Horse Sense: Congratulations to D.S.S. for reaching a milestone in the business-growing game-building ownership. In the last decade we've watched D.S.S. move through several leased, crowded facilities in the Chicago area, but now the company has its own large, brand-new building. It's bright with plenty of room to grow, and D.S.S. is aiming to fill it.
Faithful followers of our open-track project car know it's a joy to drive, with fabulous handling, super brakes, and fun-enough power. You also know the engine in this machine has been absolutely whipped over the years, and yet the short-block has never been apart. After seven years of magazine-staff thrashing and who knows how many high-rpm track miles, the stock hypereutectic pistons and powdered metal connecting rods are well along in their life cycles. You also don't need a decoder ring to understand that fun-enough power is good but can be improved upon.
Put those two factors together and you have the makings of an engine project, which is what we're beginning with this article. The idea is to replace our still gutsy but tiring engine with a 4.6 durable enough to last a long while at our current 285 guesstimated flywheel horsepower level. We also want the engine to support higher power levels when we later step up the camming and intake.
Modular engines are already...
Modular engines are already a big part of D.S.S. business these days, and that business is growing. As this view of the assembly room hints, there are more than just one or two modulars in the shop. We saw racks of fresh modular blocks, cranks, and heads in the warehouse, and D.S.S. has some cool hot-rod modular ideas in the works.
This month we're outlining the short-block, which is one of the D.S.S. Super Modular units. We'll cover the cylinder heads in future articles, along with dyno and track information. For now, we'll note this engine follows the latest in common modular-engine-building practice, so it will relate to what most of you would put together. That means a nonstroker short-block (although practical 4.6-based strokers should appear shortly) and '99-or-later, standard-production GT cylinder heads. These are the "Performance Improved," or PI, heads in modular engine lingo. We'll top the engine with a Bullitt intake and run naturally aspirated.
Interestingly, we're not hoping to make any more power than our current engine-not at first anyway. Our current engine is the same '96 short-block the car was built with, but it has long benefited from Ford Racing Performance Part's M-6049-D46 high-performance cylinder heads and intake. These are excellent performance parts, but pricey. Now that the PI heads and Bullitt intake are available for less money, they've become the practical standard in Two-Valve modular performance, so that's what we'll use.
To illustrate just how steep the price of the FRPP heads is, the D.S.S. long-blocks with PI heads are an impressive $1,600 less than with the FRPP heads. Now, the FRPP heads have larger valves and more room for porting, so they're the last word in Two-Valve modular heads. But most folks are going with the PI heads because they'll reach the same street-performance levels as the FRPP heads for considerably less money. You guys with the bucks and track glory in your eyes know to stick with the FRPP heads for ultimate power.
Any engine shop would prefer...
Any engine shop would prefer building engines from used blocks because such "seasoned cores" have had the best stress relieving a block can get-several thousand heat cycles. But because modulars tend to self-destruct via thrown rods and trashed pistons, there are few good, used modular blocks available. And, with Ford's assembly lines pumping out 4.6s by the trainload, buying new service blocks such as this one is the money-smart way to go. D.S.S. cleans up these blocks somewhat, no matter what level the short-block or engine being built, as from Ford they need some deburring.
So, on with the short-block. Practically speaking, what needs immediate fixing in the zillions of 4.6 modular short-blocks are the weak pistons and connecting rods. Both are prone to catastrophic failures-the pistons especially and the rods right behind with block-sawing consequences-and that's what the D.S.S. short-block is designed to cure. Along the way, a new stock block, a stronger Cobra crankshaft, improved oiling, and finer machining are used in the better D.S.S. offerings.
Sitting down with D.S.S. to plan our engine, we found three short-block choices: the 4.6 Modular, the Pro Modular, and the Super Modular. This is a slight change from our last report on D.S.S., as the company has consolidated its short-block lineup to better work with available parts and contain costs. To make a long story short, Ford has consolidated much of the confusing differences between its "Romeo" and "Windsor" versions of the 4.6 Two-Valve, enough so that it really doesn't matter what you have. Using Ford service blocks, D.S.S. can now build a standardized short-block or complete engine that any enthusiast can use.
The D.S.S. 4.6 Modular is a "good" $1,999.95 entry-level performance replacement short-block. It's a money-savvy choice for anyone needing a replacement or mild performance engine. And since stock modulars would just as soon kick a rod through the block as lose a head gasket like a 5.0, there is quite a need for a reasonably priced, upgraded replacement engine. There's a dearth of usable 4.6 core engines in the wrecking yards for the same reason.
As are all D.S.S. Two-Valve offerings, the 4.6 Modular is built using a spanking-new block from Ford. It's fitted with a six-bolt cast Ford crankshaft and stock connecting rods with upgraded bolts. The pistons are D.S.S. forgings. D.S.S. says this replacement short-block is safe to 400 hp, and with that much durability, it offers many enthusiasts their best choice street cars.