• Mustang Forums
  • 1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk-
  • SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech

Best mod for $299?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Stang2003GT
  • Start date Start date Mar 26, 2006
Prev
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
First Prev 3 of 3

Mike97gt

it doe snot
Founding Member
Jan 26, 1999
10,633
7
89
the people's republic of massachusetts
Mar 27, 2006
#41
  • Mar 27, 2006
  • #41
ok lets keep this on topic. if you want to debate why people buy fast cars do it in talk.
 
S

silver04stang

Member
Sep 29, 2004
51
0
6
Mar 27, 2006
#42
  • Mar 27, 2006
  • #42
I agree with ADRENLN... the x pipe is the way to go. It sounds really nice and you get the best bang for the buck. My friend has dyno results of around 20 hp from an O/R x pipe...there are a lot of different types just look around. I seen a MAC O/R for about $160 shipped on ebay. I'm sure you could get it installed easy for under $140.
 

hotdog71

Member
Dec 8, 2004
427
0
16
Seattle, Eastside
Mar 27, 2006
#43
  • Mar 27, 2006
  • #43
For me the FRPP gears were the best bang for my $180 and did install with my friend took about 1 day but it would be spendy if I wan't able to do the work.
So if he isn't able to do them himself then it's out of his buget. So the tuner or even a cheap TB/P would be a nice add at the right price.

I can say with my set-up the last addition was the 75 BBK TB/P and what a huge difference it made and I still have a mostly stock exhaust system, only change is flowmaters 40's.
 

sgarlic

Founding Member
Apr 21, 2001
3,085
1
56
Mar 27, 2006
#44
  • Mar 27, 2006
  • #44
Barrier said:
Gears will certainly NOT improve engine life... you have it backwards my friend. If you upgrade from a 3.23 gear setup to a 3.73, instead of the engine having to turn the pinion 3.23 turns for every 1 ring gear turn, it has to turn it 3.73 turns now... more work for the same speed, thus more stress...now because it's working harder for the same speed, the accel is better, but your top speed (I'm talking redline top speed not draft, I know in our case it helps us get closer to redline thus better top speed) is shortened and the stress on your engine is heavier. Thus shorter life in normal circumstance.
Click to expand...

The engine turns a pinion now? Wow.. we sure aren't in the pushrod era anymore are we!
 

Henceforward

The Avatar Master
Founding Member
Jul 17, 2001
485
0
0
Mar 27, 2006
#45
  • Mar 27, 2006
  • #45
silver04stang said:
I saw a MAC O/R for about $160 shipped on ebay. I'm sure you could get it installed easy for under $140.
Click to expand...

Why do people pay to have X and H pipes installed? Do it yourself for free...
 

Stang|ess

seeking cyber partner(s)
Oct 18, 2003
941
0
37
Hawaii
Mar 27, 2006
#46
  • Mar 27, 2006
  • #46
the guy already has a midpipe, there is no need to replace it. just save for the tuner, save more and get gears. best bang for the buck.
 
K

kstang69

New Member
Aug 14, 2003
153
0
0
atlanta, georgia
Mar 27, 2006
#47
  • Mar 27, 2006
  • #47
i wouldnt get pulleys either...my headlights already dim with the beat of the sub.

i think a tuner would be a good buy, but if you really think about it you are paying like 20cents a gallon extra every time you go to the pump b/c of 93 octane= 3 bucks, im sure it adds up...bout 180 a year assuming 250 a tank and 15000 mi a year.

just saying...

o/r prochamber?

sounds good plus good power gains
 
K

kstang69

New Member
Aug 14, 2003
153
0
0
atlanta, georgia
Mar 27, 2006
#48
  • Mar 27, 2006
  • #48
oh didnt see he has midpipe...
 
S

Stang2003GT

Member
Jul 7, 2003
254
0
16
Mar 27, 2006
#49
  • Mar 27, 2006
  • #49
What about putting royal purple in my trannsmission? I hear u can pull a few hp by switching to all royal purple.
 

Stang|ess

seeking cyber partner(s)
Oct 18, 2003
941
0
37
Hawaii
Mar 27, 2006
#50
  • Mar 27, 2006
  • #50
you should do it anyways. it helps with the notchy tranny.

get the gears and speedcal, or tuner, save, and gears.
 

Mike97gt

it doe snot
Founding Member
Jan 26, 1999
10,633
7
89
the people's republic of massachusetts
Mar 28, 2006
#51
  • Mar 28, 2006
  • #51
the98stang said:
Thank you for proving him wrong...
Click to expand...


too bad he's not wrong. nothing was proven wrong there.


Many of your guys on here take a super simplistic veiw of how engines wear and just assume higher RPM's equall more wear and tear. In fact many other factors come into play in how a engine will wear.

Do you realize that gears reduce the work load the engine has to endure. No bet you never thought of that one. the engine turns a higher RPM but works LESS at a given MPH/ throttle percentage. simply put eninge LOAD is a way bigger factor in engine wear than increasing the cruise RPM on the highway by 700rpm's or so.

In fact many ford cars and trucks come with 3.73 or higher gear ratios and last just as long if not longer than a mustang with 3.27 gearing.

sure if you took two cars one with 3.27's and one with 4.10's and put them on a dyno and ran them at 70 MPH at the same percentage load the 3.27 engine would not wear as much. BUT the real world has hills and in the real world you change speed. and thats where the car with steeper gears saves engine wear. So I think engine wear as a reason not to get gears just don't make sense.
 

ADRENLN

Active Member
Apr 16, 2003
2,342
3
49
NJ
Mar 28, 2006
#52
  • Mar 28, 2006
  • #52
sorry i also did not see he had the mid pipe. in that case i would go with the plenum/tb then.
 

the98stang

Active Member
Aug 12, 2005
2,408
0
47
Clovis, CA
Mar 28, 2006
#53
  • Mar 28, 2006
  • #53
svttech76 said:
too bad he's not wrong. nothing was proven wrong there.


Many of your guys on here take a super simplistic veiw of how engines wear and just assume higher RPM's equall more wear and tear. In fact many other factors come into play in how a engine will wear.

Do you realize that gears reduce the work load the engine has to endure. No bet you never thought of that one. the engine turns a higher RPM but works LESS at a given MPH/ throttle percentage. simply put eninge LOAD is a way bigger factor in engine wear than increasing the cruise RPM on the highway by 700rpm's or so.

In fact many ford cars and trucks come with 3.73 or higher gear ratios and last just as long if not longer than a mustang with 3.27 gearing.

sure if you took two cars one with 3.27's and one with 4.10's and put them on a dyno and ran them at 70 MPH at the same percentage load the 3.27 engine would not wear as much. BUT the real world has hills and in the real world you change speed. and thats where the car with steeper gears saves engine wear. So I think engine wear as a reason not to get gears just don't make sense.
Click to expand...


ok ok so I was wrong lol...but modding any car in any way is going to affect the engine lifespan somewhat. And I agree, staying away from gears because they "cause engine wear" is silly. Although aftermarket gears lessen the load, the piston's are still cycling more revolutions per minute at a given speed, therefore causing more wear, versus stock. May not cause a lot of wear, but it's still occuring.

All in all, I'd say the benefits succeed the negative outcome with gears
 

Mike97gt

it doe snot
Founding Member
Jan 26, 1999
10,633
7
89
the people's republic of massachusetts
Mar 28, 2006
#54
  • Mar 28, 2006
  • #54
the98stang said:
ok ok so I was wrong lol...but modding any car in any way is going to affect the engine lifespan somewhat. And I agree, staying away from gears because they "cause engine wear" is silly. Although aftermarket gears lessen the load, the piston's are still cycling more revolutions per minute at a given speed, therefore causing more wear, versus stock. May not cause a lot of wear, but it's still occuring.

All in all, I'd say the benefits succeed the negative outcome with gears
Click to expand...


Sure everything is moving slightly faster with 3.73- 4.10's compared to 3.27's but the greater touqe multipcation and less load on the engine make up for a lot of that. so it's a wash. if there is any extra wear you would have to run the engine 200,000 or more miles to tell the difference.

Sure mods and driving hard on your car will wear stuff out. but what is the point of owning one of these cars.

These cars are dime a dozen they are not collector cars. so what if parts wear they make replacements.
 
S

Stang2003GT

Member
Jul 7, 2003
254
0
16
Mar 28, 2006
#55
  • Mar 28, 2006
  • #55
svttech76 said:
too bad he's not wrong. nothing was proven wrong there.


Many of your guys on here take a super simplistic veiw of how engines wear and just assume higher RPM's equall more wear and tear. In fact many other factors come into play in how a engine will wear.

Do you realize that gears reduce the work load the engine has to endure. No bet you never thought of that one. the engine turns a higher RPM but works LESS at a given MPH/ throttle percentage. simply put eninge LOAD is a way bigger factor in engine wear than increasing the cruise RPM on the highway by 700rpm's or so.

In fact many ford cars and trucks come with 3.73 or higher gear ratios and last just as long if not longer than a mustang with 3.27 gearing.

sure if you took two cars one with 3.27's and one with 4.10's and put them on a dyno and ran them at 70 MPH at the same percentage load the 3.27 engine would not wear as much. BUT the real world has hills and in the real world you change speed. and thats where the car with steeper gears saves engine wear. So I think engine wear as a reason not to get gears just don't make sense.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the respect.

Heres a more detailed explanation from myself. Gears will Increase RPM which increases the feet per min the piston travels and the ammount of times the piston slams to a stop. But with modern day motors and synthic oils wear is extremly low on frictional components. Ive read threads were people have torn the heads off a 4.6 that ran synthic oil and still can see the factory cross-shavings. Where motors wear out is from 2 other elements, heat and the physcial load on the motor. With 4.10s RPMS increase and that would increase heat but that is cured by the cooling systems(Synthic Oil and Water cooling) the other factor of wear in a motor is the force placed on the Rods and Crankshaft. That force is lowered with gears. Just like when u ride a bike and u downshift and pick up rpms U can feel less tension on ur legs and it is easyer for u too move the bike and not wear ur self out.

Regardless of any of that I hope that topic dies now, Im sorry to say its true I learned that in an engine theory class I took at a local community college for my Professional Pilot degree. But instead of gears it was propellers and RPMs. Two 172's same motors different props, the R model at 2400 rpms is crusing at the same speed as the SP but is turning at 2700 rpms. The R model is being stressed more then the SP because it is harder to turn a prop with more pitch. Less pitch would be 4.10s and More pitch would be 3.27.




DONE DONE and DONE......



Now back to my thread, Ive looked into thermostats as well. Anyone remember the thread about 4.10s not being worth it? Well I used a simulator like the one from that test but different. This program is for building engines. I took a stock 225hp 302 from a 1987 Mustang GT and I ran it at 195 degrees and 160 degrees. I saw an increase of 5 hp and the motors detonation rate was decreased allowing me to adv the timing more.

Anyone got any experence with this?

This may be my most controversial posting yet.
 

Barrier

New Member
May 11, 2005
155
0
0
Mar 28, 2006
#56
  • Mar 28, 2006
  • #56
Well, now that I've been thoroughly

My bad, mano... thought you were one of the newberts spouting how the gears don't work, theres no added stress, etc... and also I too don't think that it's an excuse not to get gears, hell I just put on my 3.90s a while back and I love em. Anywho... quite valid points, can't believe I never thought that much into it.

 

xseler8

Member
May 4, 2004
619
0
17
Montgomery County,Pa.
Mar 28, 2006
#57
  • Mar 28, 2006
  • #57
Steeda pulleys make a difference. Less than $300 installed. As far as shifters go...if I did ONE mod and done it would be an MGW.
 
S

Stang2003GT

Member
Jul 7, 2003
254
0
16
Mar 28, 2006
#58
  • Mar 28, 2006
  • #58
Im looking to spend $330 for the diablo Preditor tuner and 20 bucks on the 160 Degree thermo stat.

If I get the Tuner and use it for a bit then I flash it back to stock, I get as S/C and a tune from MPH, If I have any problems I can plug the tuner in and enrich my fuel and retard timing to solve the problem?
 
Prev
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
First Prev 3 of 3
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

F
Trouble Shooting Sudden Shift of AFR at low RPM
  • Farva_84
  • Jun 6, 2025
  • SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech
Replies
8
Views
510
SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech Jun 8, 2025
Farva_84
F
SN95 Desktop 363 Engine Combination - Looking for input
  • WhiteCobra95
  • Sep 8, 2025
  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
Replies
11
Views
1K
1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk- Oct 6, 2025
Habu135
Fox 89’ GT 331 stroker, Trickflow upper/lower, TF#3 Cam, stuffed with forged goodies.
  • 08GT500
  • Nov 6, 2024
  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
Replies
11
Views
827
1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk- Nov 6, 2025
08GT500
SURGING IDLE / NO IDLE CHECKLIST FOR 1996–1998 MUSTANG GT (4.6L 2V) - Work In Progress
  • Noobz347
  • Aug 30, 2025
  • 1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk-
Replies
0
Views
776
1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk- Aug 30, 2025
Noobz347
SURGING IDLE / NO IDLE CHECKLIST FOR 1999–2004 MUSTANG GT (4.6L 2V) - Work In Progress
  • Noobz347
  • Aug 30, 2025
  • 1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk-
Replies
0
Views
955
1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk- Aug 30, 2025
Noobz347
Share:
Bluesky Email Share Link
  • Mustang Forums
  • 1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk-
  • SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech
Menu
Log in

Register

  • Forums
  • What's new
  • Media
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Sponsor
X

Privacy & Transparency

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

  • Personalized ads and content
  • Content measurement and audience insights

Do you accept cookies and these technologies?

X

Privacy & Transparency

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

  • Personalized ads and content
  • Content measurement and audience insights

Do you accept cookies and these technologies?