89 Saleen Cam/heads Advice

utemachine · Feb 25, 2018

I have an 89 Saleen and need some guidance on cam and heads. Let me give you the download. The car is a weekend driver and my goal is to have fun cruising it. I’ll never drag it other than at a stop light, and want reliable power. I don’t care about gas mileage but want it to pass smog.

Current Mods:
3:55 rear end, bbk shorties, bbk high flow cats, flowmasters, CAI, pro comp intake manifold.

Buying Now:
Cam, heads, GT40 tubular intake manifold, throttle body

Future:
Custom tune after all mods are done

On the heads I have been looking at some rebuilt GT40 heads on eBay. 87-93-95 Ford Mustang GT40P Engine Cylinder Heads REBUILT 302 351 GT40 SBF OEM https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/183077755613

What kind of cam would you recommend, is this a good set up, is there anything I’m missing?

Mustang5L5 · Feb 25, 2018

At over $800 shipped for GT40 heads, I'd just add a few hundred more and get a set of TFS 170s. They have the provisions to be smog compliant on them as well.

Do you actually need to pass a sniff test?

a91what · Feb 25, 2018

Agreed, I would save my pennies and get a quality set of aluminum heads.

utemachine · Feb 25, 2018

These heads? https://lmr.com/item/TFS-51400004M61/1979-95-Mustang-50L-58L-Trick-Flow-Twisted-Wedge-Heads

What can would you recommend with this set up? Do I need a new throttle body and mass air meter too?

Mustang5L5 · Feb 25, 2018

Those heads (or the 58cc versions) would work. Check summit racing as they usually have good pricing as well.

Cam really should be the last thing you pick to tie the entire combo together. For not that much more, you can just go custom grind.

I'm doing a similar combo with similar goals. Just a reliable street cruiser with more than stock power.

I'm doing:
TFS170s (58cc versions)
Explorer intake with ported lower
Crane gold 1.6 RRs
75mm egr spacer
70mm TB
30#injectors (24s prob would have been fine)
Still need to get a MAF

Camshaft is unknown at this point but once I have all my parts I'll probably do a custom grind. Having a setup that can idle reliably in traffic is more important to me than getting every last HP I can for a car I'll never take to the strip anymore.

Unsure how that combo would pass a sniff test here. In MA, while emmissions stuff needs to be retained, we don actually have to pass a snifffer test.

Noobz347 · Feb 25, 2018

I'm not so certain that the GT-40 intake is a good pick over the Saleen intake.

Mustang5L5 · Feb 25, 2018

I believe most if not all 1989 Saleens use a standard HO intake other than the SSC

Noobz347 · Feb 25, 2018

Mustang5L5 said:
I believe most if not all 1989 Saleens use a standard HO intake other than the SSC

Ah... What are the intakes I'm thinking of? Were there some that were better than GT available at some point?

Mustang5L5 · Feb 25, 2018

The 90s started getting the good stuff. 80s Saleens were usually stock 5.0 HOs.

utemachine · Feb 25, 2018

Correct, only the SSC had the upgraded intake.

If I do the TFS Heads, TFS stage 2 cam, and GT40 Tubular, do I need to replace the MAM, throttle body, or injectors?

Mustang5L5 · Feb 25, 2018

I would if your budget allows. Those sort of things can be swapped later on as budget allows but I'd change them prior to any sort of tune.

You can probably run the 19s but you'd be at their limIt.

a91what · Feb 25, 2018

Agreed. I used the sn95 70mm MAF with great success and no tune needed with 19lbers. Explorer 65mm TB and a cobra intake, ran strong.

utemachine · Feb 26, 2018

I decided to reach out to Ed at FTI and have him make me a custom cam. I'll update when I know the final parts I'm going with.

a91what · Feb 26, 2018

Good choice

utemachine · Mar 5, 2018

Over a week and no reply from FTI. There is a local cam builder in Denver called Cam Research. I reached out to them today. If not them I’m going with TFR 170 heads and TFR stage 1 cam.

a91what · Mar 5, 2018

@EDC can help

utemachine · Mar 5, 2018

I just bought this GT40 tubular intake today. Do I just need gaskets and bolts for this?

EDC · Mar 6, 2018

Sorry guys - was at the NMRA Spring Break Shoot Out with Darin Hendricks and "The Cobra" Coyote Stocker.

Emails are being caught up through the night.

Oh and yes, we did reset our own record so that's three seasons in a row the Coyote Stock record is ours.

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