Installing the Heads
We teamed up with Cole Cutler, CHI Motorsports' master engine builder. Under his expertise we're able to show you (and learn ourselves) the ins and outs of the 4.6L 2V. As you'll see it is not as daunting as it seems, and while we worked with the motor out of the car you can certainly perform the job under the hood. If you do plan to tackle a head swap with the motor in the car one tip is to pull the heads with the stock manifolds attached, then swap them over to the new heads before installing to the block. This will save from going under the car to remove the manifolds.
We sourced a bone stock 4.6L 2V from a local salvage yard. The car had just 7,800 miles before it was rear-ended and totalled out. We began by pulling the stock plastic intake. The injectors and fuel rails can all stay attached. /
Tear down continues with removal of the valve covers followed by the timing cover and chains. This is a Romeo engine as evident by the 11 valve cover bolts per head and cam girdles. More on the differences between Romeo and Windsor engines on page 3.
The head bolts are removed and immediately thrown away. You can't reuse TTY (torque to yield) hardware so don't even try. /
The stock heads can come off with the cams still bolted down. Once on the work bench you'll want to pull off the cam girdles and get the followers and lash adjusters as they will be reused.
We could have simply installed a new set of Ford torque-to-yield TTY head bolts (#F5AZ6065A) on this motor, but we opted for ArP studs (ARP# 256-4201 Buy Now) for added clamping force. Plus unlike TTY bolts the studs are reusable. At the time of writing this article ARP did not have head bolts developed for these motors. /
These motors use multi-layered steel (MLS) head gaskets. The Ford pieces cost $159 each! The Fel-Pro 9790-PT2 more affordable choice at about $60 a piece. Coated with their PermaTorque coating it will also seal up much better. Unlike on pushrod Fords there is a distinct left and right side. Note the pistons are below deck. This is "safe mode" and is achieved with the crank key way placed straight up at 12 0' clock. This will be important in the cam installation phase to avoid bending valves.
4.6L 2V cylinder heads are not side specific, however the head you put on the driver-side of the motor must have this galley plug installed in the back. Otherwise you'll fire up with zero oil pressure and a big leak. Once you install the plug mark the heads (D for Driver side, etc.) so you don't accidentally install on the wrong side. /
The underside of both heads must have this plug installed. Patriot installs this one for you, but it doesn't hurt to double check.
The springs supplied by Patriot are sufficient to .600" lift however we opted to run the springs recommended by Comp Cams (PN:26113-16). This spring works with all three of there Xtreme Energy cams for PI heads. /
The cam caps are machined specific to each side of the cylinder head and cannot be interchanged. Mark them before you remove them so they go back in the exact same location and orientation.
Lower the heads onto the block and install the bolts, or in our case since we used studs, we'll install the washers and nuts. Use oil or moly under the heads to get a good torque reading.
Note also that we have removed the cam "girdles" from the heads (caps for Windsor Engine Plant heads).Their locations are unique and cannot be interchanged along the head or between cylinder heads. Mark them before you remove! /
Cole's tip when building any motor is to have both heads on the block and alternate your torqueing of the bolts/studs between both heads to get even stretch on the block. Work your way out from the inside pair of head bolts to the outside, in steps from 30lb.ft. to 50lb.ft. to the final spec. Remember if you do use the OEM TTY head bolts they MUST be new, and you have to follow the stretch specification outlined in the shop manual.
The lash adjusters and followers are set into placed. Many opt to install these after the cams are in place, however that will require the use of a special Ford spring compressor tool to enable the follower to fit under the cam lobe. This method is easier and acceptable. /
Before putting the cams in place position the crankshaft so that the keyway is straight up in the 12 o'clock position. This is considered "safe mode" and unlike on most pushrod motors this ensures none of the pistons are at Top Dead Center (TDC). This is important because once the cams are torqued down there will be valves hanging open that can contact a piston in the up position.
The cams come in two boxes and are unique to the left and right side of the motor. Be sure to check the engraving on the cam to ensure you've got the right cam on the right head. With the cam lightly oiled, or lubed with moly, set the cam girdles (or caps in the case of a Windsor head) in position. Snug the bolts down evenly and then torque to 89 lbs.in. Read that carefully, if you torque to foot-pounds you'll break and warp the caps. /
Prior to installing the camshaft timing sprockets transfer over the spacers from the stock cams. Then slide on the gears aligning the keyway. The stock gears have the key cast into the sprocket while the Fidanza gears (shown) utilize a separate key. We had to cut the keys down to be flush with the gear because our spacers did not have a keyway slot. We suspect that some 4.6L motors (maybe from the Windsor Engine Plant) utilized a slotted spacer which enables for a longer key. We'll pass this along to Fidanza, maybe they can through two sizes of keys into the package.
Comp Cam's utilize M12x1.50mm bolts to retain the cam gears. These are also TTY bolts and while they should not be reused we know many guys do. The wiser choice is to just get a new set. We're using ARP#256-1001, it's the same bolt that holds the harmonic balancer so pick up three. Use the stock hardened washer behind the bolt. You'll need to hold the cam steady with a big wrench as shown and torque the ARP bolts to 60 lb.ft. Make sure that crank is set to safe-mode before you turn the cam! /
The next step is to get the cams phased to the crankshaft position. This is done by installing the timing chains. Unlike on a pushrod motor where you simply line up the crank and cam gears and get the chain on, on overhead cam motors the idea is the same but the way you carry it out is a little more complicated to the fact you have two cams, four gears, and they are spread apart. Lay the chains out on a bench and fold them in half. You can fold them so the factory copper links are at each end. Cole recommends marking each end link of each chain with a paint mark to aid assembly.
Install the driver-side chain first, as it goes on the rear crank sprocket. Then install the passanger-side chain. Line up the red marked end links with the timing marks (NOT the keyways!) in the crank and cam gears. You may need to turn the cam shaft to make this happen. Don't turn the crank as it should be keyway-up in safe mode. /
Shown is the timing mark on the crank sprocket. There is one mark but two sprockets. The end links (red marks) must line up dead on with this mark. Note that this timing mark is not the keyway.
On the cam gears the read mark must line up with the 0-degree timing mark. Again do not confuse this with the keyway. Note the 12 degrees of advance or retard possibility with the Fidanza cam gear. We'll discuss degreeing the cams on page 3. /
Install the timing chain guides and tensioners (page 3 for tips on this) and perform a final check of all the timing marks. The chains wont have full tension until the tensioners are filled with oil, but there is enough to turn the crank now without worry of damaging a valve or piston.
Before installing the timing cover be sure to install the crank trigger wheel. /
The timing cover can go back into place. The stock gasket/seal is reusable if it is not torn, however use a dab of silicone sealer where the cover meets the corners of the cylinder heads.
4.6L 2V Tips and Tricks
Degreeing Modular Cams
Cole Cutler shows us some of the tools he has specially modified to make degreeing easier at HCI Motorsports. The solid lash adjuster here is akin to solid lifter on a pushrod engine. This enables the cam to be set to zero-lash. /
A pair of followers (modified with larger holes) enables Cole to set the lash on his modified adjusters with a thin flat-blade screw driver.
You can use a standard degreeing kit. The process is no different than we've outlined in our Degreeing Fundamentals however since there are two cams you need to perform the process twice. Start on one side with only one of the chains connected. Then move over to the other side. /
If you find your measurements are off a few degrees from the cam specifications the only easy way to make the adjustment is with a set of Fidanza adjustable gears. We initially set our to 1 degree retard to accommodate for slack in the chain as a result of the slightly milled heads. We subsequently moved this back to straight up as our degree measurements were spot on with Comp Cams' cam card for the 262 cam.
4.6L 2V Tips and Tricks
The timing chain guides should be checked for wear and replaced if neccesary. Cole shows us to look for uneven chain rub on the plastic. On high-mileage motors the chains should also be replaced. /
Chain tensioners must be compressed before attempting to reinstall into position. Use a C-clamp to compress the plunger, then push down the lever (top left) and install a paperclip or small nail in the lock hole.
The locked tensioner can then be bolted to the block and released by pulling the pin out. Note the tensioners are marked left and right. /
Safe Mode is when the crank key way is at 12 o' clock. This puts all the pistons below deck. Top Dead Center for cylinder #1 is located at about 11 o 'clock (note the TDC mark cast into the cover.)