Ford 5.2L "Voodoo" Flat Plane V-8

5.2L Flat Plane V-8 Engine Specs, Info

Ford's 5.2L "Voodoo" V-8 is all about the revs - 8,250 of them, to be exact. The engine's flat plane crankshaft design encourages serious high RPM performance characteristics. An undersquare bore-stroke ratio and 12 : 1 compression ensures that the engine finds the sweet spot rapidly, and 5 bolt mains hold the bottom end together under severe conditions. The 5.2L V-8 has a 102 horsepower per liter of displacement (1.7 hp/cid), which is considered relatively high for a naturally aspirated engine. The engine is exclusive to the 2015+ Shelby Mustang GT350/GT350R, which was introduced several years after the death of renowned automobile designer and race car driver Carroll Shelby. While Carroll Shelby was unable to experience the car for himself, we're positive the engine's performance would have received his stamp of approval.

The basis of the 5.2L V-8 is the flat plane crankshaft, which utilizes crankshaft throws 180 degrees apart as opposed to the 90 degree crank throws typically used in a cross plane V-8 engine design. The terms "flat" and "cross" plane relate to the orientation of the connecting rods - looking longitudinally down the center of a cross plane crankshaft, the connecting rod pin locations appear to form the shape of a cross. Meanwhile, all the connector rod pins in a flat plane V-8 are located on the same plane and oppose one another. Flat plane crankshaft designs are rarely used in production vehicles, but are the foundation of high revving race engines since they favor excellent performance characteristics at greater engine speeds.

The engine's undercarriage includes forged steel I beam connecting rods, a forged steel crankshaft, and 5 bolt main caps. Ford claims that 90% of the 5.2L's peak torque is maintained from 3,450 to 7,000 rpm, which contributes to the GT350's impressive performance characteristics. It appeared on Ward's "10 best engines" list for 2016, which is one of many accolades the design has achieved. If Ford ever decides to bring back the Lightning F-150, we'd suggest that the 5.2L V-8 and a manual transmission would surely be a show stopper.

Ford 5.2L "Voodoo" Flat Plane V-8 Specs

Engine:

Ford 5.2L "Voodoo" Flat Plane V-8

Applications:

2015 - current Shelby Mustang GT350/GT350R

Displacement:

315 cid, 5.2 liters, 5163 cc

Assembly Plant:

Romeo, Michigan

Bore x Stroke:

3.70" x 3.66" (94 mm x 93 mm)

Compression Ratio:

12.0 : 1

Block Material:

Aluminum

Cyl. Head Material:

Aluminum

Aspiration:

Naturally aspirated, 87 mm throttle body

Injection:

Sequential multi-port fuel injection

Fuel Requirement:

Premium 91+ octane unleaded gasoline

Valvetrain:

DOHC, 32 valve (4v per cylinder), roller finger followers

Cooling System Capacity:

15.2 qts (14.4 liters)

Engine Oil Capacity:

10 qts w/ filter

Peak Horsepower:

526 hp @ 7,500 rpm

Peak Torque:

429 lb-ft @ 4,750 rpm

Max Engine Speed:

8,250 rpm

Rated Fuel Economy:

14 mpg city, 21 mpg highway, 16 mpg combined