There’s no denying that the 5.0-liter Coyote engine is one of the most popular powerplants to roll off of a Blue Oval assembly line. However, it does have a weakness, and that is the aluminum block construction., Even when sleeved, it still has limits at extreme power levels. Until now…

Ford Performance has released what they are calling the “Werewolf” engine block. A cast-iron variant of the Coyote block, it is designed to take an extreme amount of abuse. “This block has the capability to go to 5.6-liters,” says Ford Performance’s Ron Ewert. “It can be bored to 95mm and stroked to 99mm. We made some changes in the crankcase to raise the ceiling. This allows for more rod-path clearance to get that much stroke.”

In addition to the ability to go with a bigger bore and stroke, there are also some structural improvements that have been made. “We added a bridge on the bottom water opening for added strength in the deck-face, and it’s got long 12mm head-bolt holes. It will have billet steel six-bolt main caps and all the oil passages are drilled not cast,” Ewert explains.

It will retain the factory dimensions in key areas — like main-bearing bore and deck height — along with the factory 100mm Coyote bore-spacing. “It’s Class-50 cast iron, so it’s a stronger iron than you would see in a typical production cast-iron block. Quite frankly, we don’t know what the power limit is”, Ewert says.

Aimed at big-horsepower power-adder combinations, this block isn’t designed for mild builds. “The drag racers running shootout-level classes are going through several OEM blocks per year, this should get them through a season without any issues,” Ewert says.

As for price and availability, Ewert says Ford Performance is shooting for the end of the first quarter of 2020, with a targeted, suggested retail price between $5,000 and $6,000. “You can buy this block at this price point or spend twice as much on a billet block,” concludes Ewert. While the final weight of the block is yet to be determined, it’s nice to know that in the world of huge-power Coyotes, there is another option coming to market, that will come in at less than five-figures.