One man has dedicated 20-plus years of his life to expanding on what Ford started after introducing this overhead cam V8, and that’s John Mihovetz; owner and operator of Accufab Racing. His 2008 Pro Mod Mustang holds the world record for being the quickest and fastest Modular motor ever, with an outstanding 5.88 E.T. at over 250 mph.

During the last 20 years, Mihovetz has been the man behind a majority of every single modular record in the 1/4-mile. Being the first in the 8-,7-,6, and 5-second zones with a modular engine. His portfolio of achievements with this engine platform is quite a lengthy one, which alone makes him the ‘mod motor authority.’ Mihovetz is the ideal candidate to rifle through the common misconceptions that surround this highly potent engine platform.

When it comes to modular engines, it’s not the iron block that reigns supreme in regards to making significant power. The aluminum factory ‘Teksid’ 4.6 and ‘Cobra Jet’ 5.4 blocks are the pinnacles of horsepower potential. This potential is completely head-to-head in terms of performance, with both factory blocks providing exponential promise in the 1/8-mile to standing-mile competition. Instead of following the thought process that one engine is better than the other, we asked about the misconceptions of comparing the two powerplants.

“That’s a general misconception,” Mihovetz said in regards to iron blocks being stronger than aluminum ones. “Ideally, it depends on strength, and what you’re doing. Certainly, the iron block is a pretty decent piece up to a point, and if you’re below that point it works fine. If strength is required beyond, by far the Teksid block is the best piece — specifically the 4.6 4-valve engines.”

Mihovetz continued his thoughts on the comparison. “It’s the same issue with the 5.4 block. The biggest negative thing about the iron block is that the cylinders are too thin on an untouched block. If you sonic-check the thickness, you would find that it’s between .120- to .125-inch, so it’s just too thin,” He said. “And, of course, everyone thinks bigger is better, so they bore it .030 over and thin the cylinder wall out even more.”

“With that being said, as soon as you make decent power the block ends up splitting. Where the aluminum block has an advantage, specifically, is in the case of the cylinder liner,” Mihovetz explained. “A typical sleeve is 90-thousandths thick in its stock form, and then you have anywhere from a 1/4- to 3/8-inch added wall thickness of aluminum to back it up. This added material helps keep the cylinders round.”

According to Mihovetz, as cylinder pressure builds in both the 5.4 and 4.6 iron blocks, the issue of cylinder sleeves only being supported top and bottom becomes a consideration. This shortfall reduces the potential of the block and does not allow for a reliable base to make a massive amount of power.

We don’t just build it, we race it.
Over 20 years of race proven Ford Mod Motor development.
Our 4.6L and 5.4L Ford mod motors are the fastest mod motors in the world.

What we do:
Build serious 4.6L and 5.4L Ford Mod Motor engines.
Strip or Street.
Specialize in Turbo and Supercharged applications.
Motec Engine Tuning.
Turn Key Cars.
We don’t make excuses or false promises!

Please contact John Mihovetz directly by calling 909-930-1751.

ACCUFAB 4.6L/5.4L ENGINE COMPONENT – PARTS

Did you know Accufab offers custom ordering for many well known racing brands? We have the BEST connections in the industry to meet all of your engine building needs.

Within three business days, expert specs will be given to you personally by John Mihovetz, NHRA Record Holder & NHRA Engineering Award recipient.

Please follow this link for additional Ford Mod Motor Parts manufactured by Accufab.