BlackStallion5.0

Ok...heres what I have going on. I have a 88gt speed density set up that I will be converting to mass air. The reason I am doing this is because I also have a set of gt40p heads that I am going to have cleaned up and possibly ported, I have a cobra upper and lower intake that I plan on putting in once I get my tax return lol...

Heres where I am in need of your expertise, installing the computer will be easy but as far as the wiring I wouldnt know where to start and would it be easier to just get a harness or buy the kit that seems to be readily available on ebay?

Next I am going to do a cam, rocker arms, lifters etc. I called summit and asked what would be compatible with gt40p heads and the cobra upper and lowers...he suggested the f303 cam, 1.6 rocker arms and of course hydraulic roller lifters all ford racing that would run me around $650. Is this the best setup or the most cost effective? (the part numbers are listed below) Any Ideas?

Also, I was told I can use the stock pushrods and valves/valve springs...would this be hurt performance?...and how reliable is this and keep in mind this stang wont see the track im just looking for some more ponies.

Thanks for all the input/advice in advance!


Camshaft FMS-6250-F303

Hydraulic Lifters FMS-M-6500-R302

Rocker Arms FMS-M-6564-B351

All Summit Racing parts

67mustang302

Ford lifters and rockers are good quality, but you can get stuff cheaper. The letter cams aren't that great, a custom would be much better.

As always with any setup, what do you plan on doing with it?

goathead75

Custom cam = $$$. Basically if you can afford double the price for the cam, go for it. If you want a budget cam and you're not not seeing track time you'd be happier with an e-cam. The f-cam sounds evil, but the power is higher up in the band than the e-cam. A lot people like the TFS stage 1 cam which would also be a possibility priced about the same as a letter cam, not sure about the power band though. I'm sure someone has a dyno sheet around here on one.

If you are just looking for more ponies and want drivability, definitely check out the powerband of any cam you go with.

goathead75

Wow, $650 for rockers, lifters, and cam is high. Shop around for rockers. You can get letter cams for around $179 and ford racing lifters for about $109. Check e-bay, cjpony parts, and 50resto to look for the best deal. Gotta shop around, you can do better on prices.

stang8689

I would get a comp cam they are alot better and you can get cheaper roller rockers Proforms are $180 and work great also its a good idea to upgrade your springs

BlackStallion5.0

Thanks alot guys def some good info...Yeah I was more or less going off what the guy from summit was saying, like anyone else hes just tryin to hustle a buck...rocker arms and lifters will be easy enough to find but does anyone have a part number or a specific cam in mind, im def new to this and I dont want to get something thats not gonna work with my set up...thanks again!

goathead75

What's your budget for just the cam and do you plan on doing valve springs (something else to consider cost-wise) GT40p's aren't high-flowing heads so you don't need/want something that is going to rev to the moon because there's only so much air you're going to get into the engine.

If your budget is $300-$400 for a cam, you could go with a custom grind if you wanted to. With the head/intake combo you have you'll get a little more...worth the extra $120+ more is debatable.

If your budget is like $200 for the cam, I'd say go with an e-303, trickflow stage 1 or call a comp cams rep and see what they say. Ultimately with that set up I'd be surprised if you saw more than a 10-15hp difference between cams.

.boB

I'm not a huge fan of Ford's letter cams. They're OK, but you can do better. The letter cams are not a dual pattern. Meaning the specs for intake and exhaust are the same. SBF's generally do better with a little bias towards the exhaust.

Comp Cams has a cam selection program you can download for free. It's not the end all, be all. But it's a handy tool to help you make decisions.

Stock springs might be OK, depending on the cam you choose. Using more spring than you need is not a good idea. It will add wear to the engine, and cost you power.

I use only Ford lifters in my engines, and I run them pretty hard. I'v never had a failure. Keith Kraft, Gordon Levy, Mike Forte, and other pro builders do the same.

Rocker arms are plentifull, and range from cheap to not. If the cam you choose has more than .500" lift, then roller rockers will decrease side load and wear on the valve stem. If the cam has less than that, roller rockers really don't add enough power to make it worth the expense. They don't hurt anything, but they don't really help, either.

Stock length push rodas might be OK. And they might not be. You'll need to check the length to make sure the new parts are the same as the old parts. The stock replacements might be just fine, but only if you're using stock replacement springs. If you add bigger springs, you'll need a better push rod. Otherwise it will pogo and you'll get valve float pretty early.

You might also consider a restricter type push rod, to limit the oil to the top end during high rpm's.

67mustang302

I would never cheap out on the valve train, otherwise the engine may eat itself and crap out parts. The stock springs are barely adequate for the stock cam.

BlackStallion5.0

Seems there are many choices to be made but it should be easier now however, thanks for all the help!