The 96 4.6 2-valve engines have performance issues. Not a great head, not a great intake and a very mild cam profile result in a fairly boring engine that doesn't rev to it's potential. The 96 Cobra addressed these issues with a DOHC version of the 4.6 with 4 valves per cylinder helping the power band reach all the way to 7000 RPM.
A slightly milder version of this engine had been used in the Lincolns for a few years. I started searching the classifieds for a likely engine doner. Found a 93 Lincoln Mark VIII with a serious case of floor rot


The engine was complete and the compression test was good but the wires and hoses had been mouse food for a while...


The motor was gunged up inside, the IMRC plates had stuck open on one side, shut on the other, the IAC was pooched and the poor EEC couldn't figure out all the vacuum leaks and bad sensors. But I believed in it :lol: