Project Flat Out (Part 1): Swapping a Coyote 5.0L Into a 1936 Ford

Factory Ford cam phasers (seen here on the end of each camshaft) are oil-actuated and provide up to 50 degrees of advance on the intake camshaft and 50 degrees of retard on the exhaust camshaft. This results in large improvements for power and torque with the added benefit of emissions improvements.

With two camshafts per cylinder head, there’s lots going on under a valve cover on the Coyote. The overhead-camshaft design means there are no heavy rocker arms or pushrods to weigh down the valvetrain.

Ford Racing’s Coyote control pack comes with the majority of the hard parts you’ll need to facilitate your swap – a PCM and wiring harness, oxygen sensors, and a drive-by-wire throttle pedal. It also comes with an inlet duct assembly to fit a Mustang, but you’ll most likely have to follow the instructions to properly fabricate your own.

The accessory drive solution from Turn Key Engines keeps all of the components tucked in tight to the engine for clearance in size-limited applications. Exhaust manifolds are a slightly sticky issue, as the headers that come with the engine are designed for the late-model Mustang and likely won’t work in an earlier application. Ford Racing Parts offers a set of cast-iron manifolds that will bolt right up and allow you to fabricate your own exhaust from the termination point and their block-hugging design will work well in an application where there is limited room.

The Rod Authority team has not determined which of COMP Cams’ grind designs we will be using in our Coyote, but rest assured it’ll provide a nice increase in power.

COMP Cams Phaser Limiters are required with the camshaft upgrade. The phaser limiters will prevent the valves from contacting the pistons at the extreme ends of the camshaft’s operating range. COMP Cams Phaser Limiters prevent the camshafts from advancing or retarding more than 25 degrees.

The Coyote is set in the framerails for mock-up and ready to be mated to the transmission.