I am right on the eve of sending the book on the GT to the printer but am trying to decide which experimental engine most closely resembles the Ford GT engine. I am leaning toward the Concept Lightning truck which I think was first shown around 2003. But then the earlier show engines from the Mach III engine and Super Stallion also seem to be very close. Does anyone have any clue as to which engine they went with as the deadline closed in?
Which engine inspired the Ford GT's?
- Thread starter bitzman
- Start date
Fast Freddy
GPS'D 225 MPH
the GT's engine is a blend of 3 different ford modular engines with some all together new engineering specific to this motor only to tie all 3 from the past together and make everything work right. obviously at 5.4 litres in displacement this is straight out 1999-2004 lightning. the lightning only has a a single overhead cam with 2 valves per cylinder; but then then the double overhead cam cylinder heads that the GT has are like the svt cobra's 4.6 litre engine that was made in 2003 & 2004. the 4 valve cylinder heads have been tweaked in a way that is similar but better than the 300 cobra r's that were made in 2000. of course the 12 quart dry sump system is entirely new. beyond that everything has been customized to work specifically for this unique engine. the svt cobra & lightnings supercharged engines utilized a intercooled eaton blower with 10 & 8 lbs of boost respectively from the factory. the twin screw rotor supercharger that the GT has is a much better design and runs 12 lbs of boost. the GT's engine has a way bigger fuel system, throttle body, etc then any of these previous engines. all of these previous engines came with rods that were weaker than the forged pistons they came with. this problem seems to have been solved with the new GT engine.
from what i hear the new GT engines long block, fuel and spark system is good to 1000 hp. all you need to do is add more air and tune your engine and you are there. it has even been proven to pass californias strict tail pipe emission tests with 635 rwhp. it is without a doubt the trickest factory hot rod engine to ever be released in a production car in the USA. :bow
from what i hear the new GT engines long block, fuel and spark system is good to 1000 hp. all you need to do is add more air and tune your engine and you are there. it has even been proven to pass californias strict tail pipe emission tests with 635 rwhp. it is without a doubt the trickest factory hot rod engine to ever be released in a production car in the USA. :bow
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dbtgt
One lucky SOB to own a GT
I read somewhere (in a mag on an airplane I'm sure!) that the Ford GT team started with the basic Mod engine from the Lightning PU and put it on the dyno and proceeded to "break it". Once they saw it's weaknesses, they then re-engineered it to be the beast it is today - unique to the GT - and practically bullitt proof! :eek
If the GT engine resembles any engine it's far and away that from the 2000R.
1) It's the only other 5.4 DOHC
2) They both have aluminum blocks and heads
3) The heads are almost exactly the same, the block is a bit different on the GT due to the dry sump and starter.
There is a difference in compression ratio and some things in the valvetrain as well.
What did they learn from the 03/04 Cobra? Don't have a piston to wall clearance of .001 with a forged piston on a FI application. Oh yea, and don't forget to drill cooling jackets in the passenger side head so cylinders 7 and 8 actually get cooling and don't run 25* hotter than everything else. Yep, thats right...Ford put 13,000+ 03/04 cobras on the streets with crap passenger side heads.
1) It's the only other 5.4 DOHC
2) They both have aluminum blocks and heads
3) The heads are almost exactly the same, the block is a bit different on the GT due to the dry sump and starter.
There is a difference in compression ratio and some things in the valvetrain as well.
What did they learn from the 03/04 Cobra? Don't have a piston to wall clearance of .001 with a forged piston on a FI application. Oh yea, and don't forget to drill cooling jackets in the passenger side head so cylinders 7 and 8 actually get cooling and don't run 25* hotter than everything else. Yep, thats right...Ford put 13,000+ 03/04 cobras on the streets with crap passenger side heads.
satx
Well-known member
Awsum GT
GT Owner '18
As far as research...
I know posting on the Forum might seem a wierd way to do research but I have found out many so-called "secrets" in the car world by posting on various forums because you never know who the forumites might have talked to at some cocktail party and gotten the "real story" behind such and such a car. After dealing with company PR staff for 30 plus years I know there's always the PR story and then there's the real story and sometimes quite a gap between the two. At one point when I was in Dearborn trying to interview a Ford GT engineer,there was a PR man on my left and a PR man on my right, both rirmlydetermined not to let the engineer speak of anything that didn't toe the company line. I think we got the basic story right as you shall see but those lucky enough to attend the gathering in Detroit will hear lots of good stories about the car's development and build that I hope will filter out to the rest of the fans eventually so we know beyond the PR version.
As an example of a story well hidden for decades, GM once spent $2 million building a rotary engined mid-engined show car called the Two Rotor (bodied by Pininfarina). But one day decades later Zora Arkus-Duntov mentioned to a reporter that it was really built on a Porsche 914 chassis! That sunk the car's fate, GM gave it away rather than admit they had built the world's most expensive customized Porsche. It's secrets like that I regard as treasured items in the car world...
I know posting on the Forum might seem a wierd way to do research but I have found out many so-called "secrets" in the car world by posting on various forums because you never know who the forumites might have talked to at some cocktail party and gotten the "real story" behind such and such a car. After dealing with company PR staff for 30 plus years I know there's always the PR story and then there's the real story and sometimes quite a gap between the two. At one point when I was in Dearborn trying to interview a Ford GT engineer,there was a PR man on my left and a PR man on my right, both rirmlydetermined not to let the engineer speak of anything that didn't toe the company line. I think we got the basic story right as you shall see but those lucky enough to attend the gathering in Detroit will hear lots of good stories about the car's development and build that I hope will filter out to the rest of the fans eventually so we know beyond the PR version.
As an example of a story well hidden for decades, GM once spent $2 million building a rotary engined mid-engined show car called the Two Rotor (bodied by Pininfarina). But one day decades later Zora Arkus-Duntov mentioned to a reporter that it was really built on a Porsche 914 chassis! That sunk the car's fate, GM gave it away rather than admit they had built the world's most expensive customized Porsche. It's secrets like that I regard as treasured items in the car world...
Here's a pic of the Lightning Concept truck engine
http://www.pickuptruck.com/html/autoshows/naias2003/ford/lightning2.html
They say it has 500 hp. which they said the GT had before they upped it to 550. What do you think as far as being the GT engine's ancestor?
http://www.pickuptruck.com/html/autoshows/naias2003/ford/lightning2.html
They say it has 500 hp. which they said the GT had before they upped it to 550. What do you think as far as being the GT engine's ancestor?