Shane361
06-01-2006, 10:28 AM
Mostly opinion..but hope you all find it educational :blkvnm:
First let's remember the engine is nothing more than an air pump. As you increase the airflow in or out you must make changes on the opposing side of the engine.
Now with that said.
Gears: To wake the lame A/T up, I say lame in a nice way, get gears. Some say 3.73's and some will say 4.10's for a manual and 4.10’s for an A/T. This is a debate on all forums and it is really up to you. If you do a lot of highway then you may feel 3.73's are for you. The difference in rpms at 80 in a 5 Speed is 200 rpms. I'm not sure on the A/T's gearing. I have owned both the SOHC (02 GT) and the DOHC(Mach1) 02 GT(manual) had 4.10's and still got 27 mpg on the highway and 20 in town.
I would recommend :
SOHC: Manual- 4.10’s(N/A) 3.73’s(F/I) Auto(4.10)
DOHC: Maunal-(4.30’s(N/A) 4.10(F/I) Auto(4.30)
You maybe interested in going 4.56 if you see more track than highway.
Rear: If you are going to race your stang I would recommend getting new axles. the 28 spline axles we have are weak! get some 31 spline forged Moser's, or Strange axles. there are many trac-loc's out there too. I've heard the FRPP trac-loc works just fine with the 31 splines. It might be a good idea to do the gears and the axles all at once since you will be working in the same area. gears and rear buildup will cost in the neigborhood of $1000
Chip/Programmer: A/T's need a chip to recalibrate the speedo. Adjust shift points and firmness. Normally a chip will be useless with a stock motor. Get all your performance mods and then get a dyno tune by a reputable shop. Find out ahead of time what software they use. This way you purchase the correct tuner for them to download the programs too. You don’t want to get a Diablo if your local shop use’s SCT and visa versa.
Headers: Long tube headers are the best flowing but not always a the most street legal. Ford also produces a FRPP shorty headers but some have had QC problems with the welds. L/T’s will give you the best gains on the 4.6’s, while shorties are basically a waste of money for the 4.6. 5.0’s will gain a little with shorties over the stock manifolds.
H-Pipe/X-Pipe: If you do not have emission testing in your area then an O/R H-pipe. You can get a good catted h-pipe if emissions and warranty issues are a concern. I would recommend the H-pipe for the A/T because it will maintain the low-end torque desperately needed in the A/T. The X-pipe will produce higher HP, maybe 5 hp but we seldom travel at 150-mph. Tq wins races HP gives top end.
Cat-Back: There are many on the market. Flowmaster is the cheapest and ..Well you get what you pay for. They will give you the deep sound but are not the best performing exhaust. The better flowing mufflers are Magnaflow, Dynomax, and Borla. There are more. Check out www.mustangexhaust.com they have sound clips and good product reviews.
Cold Air Intake: K&N FIPK all the way. Unless you get the Densecharger kit. Densecharger was rated the best and K&N sec. JLT is also producing some quality products lately also so don’t rule them out.
Mass Air Flow meter (MAF): Pro-M MAF is better if you are thinking forced induction latter. I've heard others in the FI world recommending the Pro-M over the C&L. C&L will lean you’re A/F and could cause some issues. So make sure you get the vehicle dyno tuned. If you order mail order then make sure the programmer doesn’t modify the fuel curve too much. C&L has been known for causing trouble in the tunes.
Upper Intake Plenum: There are a few upper intakes out there. C&L, Accufab, and Dragon to mention a few. The Accufab Plenum with a 70 or 75mm TB has produced the best numbers.
Electric Water PumpMeziere water pumps are simple to install with the relay kit. They will pump 55 gpm no matter what. This is also helpful if you are at the track and you want to run your fan to cool things off between rounds. You can hook the fans and he water pump up to a toggle switch and you will not need to run the car to cool things off. The water will circulate as the fans cool the water down. It’s also good for a few ponies too.
Intake manifold: I have seen a metal replacement to the engines weakest link, the plastic intake. It will run around $1200 but will produce 25-30 HP. I will post more info when I locate it again.
DOHC non-S/C have the option of a ported and polished intake also. These have been known to produce good gains too. This is available for about $400 without a core charge. Similiar ones from SH and PHP will cost $1200 with a core.
Intake Spacers:
SOHC: These are basically a waste of money. They do not significantly add air volumne.
DOHC: These have been known to give minimal increase but work well with the ported and polished intake. The spacers are 1/2" tall. Currently there is research being done on taller spacers for the intakes.
Underdrive Pulleys: The best ones on the market are the Steeda pulleys. They are the only ones SFI approved. U/D pulleys will free up parasmatic load on the engine. DO NOT use piggyback pulley’s. They are known to cause problems so spend a little extra and get the right ones.
Suspension: Again, it depends on what you want the car for. If drag racing is its main use then you need a lot more help than I can give you. But for the street and occasional track get some LCA's. LCA's will help with the wheel spin and get the power to the ground. Don't worry about the UCA's they are ok on the street. K- Member will help not only with fitting L/T headers in but will help lighten up the front end.
Springs: If you want to lower your car more than 1.5" than you will need CC plates. Many companies sell springs. Eibach has a reputation for sagging after awhile. Others out there like H&R do not and are a better buy.
Subframe Connectors: purchase a good set of FULL LENGTH subframe connectors. You want the ones with the cross bracket minimum. maximum motorsports and Kenny Brown have good sets of weld in subframes. Any muffler shop can weld these in for a few bucks. Maximum Motorsports also has the torque box reinforcements.
Shifter: Ok we all know the stock shifter has something to be desired. So aftermarket has come to the rescue. There are a few shifters to choose from UPR Blur Thunder, Steeda Tri-Ax, MGW, and Pro-50. I personnally have used the Tri-ax on the GT and I currently use the Pro50 with the steeda handle on the Mach1. I like this combination better than the pro50 handle.
Clutch Quadrant/Cable/Firewall Adjuster: The stock clutch quadrant is plastic and is known to break. It is advised to have this swapped out with an aftermarket one too. There are a few manufacturers of this too. Steeda, UPR, BBK, and FRPP all make metal replacements. get one of these and the firewall adjuster and adjustable cable too. the complete setup will run about $100. You will then be able to adjust the clutch from the firewall and with the cable. There is basically no adjustment for the stock clutch.
Sorry for the lengthy post but maybe this will answer a few common questions. I know there maybe a few differences of opinion and that’s ok. Post up what you have found to work best also. We all have had good and bad experiences with different combo’s out there. I know there are many companies developing parts for our cars, so some info may not be up to the minute also.
First let's remember the engine is nothing more than an air pump. As you increase the airflow in or out you must make changes on the opposing side of the engine.
Now with that said.
Gears: To wake the lame A/T up, I say lame in a nice way, get gears. Some say 3.73's and some will say 4.10's for a manual and 4.10’s for an A/T. This is a debate on all forums and it is really up to you. If you do a lot of highway then you may feel 3.73's are for you. The difference in rpms at 80 in a 5 Speed is 200 rpms. I'm not sure on the A/T's gearing. I have owned both the SOHC (02 GT) and the DOHC(Mach1) 02 GT(manual) had 4.10's and still got 27 mpg on the highway and 20 in town.
I would recommend :
SOHC: Manual- 4.10’s(N/A) 3.73’s(F/I) Auto(4.10)
DOHC: Maunal-(4.30’s(N/A) 4.10(F/I) Auto(4.30)
You maybe interested in going 4.56 if you see more track than highway.
Rear: If you are going to race your stang I would recommend getting new axles. the 28 spline axles we have are weak! get some 31 spline forged Moser's, or Strange axles. there are many trac-loc's out there too. I've heard the FRPP trac-loc works just fine with the 31 splines. It might be a good idea to do the gears and the axles all at once since you will be working in the same area. gears and rear buildup will cost in the neigborhood of $1000
Chip/Programmer: A/T's need a chip to recalibrate the speedo. Adjust shift points and firmness. Normally a chip will be useless with a stock motor. Get all your performance mods and then get a dyno tune by a reputable shop. Find out ahead of time what software they use. This way you purchase the correct tuner for them to download the programs too. You don’t want to get a Diablo if your local shop use’s SCT and visa versa.
Headers: Long tube headers are the best flowing but not always a the most street legal. Ford also produces a FRPP shorty headers but some have had QC problems with the welds. L/T’s will give you the best gains on the 4.6’s, while shorties are basically a waste of money for the 4.6. 5.0’s will gain a little with shorties over the stock manifolds.
H-Pipe/X-Pipe: If you do not have emission testing in your area then an O/R H-pipe. You can get a good catted h-pipe if emissions and warranty issues are a concern. I would recommend the H-pipe for the A/T because it will maintain the low-end torque desperately needed in the A/T. The X-pipe will produce higher HP, maybe 5 hp but we seldom travel at 150-mph. Tq wins races HP gives top end.
Cat-Back: There are many on the market. Flowmaster is the cheapest and ..Well you get what you pay for. They will give you the deep sound but are not the best performing exhaust. The better flowing mufflers are Magnaflow, Dynomax, and Borla. There are more. Check out www.mustangexhaust.com they have sound clips and good product reviews.
Cold Air Intake: K&N FIPK all the way. Unless you get the Densecharger kit. Densecharger was rated the best and K&N sec. JLT is also producing some quality products lately also so don’t rule them out.
Mass Air Flow meter (MAF): Pro-M MAF is better if you are thinking forced induction latter. I've heard others in the FI world recommending the Pro-M over the C&L. C&L will lean you’re A/F and could cause some issues. So make sure you get the vehicle dyno tuned. If you order mail order then make sure the programmer doesn’t modify the fuel curve too much. C&L has been known for causing trouble in the tunes.
Upper Intake Plenum: There are a few upper intakes out there. C&L, Accufab, and Dragon to mention a few. The Accufab Plenum with a 70 or 75mm TB has produced the best numbers.
Electric Water PumpMeziere water pumps are simple to install with the relay kit. They will pump 55 gpm no matter what. This is also helpful if you are at the track and you want to run your fan to cool things off between rounds. You can hook the fans and he water pump up to a toggle switch and you will not need to run the car to cool things off. The water will circulate as the fans cool the water down. It’s also good for a few ponies too.
Intake manifold: I have seen a metal replacement to the engines weakest link, the plastic intake. It will run around $1200 but will produce 25-30 HP. I will post more info when I locate it again.
DOHC non-S/C have the option of a ported and polished intake also. These have been known to produce good gains too. This is available for about $400 without a core charge. Similiar ones from SH and PHP will cost $1200 with a core.
Intake Spacers:
SOHC: These are basically a waste of money. They do not significantly add air volumne.
DOHC: These have been known to give minimal increase but work well with the ported and polished intake. The spacers are 1/2" tall. Currently there is research being done on taller spacers for the intakes.
Underdrive Pulleys: The best ones on the market are the Steeda pulleys. They are the only ones SFI approved. U/D pulleys will free up parasmatic load on the engine. DO NOT use piggyback pulley’s. They are known to cause problems so spend a little extra and get the right ones.
Suspension: Again, it depends on what you want the car for. If drag racing is its main use then you need a lot more help than I can give you. But for the street and occasional track get some LCA's. LCA's will help with the wheel spin and get the power to the ground. Don't worry about the UCA's they are ok on the street. K- Member will help not only with fitting L/T headers in but will help lighten up the front end.
Springs: If you want to lower your car more than 1.5" than you will need CC plates. Many companies sell springs. Eibach has a reputation for sagging after awhile. Others out there like H&R do not and are a better buy.
Subframe Connectors: purchase a good set of FULL LENGTH subframe connectors. You want the ones with the cross bracket minimum. maximum motorsports and Kenny Brown have good sets of weld in subframes. Any muffler shop can weld these in for a few bucks. Maximum Motorsports also has the torque box reinforcements.
Shifter: Ok we all know the stock shifter has something to be desired. So aftermarket has come to the rescue. There are a few shifters to choose from UPR Blur Thunder, Steeda Tri-Ax, MGW, and Pro-50. I personnally have used the Tri-ax on the GT and I currently use the Pro50 with the steeda handle on the Mach1. I like this combination better than the pro50 handle.
Clutch Quadrant/Cable/Firewall Adjuster: The stock clutch quadrant is plastic and is known to break. It is advised to have this swapped out with an aftermarket one too. There are a few manufacturers of this too. Steeda, UPR, BBK, and FRPP all make metal replacements. get one of these and the firewall adjuster and adjustable cable too. the complete setup will run about $100. You will then be able to adjust the clutch from the firewall and with the cable. There is basically no adjustment for the stock clutch.
Sorry for the lengthy post but maybe this will answer a few common questions. I know there maybe a few differences of opinion and that’s ok. Post up what you have found to work best also. We all have had good and bad experiences with different combo’s out there. I know there are many companies developing parts for our cars, so some info may not be up to the minute also.