I just had a question for those of you that know a lot more about car engines than I do:

What made Ford decide to use SOHC for the 4.0 V6, and OHV for the 4.6 V8, and what makes the OHV design better for the 4.6 V8 engine? Is it a perfomance increase, or is it more about reliability?

 

the 4.6 is a SOHC design, not a OHV (pushrod) design.

 

Hrm according to Ford.com its an OHV, maybe i misread

 

i think the last mustang engines to use the ohv design were the last generation v-6 3.8's.

 

Okay I think its a mistake on the Ford website then.
http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/mus...eatures/specs/

If you read it there it says OHV

BUT

If you read this

http://www.fordvehicles.com/asp/popu...nPopupID=10642

Says SOHC



Or maybe there's something I just don't understand.

 

Every modern engine has been an OHV (OverHead Valve) since the Rambler 6's of the mid 60's. It originally just meant the valves were above (over) the pistons instead of beside the pistons as in the old flathead engines.

Now adays OHV is used to designate engines with have the cam low in the block and use push rods and rocker arms to open the valves. SOHC (Single OverHead Cam) is used to designate an engine that places its cam in the head above the valves. SOHC means one cam above each bank and DOHC means two cams for each bank.

Hope that helped.

The Boss Hog

 

^^ What he said. OHC = cams above valves, OHV = cam in block.

 

Not quite, OHV = Everything.

 

Yes i understand what overhead valve means, but if what you are saying is true, why would they say the V6 is SOHC and then write the GT as 4.6 OHV. I mean you may as well go and say SOHC for both. So maybe it is a typo

 

it is a typo. Yes everything technically has the valves over the head, but OHV is strictly used to describe pushrod motors nowadays.