4.0L Cologne / 5R55 swap

[CV12Steve]

Has anybody tried a rebuild/swap based on a 4.0 block? I'm asking because this would still be legal in CA.

[xr4man]

yeah i've seen write ups on a couple of them.

on fordpower.co.uk there's a couple guys that have built 4.0 motors with the cosie 24v heads and slammed them in sierras.

[xr4man]

here's a link to the topic.

http://fordpower.org.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=2099

[DPDISXR4Ti]

I only know of one that's been done in the States. It's owned by Noel Williams, and I think the work was mostly done by Phil Marshall. I think it's in a Scorpio, but that really doesn't matter that much.

[CV12Steve]

. . . I think it's in a Scorpio, but that really doesn't matter that much.

I meant to post this on the Scorpio board; that's what my "still be legal in CA" comment referred to.

[janvanv]

Has anybody tried a rebuild/swap based on a 4.0 block? I'm asking because this would still be legal in CA.

A performance rebuild on the 2.9 would be easier and as long as you had some means to control spark and fuel (er um Mega-squirt-n-spark) you could get quite nice results from the 2.9
Niiiiiiice results like low/mid 200s in BHPs and much more TORQUES
And it fits fine since it's supposed to.
Same forumla as ever: compression, camshaft, carbu...wait Management

[CV12Steve]

Happy New Year John.

A performance rebuild on the 2.9 would be easier and as long as you had some means to control spark and fuel (er um Mega-squirt-n-spark) you could get quite nice results from the 2.9
Niiiiiiice results like low/mid 200s in BHPs and much more TORQUES
And it fits fine since it's supposed to.
Same forumla as ever: compression, camshaft, carbu...wait Management

I don't know if MegaSquirt would be CA-legal. I know you can substitute any block in the same family (and configuration, ie not Duratec I4 to V6). I guess that means someone could also do a 1.8L.

[janvanv]

Happy New Year John.

A performance rebuild on the 2.9 would be easier and as long as you had some means to control spark and fuel (er um Mega-squirt-n-spark) you could get quite nice results from the 2.9
Niiiiiiice results like low/mid 200s in BHPs and much more TORQUES
And it fits fine since it's supposed to.
Same forumla as ever: compression, camshaft, carbu...wait Management

I don't know if MegaSquirt would be CA-legal.

Would be if they don't know its Megasquirt inside the Fod "can" and you have all your pollution control devices present and hooked up.
MSnS can run them all.

Biggest concern for this type of higher bhp rebuild is how it would affect an auto-tragique trannie. Power is easy, but its easy to confuse auto boxes to.
Last one I did it was converted to manual trans---and awd at the same time.

[milehighXR]

Build the auto to these specs: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/sho ... p?t=117793
And you'll be just fine. Of course this is not a cheap rebuild, and I have yet to build one for me, but this where I am going with all my A4LDs in the future.

[John Brennan]

Would be if they don't know its Megasquirt inside the Fod "can" and you have all your pollution control devices present and hooked up.
MSnS can run them all.

OK, now this subject came up a while back, and it was said that MS (or other aftermarket stand-alones) will never run as cleanly as a stock ECU, which rendered it non-viable for a locality that does strict smog checks-- not because they would necessarily know (they never go so far as to look under the dash for the ECU), but because it wouldn't produce a clean enough exhaust. What would you think of that conclusion?

[xrian]

That's BS John. No matter how you look at it, it's just another engine management system that happens to be fully tuneable to meet ANY emission requirement. Which also brings back the discussion about removing emission components for so called "performance upgrades" when it has been proven over & over that if the car is tuned properly it can still make tons of HP even with all the stuff still in place.
I've been running SDS for years and both cars easily passed the e-test for Ontario which is just about as strict as it is in California.(yes, even the Rally car had pass an e-test) I know of others using the EEC-Tuner and pass all the tests.
It's all in the tuning.

[DPDISXR4Ti]

I'd say the truth is somewhere between the two extremes. Ian is correct that most any PCM has the ability to create a very clean emissions output, but to match what the manufacturers are held to is all but impossible from a practical standpoint. Bear in mind, the manufacturers are held to a MUCH higher standard than what your local emissions testing standard is.

In short, I'd say that passing a "dyno type" 3-gas test is certainly possible with an after-market PCM and a properly operating catalyst, but you'll need some knowledge on how to accomplish that and adjust the tune accordingly based on test data.

Bear in mind too, anyone selling an after-market PCM is not legally able to install it in a street-legal vehicle. Technically, it would carry the same penalty as installing a cat by-pass pipe.

[CV12Steve]

Build the auto to these specs: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/sho ... p?t=117793
And you'll be just fine. Of course this is not a cheap rebuild, and I have yet to build one for me, but this where I am going with all my A4LDs in the future.

This raises another question that might be better on the Scorpio forum (and highjacking my own thread to boot): Has anyone swapped a 5R55E or N (I think the W has a one piece BH/case) for the A4LD?

[milehighXR]

I think you're right about the W. The thread I pointed to uses 5R guts in ALOT of places that even the 4R parts were weak in. If you were to use anything other than a single solenoid A4LD, you need to have a way to control the solenoids. The A4LD-E is the 2 solenoid trans, and the 4R begins the whole sh*thouse of really expensive solenoids. I think they are something like $75 a piece, and theres like 5+. And an input shaft speed sensor for shift control. The W also has a wide ratio gearset, though it appears from my limited research into it, that it was only available in 02, in limited applications. Also the 5R series engages the OD section to obtain a new 2nd gear. I have heard that you cannot put the manual VB in a 4R/5R case, they are too different.

[CV12Steve]

I really know nothing about auto-boxes but it seems the 5R55 would bolt to a C3-based BH giving a 5sp option. Baumann says thay are planning a TCS for it. Not sure how much you'd gain though; as you say the 5R55 seems to have slotted in an effectively new 2nd gear ratio, 1st and "HIGH" remaining the same.

I think you're right about the W. The thread I pointed to uses 5R guts in ALOT of places that even the 4R parts were weak in. If you were to use anything other than a single solenoid A4LD, you need to have a way to control the solenoids. The A4LD-E is the 2 solenoid trans, and the 4R begins the whole sh*thouse of really expensive solenoids. I think they are something like $75 a piece, and theres like 5+. And an input shaft speed sensor for shift control. The W also has a wide ratio gearset, though it appears from my limited research into it, that it was only available in 02, in limited applications. Also the 5R series engages the OD section to obtain a new 2nd gear. I have heard that you cannot put the manual VB in a 4R/5R case, they are too different.