Commonly asked ???'s about Mods.
03-20-2006, 08:35 PM
#1
Mustang Nazi
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Texas, baby
Posts: 13,444
Commonly asked ???'s about Mods.
This write up presented by IWinULose...
For a few months now in the 4.6 section, I have noticed that when you enter the section, there are 20 or so threads, and out of those 20, 15 of the questions have already been asked. So in an attempt to help Code cut down on some of that, here are answers to some of the most asked questions.
(Most of this applies to 99-04 Gts.)
The 4.6 comes stock at the crank with 260hp. That equates to about 220rwhp. It is hard to get a stock block with stock internals above 300rwhp with just bolt ons. It will not be cheap and will require lots of time and effort, along with research.
The stock block can handle about 440rwhp with forced induction, give or take. The 4.6 is capable of handling a turbo, supercharger, or nitrous. A turbo will make more power with less boost most of the time, although will more then likely cost more. A supercharger is commonly thought of as the best way to make loads more power for the money, shall we call it the once and done theory? Put it on, get a tune, and have 360-420rwhp with no problem.
Suggested supercharger PSIs for stock 4.6s range from 6 to 10. If you want nitrous, you can run a 125 shot of it on your 4.6. It will handle that. If you decide to stay naturally aspirated (n/a), a common list of bolt ons is this: Gears, exhaust, cold air induction, handheld tuners, throttle body, plenum, under drive pulleys(UDP), and short throw shifters, among others.
Gears are a great way to give your vehicle a little pickup. They make no change in horsepower, they just change the ratio as to which your tires spin compared to rpms of the motor. Commonly used ratios include 3.73s, 3.90s, 4.10s and 4.30s. A common myth is that if you go with 4.10s or above, your gas milage will decrease. This is false. Everyone has an opinion on what to run, but that should be a personal choice. 3.73s and 3.90s are a nice all around gear, and will be an improvement over 3.27s. Some say the 3.73s and 3.90s are not enough, and instead opt for 4.10s or 4.30s. These 2 ratios will give your car a real kick in the pants down low.
This bolt on is generally regarded as one of the first mods that a performance oriented individual should invest in, as they are fairly inexpensive and offer a good change in performance. Another mod that is considered to be at the top of many people?s lists is exhaust. A good exhaust setup not only offers the gorgeous sound of V8 power, but also provides your car with some extra horsepower. Starting with headers, then a good mi-pipe, and finally a solid cat-back will round out a full exhaust.
Headers are a good buy, as long as you go long tube(or full length). Most everyone would advise the inquiring mind to stay away from shorties, as they don?t provide near as much performance gains. Long tubes are an excellent start for your exhaust system, but be advised that on a 99-04 GT they are a real pain to install. Installation prices at shops is not going to be cheap, and will require $300-$700. Long tubes may also be a burden to those who have to pass emissions.
The next part of your exhaust is referred to as a mid-pipe. You can get a mid-pipe even if you are using the stock cat-back and stock manifolds. There are many types of mid-pipes. Off-road(o/r) mid-pipes are mid-pipes with a straight through design, and are favored for their ability to add serious sound and decent gains, via elimination of the catalytic converters. O/r mid-pipes shouldn?t be used in places with emissions testing. Catted mid-pipes are better then factory mid-pipes, but retain the catalytic converters. Both types come in two forms, X and H. They are named this because of their shapes. An X pipe will generally provide better horsepower, along with a louder, more raspy exhaust note. On the other hand, an H pipe provides a deeper, classic rumble, and is known to improve torque.
And finally, as far as a cat-back is concerned, you will find that this is basically a matter of personal taste, as far as the difference in sound, the build quality, and maybe even the look of the tips. Try a place such as Mustangexhaust.com to find one you like. Cold air induction(CAI) kits are also close to the top on many people?s mod lists.
Do not expect crazy gains from a CAI, as claimed by many of the manufactures, or you will definitely be disappointed. A lot of people recommend JLT, Densecharger, and K&N. Once again, this is mostly a personal preference choice again, as they all look somewhat different, have different options and prices, and provide similar gains.
Hand held tuners tend to be a good purchase for a full bolt on n/a vehicle, as they allow speedometer correction(after gear installation or tire and rim size change), timing advance, and other things that will allow you to avoid a dyno. Of course, a dyno tune will always be better, especially for a forced induction motor.
A throttle body and plenum upgrade is another mod that won't provide tons of hp for the money, but makes up for that as far as looks under the hood, if you choose something flashy, and will also improve throttle response. Once again, don't expect incredible gains.
A set of under drive pulleys will free up a few horsepower, too. A common myth with UDPs is your charging system may not work correctly, or other accessories may not function properly, however with big stereos or older cars, UDP's can be problematic. UDPs are totally safe, but are NOT advised to be used with f/I such as a supercharger. Many people will also advise to stay away from piggyback style UDPs.
Short throw shifters are another mod that will not, of course, provide any power, but make the overall driving experience a better one. These shifters help clean up some of the slop in the vehicles stock shifters, and make for quicker, more precise gear changes.
A lot of people believe the Mustang has a 4x4 look to it when it is stock. Another non-performance mod is lowering the vehicle. Again, this is personal preference as to how far you want to lower it. If you go 2" or more, caster/camber plates will be needed, otherwise you can do without them. (Although they are a nice investment.)
Other notes:
-Stage 1 cams are your best bet with just bolt ons.
-A good tire size for 17x9 and 17x10.5 rims is 275/40-17 and 315/35-17, respectively.
-A 180* thermostat is plenty for any bolt on car.
-RamAir hoods are not huge power adders.
-More power needs more traction (Upper and lower control arms, sticky tires, etc will help launches)
-A 2v to 4v conversion is not gonna be cheap. (Most say its not worth the price of parts and labor)
-Your car is what you make of it. You don?t need everyone on this forum to tell you what they like to determine what you buy. Do what you want with your car. Some will like it, some won?t. All n all, it boils down to the fact that it is YOUR car, so make it YOUR car.
For a few months now in the 4.6 section, I have noticed that when you enter the section, there are 20 or so threads, and out of those 20, 15 of the questions have already been asked. So in an attempt to help Code cut down on some of that, here are answers to some of the most asked questions.
(Most of this applies to 99-04 Gts.)
The 4.6 comes stock at the crank with 260hp. That equates to about 220rwhp. It is hard to get a stock block with stock internals above 300rwhp with just bolt ons. It will not be cheap and will require lots of time and effort, along with research.
The stock block can handle about 440rwhp with forced induction, give or take. The 4.6 is capable of handling a turbo, supercharger, or nitrous. A turbo will make more power with less boost most of the time, although will more then likely cost more. A supercharger is commonly thought of as the best way to make loads more power for the money, shall we call it the once and done theory? Put it on, get a tune, and have 360-420rwhp with no problem.
Suggested supercharger PSIs for stock 4.6s range from 6 to 10. If you want nitrous, you can run a 125 shot of it on your 4.6. It will handle that. If you decide to stay naturally aspirated (n/a), a common list of bolt ons is this: Gears, exhaust, cold air induction, handheld tuners, throttle body, plenum, under drive pulleys(UDP), and short throw shifters, among others.
Gears are a great way to give your vehicle a little pickup. They make no change in horsepower, they just change the ratio as to which your tires spin compared to rpms of the motor. Commonly used ratios include 3.73s, 3.90s, 4.10s and 4.30s. A common myth is that if you go with 4.10s or above, your gas milage will decrease. This is false. Everyone has an opinion on what to run, but that should be a personal choice. 3.73s and 3.90s are a nice all around gear, and will be an improvement over 3.27s. Some say the 3.73s and 3.90s are not enough, and instead opt for 4.10s or 4.30s. These 2 ratios will give your car a real kick in the pants down low.
This bolt on is generally regarded as one of the first mods that a performance oriented individual should invest in, as they are fairly inexpensive and offer a good change in performance. Another mod that is considered to be at the top of many people?s lists is exhaust. A good exhaust setup not only offers the gorgeous sound of V8 power, but also provides your car with some extra horsepower. Starting with headers, then a good mi-pipe, and finally a solid cat-back will round out a full exhaust.
Headers are a good buy, as long as you go long tube(or full length). Most everyone would advise the inquiring mind to stay away from shorties, as they don?t provide near as much performance gains. Long tubes are an excellent start for your exhaust system, but be advised that on a 99-04 GT they are a real pain to install. Installation prices at shops is not going to be cheap, and will require $300-$700. Long tubes may also be a burden to those who have to pass emissions.
The next part of your exhaust is referred to as a mid-pipe. You can get a mid-pipe even if you are using the stock cat-back and stock manifolds. There are many types of mid-pipes. Off-road(o/r) mid-pipes are mid-pipes with a straight through design, and are favored for their ability to add serious sound and decent gains, via elimination of the catalytic converters. O/r mid-pipes shouldn?t be used in places with emissions testing. Catted mid-pipes are better then factory mid-pipes, but retain the catalytic converters. Both types come in two forms, X and H. They are named this because of their shapes. An X pipe will generally provide better horsepower, along with a louder, more raspy exhaust note. On the other hand, an H pipe provides a deeper, classic rumble, and is known to improve torque.
And finally, as far as a cat-back is concerned, you will find that this is basically a matter of personal taste, as far as the difference in sound, the build quality, and maybe even the look of the tips. Try a place such as Mustangexhaust.com to find one you like. Cold air induction(CAI) kits are also close to the top on many people?s mod lists.
Do not expect crazy gains from a CAI, as claimed by many of the manufactures, or you will definitely be disappointed. A lot of people recommend JLT, Densecharger, and K&N. Once again, this is mostly a personal preference choice again, as they all look somewhat different, have different options and prices, and provide similar gains.
Hand held tuners tend to be a good purchase for a full bolt on n/a vehicle, as they allow speedometer correction(after gear installation or tire and rim size change), timing advance, and other things that will allow you to avoid a dyno. Of course, a dyno tune will always be better, especially for a forced induction motor.
A throttle body and plenum upgrade is another mod that won't provide tons of hp for the money, but makes up for that as far as looks under the hood, if you choose something flashy, and will also improve throttle response. Once again, don't expect incredible gains.
A set of under drive pulleys will free up a few horsepower, too. A common myth with UDPs is your charging system may not work correctly, or other accessories may not function properly, however with big stereos or older cars, UDP's can be problematic. UDPs are totally safe, but are NOT advised to be used with f/I such as a supercharger. Many people will also advise to stay away from piggyback style UDPs.
Short throw shifters are another mod that will not, of course, provide any power, but make the overall driving experience a better one. These shifters help clean up some of the slop in the vehicles stock shifters, and make for quicker, more precise gear changes.
A lot of people believe the Mustang has a 4x4 look to it when it is stock. Another non-performance mod is lowering the vehicle. Again, this is personal preference as to how far you want to lower it. If you go 2" or more, caster/camber plates will be needed, otherwise you can do without them. (Although they are a nice investment.)
Other notes:
-Stage 1 cams are your best bet with just bolt ons.
-A good tire size for 17x9 and 17x10.5 rims is 275/40-17 and 315/35-17, respectively.
-A 180* thermostat is plenty for any bolt on car.
-RamAir hoods are not huge power adders.
-More power needs more traction (Upper and lower control arms, sticky tires, etc will help launches)
-A 2v to 4v conversion is not gonna be cheap. (Most say its not worth the price of parts and labor)
-Your car is what you make of it. You don?t need everyone on this forum to tell you what they like to determine what you buy. Do what you want with your car. Some will like it, some won?t. All n all, it boils down to the fact that it is YOUR car, so make it YOUR car.
04-07-2009, 05:40 AM
#2
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location:
Posts: 324
Here is how I rank bolt-ons....just my opinion.
Gears- About 150-200 dollars to buy and about the same price to install. Anywhere from 3.73 to 4.10s will be plenty good.
Nitrous- Other than gears they are the best bang for the buck mod.
Supsension- Gotta be able to plant that power. These things are bad bone stock. Sub-frame connectors and upper/lower control arms.
If you run a big shot of nitrous (125 hp) you should be able to crack high 12s to mid 13s for under 2 grand, if you can install all of this yourself and drive worth a crap. I cannot, so i would probably still run high 13s.
Other considerations
-Timing Ajuster or Tuner
-Lowering Springs
-Plenum/Throttle Body/Spacer
I wouldnt spend the money on any other bolt ons as the gains are extremely minimal.
Gears- About 150-200 dollars to buy and about the same price to install. Anywhere from 3.73 to 4.10s will be plenty good.
Nitrous- Other than gears they are the best bang for the buck mod.
Supsension- Gotta be able to plant that power. These things are bad bone stock. Sub-frame connectors and upper/lower control arms.
If you run a big shot of nitrous (125 hp) you should be able to crack high 12s to mid 13s for under 2 grand, if you can install all of this yourself and drive worth a crap. I cannot, so i would probably still run high 13s.
Other considerations
-Timing Ajuster or Tuner
-Lowering Springs
-Plenum/Throttle Body/Spacer
I wouldnt spend the money on any other bolt ons as the gains are extremely minimal.
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