Was busy timing my wrist watch collection and searching the Internet at the same time (I like to multi-task). It's sorta like talking on the cell phone and driving while eating an ice cream cone on a 90 degree day without the car's A/C turned on. Yeah, surfing the Internet is sorta like that....

Came across a Motor Trend article about the new 2011 Mustang 5.0 GT. Yes, the 5.0 GT returns, but not with the well honored cam in block 3 inch stroke, 4 inch bore 5.0 L engine, this one is new, sort of. This engine has twin overhead cams per cylinder bank (4 cams, count them), continuously variable, I'm guessing 4 valves per head and a 6 spd transmixer. But, get this....it puts out 412 hp and about 390 ft lbs of torque. The body looks a bit better than before, and more like the 1964 Mustangs, so maybe there is an improvement there?

However, the article said that with that much hp, Ford had to make the crank forged! Yeah, a forged crank. Hmmm....seems to me that since this engine is built on the 4.6 L architecture that they are using the same forged crank, or something similar, so there is no great progress there. Ford never could build an engine right--they always seem to screw up the details. It should be looked at more like...it's a powerful engine without enough room for a proper crankshaft, so they had to build it from forged rather than cast, and that means to make more hp (don't even think of it), the owner would have to build the engine with an even stronger crank and there is no more room for bigger (which usually translates to stronger) like there is in a typical LT1 or LS1 series of engines. I've seen a 4.6 L engine scattered on a shop floor and the "forged" crankshaft was a dreadful joke--looked like a whimpy noodle, very poor quality...even the shop owner was joking about it and he built championship Formula Ford engines (he won the Forumula Ford Championship that year)!

What I think would be interesting is to watch how long this new GT engine lasts. Are the muddlebrains that buy Mustangs gonna go out and race every 15 year old Firebird they can find? Probably, and that won't help the lifespan of that engine.

Anybody out there hear of any problems with the 4.6L engine and its forged crankshaft?

Yup, IMO more parts means more problems/ things to break. Keep it simple I always say, just 1 bumpstick, pushrods, etc... time honored design. Just wondering, would this be considered Ford's 3rd gen. engine 5.0...4.6...5.0?

I've seen more than one video of a SC Cobra blowing it's insides out after a pulley swap.