upgrades you can do an underdrive crank pulley, LT headers, divorced dual exhaust system, and a 91 octane tune. Don't bother with a CAI since your existing stock airbox has generous enough airflow for a 4.0 that's unlikely to rev past 6k rpm.

2. Buy a totalled 11-14 V6, 11-14 GT, or 07-14 GT500 and transplant all mechanical parts plus interior into your 06 V6. This project will take several weeks or months so have another spare car for daily driver duty.

 

[06_Mustang]

@Oliver and @Mozart I think I'm in the same boat as you guys. I bought a 2006 V6 Mustang with 197K miles on it. I bought if from an auction. Someone had t-boned it and bent the right back panel and the back axle. I bought it as a project car ... something to fix up and modify and upgrade over time.

It took me about 5 months but I was able to remove the bent axle (luckily the axle housing was not bent) and replace the axle with a new one. Also replaced the axle bearings while I was at it. Mechanically now the car works great: cold AC, starts right up, passed emissions, etc. I actually use it now for a daily driver ... I always wanted a mustang.

Now I got to figure out how to fix (or get it fixed) the back right panel and eventually have it painted. @Dino Dino Bambino ... that red looks sweet. That's what I've been imagining ... but wit white stripes instead of black.

I'm thinking along your guys' lines ... at some point I should do a major engine overhaul. But what do to? I would love to get this car to last to 300K (maybe more). My daily commute is not excessively hard; 30 miles of highway driving, each way. I figure I'll put 20k miles per year on it and save my Durango as long as possible.

@Oliver what kind of work are you thinking of doing on yours? I'm probably about the same level as you mechanically. I had never done axle/gear work before I tried it on my mustang; but I got it to work. I've rebuilt one small engine (4 cylinder Ford Escort) and got another 120k miles out of that.