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The Ford Coyote V8 Crate Engines That You Can Buy in 2022

When General Motors rolled out the LS, the Ford Motor Company found itself between a rock and a hard place. Chevy squeezed out 345 hp and 350 lb-ft (475 Nm) from the LS1 of the 1997 model year Corvette, besting the 4.6-liter Modular V8 of the Mustang SVT Cobra even though Ford’s engine featured double overhead cams. After much tribulation, FoMoCo launched the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 in 2010 for model year 2011.
Ford Coyote crate engine 8 photos
Photo: Ford
Ford Coyote crate engine (long block)Ford Coyote crate engineFord Coyote crate engine with Tremec manual transmissionFord Coyote crate engine with 10R80 automatic transmissionFord Aluminator 5.2 XS crate engineFord Predator crate engineFord Predator V8 in the Shelby GT500
An extremely popular crate engine that’s much obliged to duke it out with direct-injected LTs from GM and HEMI V8s, the Coyote flaunts dual throttle bodies in the seventh-generation Mustang that’s coming next year for 2024 with approximately 500 horsepower in the Dark Horse. But to understand how the Ford Motor Company developed the Coyote to this extent while General Motors and Chrysler are still loyal to the cam-in-block layout, we first need to understand why FoMoCo chose this displacement.

5.0 versus 6.2 liters for the LS3 and 5.7 liters for the Eagle third-generation HEMI isn’t nearly enough to fend off the competition, but on the other hand, remember that Coyotes feature DOHC valvetrains. Ford also decided on 5.0 liters to remain as close as possible to the physical size of the 4.6-liter V8.

Generous webbing and various improvements on the inside support greater output from this modest displacement, and the intake plenum is located relatively low between the cylinder banks to meet the height constraints of applications such as the Mustang GT. The camshafts are located outboard, making room for the compact roller finger follower setup. Further still, the Coyote marks the automaker’s first implementation of twin independent variable cam timing in a V8 for improved power and reduced emissions.

The first serious update was introduced in the sixth-gen Mustang for the 2015 model year, consisting of improvements to airflow and high engine speed operation. The following update, nicknamed Gen 3, premiered in the 2018 model year Mustang with lots of improvements. Notable changes include an increased bore diameter, PTWA cylinder walls instead of inserted steel sleeves, dual injection, revised heads with 12-mm head bolts, larger intake and exhaust valves, the addition of a cam phaser on the exhaust camshaft, and increased lobe lift for the intake and exhaust camshafts.

Ford Coyote crate engine \(long block\)
Photo: Ford
Turning our attention to crate engines, the Modular-based Coyote is currently available on performanceparts.ford.com for as little as $7,420 for a Gen 3-spec long block. The all-aluminum powerplant develops 460 horsepower at 7,000 revolutions per minute and 420 pound-foot (569 Nm) of torque at 4,600 revolutions per minute if you give it premium gasoline.

Gifted with 12.0:1 compression ratio hypereutectic aluminum pistons and sintered steel connecting rods as used on the Boss 302 Mustang, this fellow is rocking engine mount bosses and bell housing mount pattern common to the 4.6-liter forerunner, a forged steel crankshaft, and a 10-quart oil pan. The long-block assembly doesn’t include an intake manifold, throttle body, fuel rails and injectors, water pump pulley, alternator, exhaust manifolds, flywheel or flexplate, wiring harness, and the powertrain control module.

A proper crate engine will set you back $10,575 at the very least. As opposed to the long block, this configuration includes a composite intake manifold, an 80-mm throttle body with variable runner control, the engine harness, dual mass flywheel or flexplate, and an exhaust manifold on the right side only. The vehicle harness, alternator, and PCM aren’t included.

For use by NMRA-Coyote stock racing competitors, a sealed version of this crate engine can be purchased for $11,125. Customers need to provide proof of NMRA membership to Ford Performance for the order to be accepted. Next up, the Blue Oval is much obliged to take $14,580 of your hard-earned cash for M-6007-A50NAB, the Aluminator Coyote that sweetens the deal with Mahle hard anodized forged pistons that feature Grafal low-friction coating. Manley H-beam connecting rods, ARP 2000 bolts, a performance oil filter, trick spark plugs, and billet gerotor oil pump gears are included.

Ford Aluminator 5\.2 XS crate engine
Photo: Ford
M-6007-A50SCB is the part number for the low-compression version of this Aluminator-spec Coyote, which runs at 9.5:1 because it’s meant for supercharged applications. M-9000-PMCM3 and M-9000-PMCA3A are engine-transmission packages that include the engine controller, wiring harness, and Boss 302 alternator kit. The main difference between these two $20,870 packages is the transmission: a 6-speed manual good for 700 lb-ft (516 Nm) or a 10-speed automatic that handles up to 800 Nm (590 lb-ft).

The penultimate entry on the list is the Aluminator 5.2 XS, which is twinned with the 5.2-liter Voodoo V8 of the Shelby GT350. Equipped with a cross-plane crankshaft instead of a flat-plane crankshaft, this performance-oriented engine is a high-rpm design that develops 580 horsepower at 7,800 revs. 445 pound-foot (603 Nm) of torque are developed at 4,500 revs. Some of its highlights include the Cobra Jet-tuned intake, dual bore 65-mm throttle body, fully CNC-ported aluminum heads, PAC valve springs, performance camshafts, 47-lb fuel injectors, 200-amp alternator, and FEAD kit.

M-6007-A52XS may seem expensive at $26,495, but M-6007-M52SC levels up to $28,935 because it’s the 5.2-liter Predator V8 of the Shelby GT500. The ultimate expression of the Coyote – and Modular engine family for that matter - this lump also uses a cross-plane crankshaft. Weighing in at 536 pounds (243 kilograms) without front-end accessory drive components, the supercharged V8 features a 92-millimeter throttle body.

The most powerful series-production engine from the Ford Motor Company thus far uses an Eaton TVS R2650 supercharger. The air that enters the throttle body is compressed to 12 pounds per square inch by the rotors located in the V of the 760-hp engine. Cooled off by a large intercooler, the air is then directed downward to the intake runners and intake valves. As opposed to the 5.0-liter Coyote that combines port and direct injection, the Predator uses only port injection. Considering that General Motors integrated both in the LT5 of the C7 ZR1, the Ford Motor Company can do better, and it most likely will for the seventh-generation Shelby GT500.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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