[DeTomaso]   Ford 4.6 modular power in a Pantera

Bohdan Goyaniuk andriykoisg at yahoo.ca
Sun Oct 26 09:22:51 EDT 2008


My 4.6 is normally aspirated.  But ....
   
  1)  I am using the DeTomaso/Wilkinson headers.  With this system, no Oxygen sensor is required at the headers either.
   
  2)  Yes, all the same stock gauges work.
   
  3)   With the DeTomaso/Wilkinson system, all lines run from the top of the fuel tank as with the 351C.  A fuel return line is added to the fuel level sensor at the fuel supply fitting.  As with the 351C, the same fuel supply fitting, supplies fuel to the fuel pump and filter and then to the injector manifold.
   
  4)  My coolant system does not require the two tanks.  (I would rather save the weight)  I single degas tank is added.  A coolant line runs from the oil cooler fitting (the oil cooler is engine cooled by the engine coolant) to the bottom of the degas tank.  The air/degas line that ran from the top right of the radiator (stock line on '74 and later cars) to the recirculating tank is re-routed to run to top of the new degas tank.  The recirulating tank, as I say, is deleted.
  Engine coolant fill is done at the stainless crossover coolant line that runs between the heads (located near the alternator).  There is a fitting that is removed with an allen hex.  
   
  5)  Not sure if there is a supercharger that does not have to be modified.  The systems that I am familiar with had the supercharger engine/transaxle assembly moved back an inch or two.  As a minimum, the rear lugs of the transaxle mount on the car body were modified as well.
   
  Just one more note about weight savings:   Putting engine power aside, for acceleration, automobile weight is the issue.  For high speed, automobile aerodynamics (aerodynamic drag) is the issue.  At one extreme, and not that I care for Lotus cars, Colin Chapman design philosophy was to make his cars to be as light as possible so that he could use smaller engines (relatively lower horsepower when compared to comporable exotics).  Finally, the bonus of saving weight is better handling as well.   So, I thought carefully about things like; an aluminum block versus cast iron, the coolant tanks and their mounting hardware, 
   
  HTH.
   
  B.G.


ncpantera at bellsouth.net wrote:  Since this is such a recent topic, I have some questions about completeing the 4.6 conversion
that my father started.
1. What type of headers are people using? I know some out there have bought what seems to
be an overly priced set from Wilkenson, any other options?
2. Do the sensors work on our old style analog gauges?
3. Is the fuel system still plumbed from the bottom of the tank?? I thought there was someone
who had designed an intank pump on the fuel pickup tube??
4. What type of coolant system redesigns have you used? I plan on using the standard
two tank setup. 
5. What manufacturer of supercharger will work that will not protrude into the firewall?
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