Bang for buck. Long read

[TheVat]

I have read countless threads on intake, tuners, gears, etc. I have a few questions. The type of driving I do is mostly city 35-45mph with a little highway 65mph. All I have is the MAC boomtubes which I know offer very little in HP/torque. When I drive during the night, the car is has plently of torque, quick and sounds great. During daytime driving, it doesn't feel as torquey but still sounds good. Nighttime colder air-more power? I want a decent low end all the time, not just at night. I know it's just a 4.6, but my driving style is to shift at 2K during normal driving which is not very meaty. So, here are my questions.

Option 1- I had a good intake setup on my 01; C&L intake, 85MAF, 75mm T/B, and C&L plenum. Big torque difference over stock. A lot of you keep it simple with the 05-09's with CAI and tune. I've seen multiple CAI's; some "no tune required" some need them. I really don't want to put a tuner on. If I put one of the no tune CAI's on, a lot of what you say is that you'll feel some grunt but need the tune to get it's full potential. If I get a BBk/K&N/S&B and don't get a CEL I'm worried that I may run a little too lean with an amount of airflow over the stock perameters. I didn't tune my 01 and it's ran great aside from the occasional ping at 5K which is bad I know and don't want that on this one. To play it safe I'm thinking of the FordRacing CAI like the Bullitt (the power pack intake with a Ford calibration) but it's $670.00. If Ford thinks it's okay than it should be fine right? I know this engine can more than adequatley handle another 20hp.

Option 2- Gears. I currently have the 3.31. I'm thinking of 3.73 or 4.10. If I go this route I know I'll get in the revs and powerband a little quicker thus improving acceleration. I know the highway rev's will jump about 2100 at 65 versus the 1700 which I'm used to, no big deal. The question is if the gear swap will meet my needs? Of course gears don't add power but they'll give me a jump making me feel like I've got more power correct?

If I shift at 3K I wouldn't be bothering with these questions. I do flog my car occassionally don't get me wrong, but I think high revs all the time isn't good for longevity. I wan't it to still pull hard at when I reach 80K. So which route will be better for my grandma driving needs? I guessing cost will be near the same. Please no "use the search button" responses please, I've looked. #1, #2, or just sack up and get both. I'm leaning towards #1.

 

[SpartaPerformance]

Colder night air will make more power. 3.73 gears multiply torque more the 3.31 thats why the car accelerates faster. The Ford Power pack m-9603-GTB is a good way to go if you're worried about warranty and longevity but don't be afraid of power, remember Ford also offers a 550HP supercharger kit. LOL

 

[jlisle01]

Gears will give you more of a seat of the pants difference but you'll need a tuner to recalibrate your speedo after the gear swap. If you add it up, most of the cost of a good CAI kit is the tuner anyway so if you're going to do gears you might as well just do it all.

 

[Five Oh Brian]

Go with 4.10's. As jlisle01 pointed out, you'll need a tuner to fix the speedo anyway, so get a tuner. Pass on the CAI, though, as it's just eye-candy and doesn't really add significant power for the cost. Just gears and a tuner, and I bet you'll be super happy with your GT.

 

[walter]

Another thing you may want to consider is a lightweight one piece driveshaft. Like gears it doesn't add power per se however because you're removing around 30lb from your rotating assembly you'll feel a significant increase in rear wheel horsepower and torque which should translate into bout 2 tenths on the quarter. Also the added benefit is also a reduction in drivetrain lash (and associated noises and clunks) which is product of losing the joint in the stock driveshaft and makes for a smoother ride.

That said you can get great deals on tuner / intake combos which will give you more power back then a simple no tune intake. I got my JLT + SCT 2 tuner combo from Bamachips and it was significantly cheaper then the Ford intake + calibration.

 

[300]

#2 is what you're looking for.

CAI and tune = high rpm torque
gears = low rpm torque

 

[o0Dan0o]

To do tuner, cai, and gears you're talking about a grand, but it will make a huge difference in the low end power you want. The tune from a good tuner will make a huge difference in throttle response and power across the board, the intake will help here and is pretty good bang for the buck. The gears will add a lot of torque to each gear, and shouldn't hurt MPG too much at 65 mph.

In short, I would suggest both.
Dan

 

[TheVat]

Thanks for the input. Do you fellas with a tune feel the difference I'm talking about when it's daytime/nightime?

 

[Five Oh Brian]

Thanks for the input. Do you fellas with a tune feel the difference I'm talking about when it's daytime/nightime?

You'll always get more power with cool/dense air (i.e. at night or on cold days). That's why an intercooled (cool) supercharger (dense) makes so much power. Doesn't matter if it's a cheap economy car, or a 1,000hp beast, cool/dense air always produces more power.